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Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Harry J. Lennix, Colm Feore ... see more see more... , Angus Macfadyen , Jonathan Rhys Meyers , Matthew Rhys , Laura Fraser , James Frain , Osheen Jones , Kenny Doughty , Blake Ritson , Constantine Gregory , Colin Wells , Geraldine McEwan

One of William Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, Titus Andronicus was staged in New York by award-winning theatrical director Julie Taymor in an acclaimed 1995 production, before her widely praised Br... read more read more...oadway version of The Lion King. Taymor revisits that production for her first motion picture, with the addition of a star-studded cast. Roman General Titus Andronicus (Anthony Hopkins) has returned from defeating the Goths in a bloody battle, but the victory has left him with mixed feelings, as the war took the lives of several of his sons. Titus is reminded by his first-born son Lucius (Angus Macfadyen) that their faith demands the sacrifice of an enemy prisoner as a gift to the gods for their victory. Titus chooses the eldest son of Tamora (Jessica Lange), the Queen of the Goths, who has since been taken hostage by Titus's troops. Tamora pleads for her son's life, but Titus goes ahead with the sacrifice. She then becomes the lover of the new emperor of Rome, Saturninus (Alan Cumming), a weak-willed and corrupt man. Tamora uses her connection to the throne for her own ends: in retaliation for the death of her son, Tamora and her surviving sons, Chiron (Jonathan Rhys Myers) and Demetrius (Matthew Rhys), brutally rape Titus's beloved daughter, Lavinia (Laura Fraser). This act sets in motion an ever-tightening spiral of revenge and retaliation that leaves few of the participants unscathed. The supporting cast includes Colm Feore as Marcus, Harry Lennix as Aaron, and James Frain as Bassianus. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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82% liked it

19,814 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

74 critics

R, 2 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Julie Taymor

Release Date: December 24, 1999

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DVD Release Date: August 15, 2000

Stats: 1,344 reviews

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Titus Titus 1999 Saturninus-1.jpg titus01.jpg satopen.jpg Titus as Aaron Titus Titus Titus
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Flixster Reviews (1,344)

  • DragonEyeMorrison
    November 11, 2011
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Fantastic crazy fun, Shakespeare was truly ahead of it's time. Hopkins was great, same goes for the rest of the cast, specially Lennix and Cumming.
  • bbcfloridabound
    April 18, 2009
    bbcfloridabound
    I was captured once tied and beaten for 3 days, I suffered less pain from that, then this movie. But it just goes to show you I WILL WATCH ANYTHING! Have to admit that the costumes were out of this world, and Anthony Hopkins proves he can play any part with 100 percent success, b... read moreut I can only put one star on it, Now will someone take of these handcuffs and untie me.
  • aliceinpunderland
    March 21, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    OH EM GEE Julie Taymor. You too, Will. I've never read this Shakespeare play and after seeing this textually faithful adaption (from what I hear), I don't understand why the play isn't more popular. It's like Sin City set in the Roman Empire. Amoral people committing v... read moreiolent acts for violence's sake. Heroes brought down by tragic flaws of hubris and nearsightedness. Inexplicable sacrifice made in the name of honor, revenge, piety. And the dialogue is hella sexy:
    Chiron: "You have undone our mother."
    Aaron: "Villain, I have done thy mother."
    Taymor's mishmash of genres and periods is so convoluted, yet compelling. I could have done without the little boy guide though.
  • DrBenway
    June 17, 2008
    DrBenway
    I read some of the negative reviews, and I think some just didn't get it, or didn't do their homework. The visuals in this film are fantastic and the acting is outstanding, with mention to Colm Feore as Marcus, Harry J. Lennix as Aaron the Moor. Then there's Jessica Lange as the... read more lusty Tamora, Queen of the Goths and Anthony Hopkins proves he's worth every cent in the lead role and plays it with such a range of emotion and steers clear of becoming cartoonish in the most heavy-handed of Shakespeare's tragedies.

    Set against a backdrop of a pseudo-1930s fascist Italy, the sets and vehicles are perfectly appropriate for the play. A vengeful and bloody film.
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  • ironclad1609
    April 5, 2008
    ironclad1609
    A very post modern version of one of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedies, with all the well known ingredients: betrayal, murder, intrigues, revenge and revenge for revenge, really mean villains and broken heroes. The set and prop design refuses to be entirely antique or modern and ... read moremixes old ruins with motorcycles, guns with armor, which makes for a really gorgeous, unique look. The cinematography of the film is just as beautiful, the soundtrack changes from classic drama scores to catchy jazz tunes, which creates some rather strong changes in mood. It's the rather bizarre and oddly humorous and symbolic scenes that do not quite work as well as the rest of this great adaption, but that's only a small minority of the whole 155 minutes. The whole cast gives really strong performances and when Titus reveals his final plot of revenge it's quite clear why Anthony Hopkins is truly perfect for the role, considering who else he played in movie history...
    Heavy, bloody and weird stuff but in the end very rewarding for Shakespeare fans with an open mind for new interpretations, just like Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet.
  • harrycaul
    January 15, 2008
    harrycaul
    A decent adaptation of Shakespeare's most bloodthirsty play, "Titus Andronicus". Julie Taymor's refusal to stick to a specific historical setting or cinematic style creates some beautiful and dazzling images, however these anachronistic and stylistic juxtapositions sometimes jar ... read moreand distract one from Shakespeare's dialogue, which demands close attention from most of us. The plot is almost too grisly to be taken seriously, so the film is wise to opt for a blackly comic tone for the most part. Anthony Hopkins is fine as Titus, particularly moving when pleading for the lives of his two sons, framed for the murder of Bassianus. Alan Cumming was an odd choice for Saturninus, more closely resembling, as he does, a child throwing a temper-tantrum than a wrathful Emperor. For me, Harry Lennix delivers the best performance of anyone as Aaron, the Moor. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers could well be the most irritating actor ever to draw breath, and I would have liked his death scene to have been more protracted and far nastier.
  • puffchunk
    November 19, 2007
    puffchunk
    A bunch of guys do a bunch of stuff, then they have an orgie and eat people.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    June 19, 2007
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Very underated and visually captivating.
  • flickfever
    July 4, 2006
    flickfever
    A very strange adaptation of one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays. Anthony Hopkins is great and Taymor's direction is beautiful...the opening scene is classic.
  • gator681
    October 5, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Titus" starts with General Titus Adronicus(Anthony Hopkins) returning to Rome from a great victory over the Goths led by Queen Tamora(Jessica Lange). To start the festivities, he sacrifices her first born son to the gods which does not make her happy. Afte... read morer the death of the emperor, Titus is offered the position but he declines in favor of Saturninus(Alan Cumming) whose first decree is to marry Lavinia(Laura Fraser), Titus' daughter, but she is the true love of Bassianus(James Frain), the emperor's brother. Saturninus acquiesces and instead marries Tamora.[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]William Shakespeare's violent play, "Titus" comes close to being about blowback and that our actions always have repercussions but regretfully takes the low road by implying that it is best to make sure all of one's enemies have been killed, lest they seek revenge and make one's life generally unpleasant. Julie Taymor imbues that general framework with her rich visual talents into creating a world that lies between Ancient Rome and the modern day.(I would have gone for Fascist Italy but would that have been too obvious?) Occasionally, she does go too far, and the movie verges on camp, especially in the casting of Alan Cumming. And though Anthony Hopkins is very, very good, especially in the later scenes, he does not strike me as having the gravitas of a military man.[/font]

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Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
June 17, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

A conditional victory. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

A consistently absorbing entertainment that never becomes either campy or facetious, given its inescapable exaggerations. Full Review

July 21, 2005
Houston Chronicle

Hopkins unwisely echoes his performance as Hannibal Lecter, but Lange rises to the occasion with a mesmerizingly in-your-face portrait of mother love gone haywire. Full Review

Liam Lacey
April 25, 2003
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Along with everything else, the acting styles here clash, though the dissonance serves the drama's bellicose theme. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Jessica Lange as Tamora, the captured Goth queen, seethes with sexuality and vengeance.

Kevin Thomas
January 1, 2000
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

It functions like a giant meat grinder, making hash of everything it depicts. Full Review

John Anderson
January 1, 2000
John Anderson, Newsday

A lugubrious and occasionally laughable two hours and 40 minutes.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

This is the film Shakespeare's play deserves, and perhaps even a little more. Full Review

Jay Carr
January 1, 2000
Jay Carr, Boston Globe

A brilliant production of a mediocre play.

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Julie Taymor has created a film that is as vulgar, obvious and glorious as the Shakespeare play it's based on. Full Review

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