A Titillating Titus-- Shakespeare Tamed, yet Sublime

Granted, Shakespeare, especially a full three hour's worth is not every film-viewer's cup of tea, or blood-wine in this case. But, Julie Taymor's production of Titus will elicit wows for viewers with an attention span beyond Gladiator or Erin Brockovich. Taymor's playful, contemporary tweaking of a Roman setting--leather-clad biker-princes, a newspaper headline proclaiming Caesar's death, senatorial diplomats in sunglasses--entice the viewer into the complex, historical tragedy of the Roman general Titus.

After achieving military victory, Titus refuses the prize of the Emperor's throne, and we are propelled into the Roman scene of deal-making and shifting political alliances. The acting is strong, especially Anthony Hopkins as Titus, a completely natural Shakespearean actor; and Jessica Lange as Tamora, the formidable Queen of the Goths. Sumptuous, innovative sets, costumes and lighting accentuate the brilliance of Taymor's directorial touch.

The dark violence of the struggle for dominance in Rome is beautifully conveyed with tone and swirling, startling imagery. A glorious example is the way Taymor captures the languid hedonism of the Roman orgy in a provocative scene filled with various bodies coupling around a turquoise pool. Buildings are shrouded or shadowed, and modern touches like pool tables, video games and beer cans bizarrely accessorize the austere Roman landscape.

I think that the screenplay accentuates themes the average reader might gloss over in the text or in a stage production. Both Lavinia(portrayed with subtle elegance by Laura Fraser) and Tamora define feminine power within the limitations of a patriarchal society. And Aaron the Moor is a foil for us to examine the racism inherent in the play. Aaron, like Tamora, may only aspire to a limited level of power. He is simultaneously a sympathetic character and one who epitomizes malevolence. The enlightened modern viewer is backed into a corner by the film; I was very disturbed when I could no longer support Aaron and what he subscribes to.

The film is violent at times, though the violent acts underscore the film's theme of revenge; a revenge which is never truly attainable. Unspeakable, brutal acts like Lavinia's torture and the Hannibal Lecteresque acts propagated by the blood-thirsty Titus might disturb some viewers. But, they clarify the intertwining of vengeance, madness and calculated evil at the heart of Titus.

I think that Taymor's Titus was one of the most accessible Shakespearean productions I have ever seen. Taymor and her brilliant cast manage to entice the viewer into the core of the Shakespearean tragedy. The story's theme of power capitulating to vengeance is decoded for the viewer as we ask ourselves to examine the interplay of violence and evil.