Titus
I just finished the 1999 film version of Titus Andronicus. The play, of course, is one of Shakespeare's lesser known tragedies. It's widely accepted as one of his first, and therefore "not that good." Critics hate it, and some even consider that it wasn't written by Shakespeare because the verse doesn't match the Bard's usual style. Also, it's bloody as hell and filled with murder, torture, disfigurement, rape, and insanity. Along with the movie, I opened up my complete works and read the acts before I watched each section of the film. Yes, I know this makes me a total and complete English nerd and also just a little pretentious. Yes, I know that I am so behind on my homework and I shouldn't be doing dorky, self-indulgent side projects.
For me...seeing this play done in the usual austere, flowery style, I would feel like chopping my own hands off because it would be awful. However, the production could be easily set in modern day New York or LA. Even in the Sudan or another war-torn African country.
Unfortunately, one could read this play as a comment against The Other. The great puppeteers of the murderous events, Aaron the Moor and Tamora, Queen of the Goths, are the villains. They do unspeakable things to the family of Titus. However, seeing as this play is set in ancient Rome, where everyone but Romans were barbarians. They, of course, come out on top as the glorious defenders of justice. However, the Roman characters are just as foul as the The Other characters. The power-hungry, lustful Emperor and Titus himself do despicable deeds. No one is outside of Shakespeare's sphere of villianizing. Perhaps this is why I love this play as much as I do. It's rough, disgusting, horrific and disturbing.
It's easy to picture Shakespeare's plays as Elizabethan men running around in tights and frilly collars. This play begs us to see his work through a rougher, less polished lens. He got rough. He got dirty. It wasn't all magic and kings and lovers and ghosts. There was blood. There was grit. And there was Titus Andronicus.
An aside: I once said that there were only three good Shakespeare plays: Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer's Night Dream, and of course, Hamlet. Let it be known: I'M SO VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY WRONG. But I still hate Richard II. It's boring and King Richard is a self righteous turd. There is nothing that I could make me like that play!
In a comment on the Julie Taymor film: IT'S FREAKING AWESOME. For all those who were unimpressed with Across The Universe (*raises hand*), the recent Beatles musical flick also directed by Taymor fear not, my movie loving amigos! Titus is infinitely better. Well, it is better by the sheer fact that this movie actually has a plot. Yes, it's trippy. Yes, it's bizarre. BUT, Taymor puts the strange and sometimes "senseless" (though I see the sense in it, but I am also a post-modern reader who is used to violence in media) acts into such a wonderful context. The barbarousness of Chiron and Demetrius is wonderfully represented by the S&M club style. I mean...at one point they braided Jonathan Rhys-Meyer's long locks into these little kawaii pig tails!
Also, I only believe they pick Anthony Hopkins to play Titus because Titus bakes Chiron and Demetrius into pies and feeds them to their mother, Tamora. Also, because he does the infamous slurping sounds when he's collecting the son blood.
Beyond that, whoever Taymor got to design the costumes for this film is brilliant. Half of the characters' personalities can be revealed through their clothes. The only thing that bothered me was the mixing of the eras of clothing. One minute, people are wearing slick gangster-equse suits and fedoras and the Emperor (played by Alan Cumming, who is amazing) is wearing Nazi inspired military uniform. The next, Titus is wearing traditional Roman armor. I understand the reasoning though. I see it as being set in an alternate universe, even though the script says it is Rome. This works for me. I can see how it wouldn't work for most people, though.
Taymor also kept surprisingly well to what I believe to be the dramatic purpose of this play: to scare the viewer. No, it's not the Saw franchise (thank God). But it is a comment of power and violence and what can happen when one uses their power foolishly. Yes, this is not a new theme in literature, but I believe it will always, always be timely.
She could have cut off like, five minutes of the end, though. That big silly. Her endings are always on the side of "WTF?"
So, all in all, Titus Andronicus= A in my book. Entertaining, thought-provoking and called me to see Shakespeare in a new light.
Now...I actually have to go do homework. Oh Good Lord -___-
For me...seeing this play done in the usual austere, flowery style, I would feel like chopping my own hands off because it would be awful. However, the production could be easily set in modern day New York or LA. Even in the Sudan or another war-torn African country.
Unfortunately, one could read this play as a comment against The Other. The great puppeteers of the murderous events, Aaron the Moor and Tamora, Queen of the Goths, are the villains. They do unspeakable things to the family of Titus. However, seeing as this play is set in ancient Rome, where everyone but Romans were barbarians. They, of course, come out on top as the glorious defenders of justice. However, the Roman characters are just as foul as the The Other characters. The power-hungry, lustful Emperor and Titus himself do despicable deeds. No one is outside of Shakespeare's sphere of villianizing. Perhaps this is why I love this play as much as I do. It's rough, disgusting, horrific and disturbing.
It's easy to picture Shakespeare's plays as Elizabethan men running around in tights and frilly collars. This play begs us to see his work through a rougher, less polished lens. He got rough. He got dirty. It wasn't all magic and kings and lovers and ghosts. There was blood. There was grit. And there was Titus Andronicus.
An aside: I once said that there were only three good Shakespeare plays: Romeo and Juliet, Midsummer's Night Dream, and of course, Hamlet. Let it be known: I'M SO VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY WRONG. But I still hate Richard II. It's boring and King Richard is a self righteous turd. There is nothing that I could make me like that play!
In a comment on the Julie Taymor film: IT'S FREAKING AWESOME. For all those who were unimpressed with Across The Universe (*raises hand*), the recent Beatles musical flick also directed by Taymor fear not, my movie loving amigos! Titus is infinitely better. Well, it is better by the sheer fact that this movie actually has a plot. Yes, it's trippy. Yes, it's bizarre. BUT, Taymor puts the strange and sometimes "senseless" (though I see the sense in it, but I am also a post-modern reader who is used to violence in media) acts into such a wonderful context. The barbarousness of Chiron and Demetrius is wonderfully represented by the S&M club style. I mean...at one point they braided Jonathan Rhys-Meyer's long locks into these little kawaii pig tails!
Also, I only believe they pick Anthony Hopkins to play Titus because Titus bakes Chiron and Demetrius into pies and feeds them to their mother, Tamora. Also, because he does the infamous slurping sounds when he's collecting the son blood.
Beyond that, whoever Taymor got to design the costumes for this film is brilliant. Half of the characters' personalities can be revealed through their clothes. The only thing that bothered me was the mixing of the eras of clothing. One minute, people are wearing slick gangster-equse suits and fedoras and the Emperor (played by Alan Cumming, who is amazing) is wearing Nazi inspired military uniform. The next, Titus is wearing traditional Roman armor. I understand the reasoning though. I see it as being set in an alternate universe, even though the script says it is Rome. This works for me. I can see how it wouldn't work for most people, though.
Taymor also kept surprisingly well to what I believe to be the dramatic purpose of this play: to scare the viewer. No, it's not the Saw franchise (thank God). But it is a comment of power and violence and what can happen when one uses their power foolishly. Yes, this is not a new theme in literature, but I believe it will always, always be timely.
She could have cut off like, five minutes of the end, though. That big silly. Her endings are always on the side of "WTF?"
So, all in all, Titus Andronicus= A in my book. Entertaining, thought-provoking and called me to see Shakespeare in a new light.
Now...I actually have to go do homework. Oh Good Lord -___-