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Titus Andronicus: Too Bloody for even Hollywood?

© Susan Keeping

Titus Andronicus was written between 1588 and 1590, it was produced in 1593-94 and published in a quarto edition from in 1594. It has long been debated as to whether or not this is actually one of Shakespeare's plays. Most modern critics, however, seem to agree that it was definitely written by William Shakespeare.

Here is a synopsis of the play from Encyclopaedia Britannica:

"Titus Andronicus returns to Rome after defeating the Goths, bringing with him Queen Tamora, whose eldest son he has sacrificed. The late emperor's son Saturninus is supposed to marry Titus' daughter Lavinia; however, when his brother Bassianus runs away with her instead, Saturninus marries Tamora. Saturninus and Tamora then plot revenge against Titus. Beginning with the rape and mutilation of Lavinia, bloodshed and brutality run rampant, culminating in a cannibalistic banquet scene"

I could only find 4 versions of this film. The uncompromising bloodshed and cannibalism inherent in the play seem to be the reasons why it is not a favourite with film-makers and theatre-goers alike.

The earliest film that I am aware of was a BBC television version from 1985. It was directed by Jane Howell and starred Trevor Peacock as Titus Andronicus. It was staged more like a theatrical production than a film. Other than cast information, I can't find any more information about this film.

The next version was a direct-to-video effort. Titus Andronicus: The Movie, from 1997, was directed by Lorn Richey. It was a low budget version of the film. The 991 Media Arts Center says that the work is "full of seething rage, which explodes into bizarre forms, Richie has restored the work to its pre-Victorian grandeur". I couldn't find much information about this film and I have no idea who the cast were.

The most uncompromising version of the film is Titus Andronicus, directed by Christopher Dunne, from 1999. It stars Robert Reece as Titus. The film has become a cult classic. I have never seen it but judging by the pictures on the website, it does not spare the bloodshed one bit (the film most likely adds a few scenes of gratuitious violence).

The most recent film version, and the one that has had the biggest stars and budget, was Titus from 1999. It was directed by Julie Taymor (in her film directorial debut) and starred Anthony Hopkins as Titus and Jessica Lange as Tamora. Alan Cumming played the dictator Saturninus. At 2 hours and 42 minutes, many critics found the film too long for even the strong cast to sustain. The official Titus site gives an excellent synopsis of the film, please be advised that it does contain spoilers.

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