Following a victorious campaign against the Goths, General Titus Andronicus returns to Rome with prisoners; Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her three sons and Aaron, her Moorish adviser. He sacrifices her eldest son to the gods. At the same time the old emperor has died and Titus is proposed to take his place; however he declines and gives the position to Saturninus, the old emperor's son. He states that he intends to take Titus's daughter, Lavinia, as his bride; knowing she is betrothed to his brother Bassianus. She flees with Bassianus and Saturninus states that he will marry Tamora... soon she is plotting her revenge against Titus and his family. Soon things are spiralling towards an inevitably bloody conclusion.
This is a classic tale of revenge played out between Titus and Tamara that will destroy most people close to them. There is murder, rape and mutilation... not to mention the infamous finale which I won't spoil on the off chance that one hasn't heard what happens. People often complain that modern stories are too violent but this was written over four hundred years ago and contains material that wouldn't look out of place in 'Game of Thrones'... indeed the scene I alluded to earlier was copied to great effect in that series.
Many versions of Shakespeare plays are set in eras other than that of the original play; this manages to be set in what appears to be a combination of eras simultaneously; we have Roman soldiers, some traditionally armed others carrying shotguns; '30s cars and costumes with a camp fascist look and modern punk inspired clothing for others. This hodgepodge could be a mess but it is strangely effective; emphasising how the central story is timeless. The cast does a fine job; most notably Anthony Hopkins who is on great form as the tormented eponymous Titus; Laura Fraser, as the poor Lavinia; Alan Cumming, as the somewhat camp Saturninus and Jessica Lange, as the vengeful Tamora. Director Julie Taymor does a great job bringing the story to the screen. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of films based on Shakespeare if the can handle the subject matter. To others I'd say don't be put off by the Elizabethan language; after a few minutes one gets used to it.
