Review – Titus

I know this is commonly considered one of Shakespeare’s lesser efforts, but it’s got so much blood and guts and other unpleasantness that it’s hard not to get at least a minor kick out of it. This particular version features even more scenery chewing than usual, due in large part to the mastications of Anthony Hopkins in the title role. Though he plays the lead, he can scarcely be considered the star; that honor belongs to the art direction. This is one of those half-interesting, half-annoying productions that attempts to lure in contemporary audiences by supplying the cast with modern trappings such as motorcycles, video games and shotguns. Further, the sets are monolithic, sometimes adding effectively to the drama while at other times distracting and thus detracting from the action. Further, the director seriously needed to shave the prologue and epilogue sequences off. That notwithstanding, there’s enough nastiness and misery to be found here to keep the production entertaining for the most part. Mildly amusing