History Film / Titus

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/titus.jpg]]
''Titus'' is a 1999 film by Julie Taymor (''FIlm/{{Frida}}'', ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse2007''), adapted from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's play ''Theatre/TitusAndronicus''.

The plot concerns a CycleOfRevenge between the families of Titus Andronicus (Creator/AnthonyHopkins) and Tamora (Creator/JessicaLange).

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!!In addition to tropes from the play, this film provides examples of:

* ActorAllusion: One gets the impression Anthony Hopkins was cast solely for the infamous dinner scene.
* AnachronismStew: The entire film, and proudly so.
* AssholeVictim: It's satisfying to see Chiron and Demetrius butchered like a couple of hogs and turned into mincemeat pies by Titus after their rape and mutilation of Lavinia. Their mother Tamora also qualifies for this trope when she meets her end at Titus's knife (after being fed the meat of her own sons), as she was the one who encouraged them to do so.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:All of the bloodshed has been carried out. Young Lucius hears the cries of Aaron's infant son. He frees the baby from his cage and presumably any mistreatment that the boy would suffer. Then Young Lucius carries him towards the exit of the colosseum into a sunrise]].
* BookEnds: The main story begins and ends in the colosseum. The audience is invisible in the opening, but visible in the end.
* CastingGag: Titus, the guy who brutally murders a bunch of people and serves their remains as food, is played by [[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Anthony Hopkins]].
* ChewingTheScenery: The script lends itself to this, and some of the actors (Anthony Hopkins, most especially) take advantage of it.
* CircusOfFear: {{Downplayed}} with the carnival performers, who appear with very off-beat circus music, dance for Titus and his entourage before finally presenting him with the severed heads of his sons and his own hand that he had cut off in exchange so they could live.
* CueTheSun: The film ends with [[spoiler:Young Lucius carrying Aaron's child away into the sunrise]].
* {{Determinator}}: Lavinia on telling her father what happened without having a tongue or hands.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Chiron and Demetrius. They also have a lot in common with Theatre/OedipusRex in terms of how much they love their mother...
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even though he confirmed that it is acceptable for the father to honor-kill their defiled daughter, Saturninus is horrified when Titus nonchalantly performs said honor killing on his daughter Lavinia and he sympathetically asks Titus who were the perps. He's even more appalled to learn she was violated by his own stepsons and demands they be brought out for justice. He soon finds out Titus already used his unique brand of justice.
* EvilChef: The film plays up Titus' role as a chef when he serves up Tamora's sons to her [[ImAHumanitarian in a pie]] by having Anthony Hopkins dressed in the chef's traditional white smock and toque (while sporting a SlasherSmile and carrying [[AnAxeToGrind a large cleaver]]).
* ForgottenFramingDevice: The film opens with a modern-age little boy playing violently with toy soldiers and other military toys. Suddenly a Roman soldier bursts into the room and drags him away, and the boy then becomes Young Lucius in the story. This is never called back to, although the final shot may imply an emotional resolution to it.
* GoodHairEvilHair: Creator/AlanCumming as the emperor seems to be sporting a Hitler-combover.
* HeelRealization: It's implied Young Lucius has begun to see the mass destruction of the bloodshed and pities Aaron's child when he hears the baby's cries after being taught to despise Moors. [[spoiler:He decides to take the baby out of the violence]].
* NeckSnap: Lavinia is executed in this manner.
* PaperThinDisguise: Played with for drama and for laughs. Tamora and her sons dress as metaphorical deities of Rape, Murder, and Revenge so they can pretend to ally with the insane Titus. Clearly, the costumes and makeup, elaborate as they are, don't really hide their familiar likeness. Of course, Titus is not fooled, but plays along so his brother can have time to capture the sons.
* PrimalStance: The two evil sons adopt this pose while taunting Lavinia after they mutilate her.
* SettingUpdate: The film leaps and bounds through various time periods at the whims of the director.
* WhenSheSmiles: Lavinia after her rape and mutilation. Despite the horrible physical and psychological torture she has endured (and is still going through), the rare moments when she smiles, such as when her nephew presents her with new prosthetic hands, are heartwarming - and the camera continues to emphasise her beauty with close-ups of her face.
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''Titus'' is a 1999 film by Julie Taymor (''FIlm/{{Frida}}'', ''Film/AcrossTheUniverse''), adapted from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's play ''Theatre/TitusAndronicus''.

''Titus'' is a 1999 film by Julie Taymor, adapted from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's play ''Theatre/TitusAndronicus''.

* AssholeVictim: It's satisfying to see Titus butcher Chiron and Demetrius butchered like a couple of hogs and turn them into mincemeat pies after their rape and mutilation of Lavinia. Their mother Tamora also qualifies when she meets her end at Titus's knife (after being fed the meat of her own sons), as she was the one who encouraged them to do so.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even though he confirmed that it is acceptable for the father to honor-kill their defiled daughter, Saturninus is horrified when Titus nonchalantly performs said honor killing on his daughter Lavinia and he sympathetically asks Titus who were the perps. He's even more appalled to learn she was violated by his own stepsons and demands they be brought out for justice.

* {{Twincest}}: Chiron and Demetrius.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Saturninus is horrified when Titus nonchalantly performs an honor killing on his daughter Lavinia and he sympathetically asks Titus who were the perps. He's even more appalled to learn she was violated by his own stepsons and demands they be brought out for justice.

* WhenSheSmiles: Lavinia after her rape and mutilation. Despite the horrible physical and psychological torture she has been through, the rare moments when she smiles, such as when her nephew presents her with new prosthetic hands, are heartwarming.

* BittersweetEnding: All the bloodshed has been carried out. Young Lucius hears the cries of Aaron's infant son and frees him from the cage, and presumably the mistreatment that the boy would suffer. And he carries him toward the exit of the colosseum toward a sunrise.

* CueTheSun: The film ends with Young Lucius carrying Aaron's child away into the sunrise.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Saturninus is horrified when Titus nonchalantly performs an honor killing on his daughter Lavinia and he sympathetically asks Titus who were the perps. He's even more appalled to learn she's violated by his own stepsons and demands they be brought out for justice.
* EvilChef: The film plays up Titus' role as achef when he serves up Tamora's sons to her [[ImAHumanitarian in a pie]] by having Anthony Hopkins dressed in the chef's traditional white smock and toque (while sporting a SlasherSmile and carrying [[AnAxeToGrind a large cleaver]].

* HeelRealization: It's implied Young Lucius has begun to see the mass destruction of the bloodshed and pities Aaron's child when he hears his cries after being taught to despise Moors. He decides to take the baby out of the violence.
* PaperThinDisguise: Played with for drama and for laughs. Tamora and her sons dress as metaphorical deities of Rape, Murder, and Revenge and pretend to ally with the insane Titus. Clearly the costume and makeup, elaborate as they are, don't really hide their familiar likeness. Of course, Titus is not fooled but plays along so his brother can have time to capture the sons.
* SettingUpdate: The film leaps and bounds through various time periods at the whim of the director.

* AnachronismStew