Synopsis

After returning victorious from war, Roman general Titus Andronicus becomes entangled in a cycle of revenge when political rivalries and ancient grievances erupt into savage violence. As loyalties collapse and his family is devastated, Titus embraces increasingly extreme schemes to punish his enemies. This visually elaborate adaptation presents Shakespeare's tragedy in a world where ancient Rome collides with modern warfare and fascist imagery.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film developed from a 1994 off-Broadway production of Titus Andronicus, carrying several of that staging's visual ideas onto the screen.

• Its deliberately anachronistic design combines chariots, automobiles, tanks, machine guns, modern public-address systems, and Roman costumes. The mixture was intended to suggest that warfare and political violence repeat across centuries.

• Principal photography took place from October 5, 1998, through January 1999, with locations including Pula in Croatia, Rome, the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, and Cinecitta Studios.

• The film's 162-minute score was composed by Elliot Goldenthal and recorded at Abbey Road Studios.

• An orgy sequence was cut to secure an R rating in the United States. The production reportedly came close to receiving an NC-17 rating because of the scene's nudity rather than its violence.

• Anthony Hopkins and the filmmaker disagreed over whether Titus was genuinely mad or merely pretending. Their different interpretations were discussed separately on the film's DVD commentaries.

• In the climactic dinner scene, Hopkins deliberately imitated the Shakespearean delivery styles associated with John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, and Laurence Olivier.