Posted on 09/24/2010 2:20:20 PM PDT by SonOfDarkSkies
Here are links to videos of Julie Taymor’s magnificently stylized rendition of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus with Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, et al. Titus is of course Shakespeare’s first play and he goes over the top presumably to make sure it’s not lacking in drama (or anything else for that matter).
Amazing film…one of my all time favorites!
By the way, video embedding was disabled at Youtube so below are only the video links. Furthermore, Video #8 was rumored to have been removed from Youtube at the request of Stanford Univ (for whatever reason). The text of missing Video #8 is presented below the video links.
(Excerpt) Read more at darkskiesblog.com ...
It’s one terrific, bloody film.
I’m looking forward to checking this out. Thanks for posting! I’ve never heard anyone say that Titus is one of their faves - definitely unique, edgy, and lots of drama there, as you point out!
Unfortunately, however, my local video store doesn't carry it in DVD. So at least I can watch it on youtube.
D@mn shame about video #8 being removed, however, that was a very important segment.
Direct linking still works.
Why not do that? Need some blog hits?
I set it up on the blog for a friend who is working with me on a project. I thought some of you guys might want to see it.
If you don't like it...don't look.
What do you think I get from getting some old grump like you to look at it, huh. A penny or two.
Why not just post the links here then?
As I said, I set the thing up for a friend.
After I was done, I thought some of you guys might appreciate it, but frankly I was a little pooped after listing all the videos and searching for and setting up and formatting the missing text.
As said, if you don't want to look at it...just go to youtube and find the 16 videos...and then go and find the missing scene from video #8 online.
This film introduced me to Carlo Buti and his redition of “Vivere”, from 1931, which is one of my favorite recordings. The basic translation is that the man singing is glad his gilrfriend has left him becuse now he can chase other women ect & ect, and “live”, but I think not, really.
Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YweJHf4_T-0&feature=related
“I didn’t want to waste bandwidth posting it all here.”
Really?
How much bandwidth does a line of text use?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR8f4H-CDkY&feature=related
Video #8 is missing from the series and it is a very important part of the action from Act III Scene I almost all the way to the beginning of Scene II. Please read the text below before continuing to next video.
The text of the missing Video #8 is below.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
O happy man! they have befriended thee. Why, foolish Lucius, dost thou not perceive That Rome is but a wilderness of tigers? Tigers must prey, and Rome affords no prey But me and mine: how happy art thou, then, From these devourers to be banished! But who comes with our brother Marcus here?
Enter MARCUS and LAVINIA
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Titus, prepare thy aged eyes to weep; Or, if not so, thy noble heart to break: I bring consuming sorrow to thine age.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Will it consume me? let me see it, then.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
This was thy daughter.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Why, Marcus, so she is.
LUCIUS
Ay me, this object kills me!
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Faint-hearted boy, arise, and look upon her. Speak, Lavinia, what accursed hand Hath made thee handless in thy father's sight? What fool hath added water to the sea, Or brought a faggot to bright-burning Troy? My grief was at the height before thou camest, And now like Nilus, it disdaineth bounds. Give me a sword, I'll chop off my hands too; For they have fought for Rome, and all in vain; And they have nursed this woe, in feeding life; In bootless prayer have they been held up, And they have served me to effectless use: Now all the service I require of them Is that the one will help to cut the other. 'Tis well, Lavinia, that thou hast no hands; For hands, to do Rome service, are but vain.
LUCIUS
Speak, gentle sister, who hath martyr'd thee?
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
O, that delightful engine of her thoughts That blabb'd them with such pleasing eloquence, Is torn from forth that pretty hollow cage, Where, like a sweet melodious bird, it sung Sweet varied notes, enchanting every ear!
LUCIUS
O, say thou for her, who hath done this deed?
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
O, thus I found her, straying in the park, Seeking to hide herself, as doth the deer That hath received some unrecuring wound.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
It was my deer; and he that wounded her Hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead: For now I stand as one upon a rock Environed with a wilderness of sea, Who marks the waxing tide grow wave by wave, Expecting ever when some envious surge Will in his brinish bowels swallow him. This way to death my wretched sons are gone; Here stands my other son, a banished man, And here my brother, weeping at my woes. But that which gives my soul the greatest spurn, Is dear Lavinia, dearer than my soul. Had I but seen thy picture in this plight, It would have madded me: what shall I do Now I behold thy lively body so? Thou hast no hands, to wipe away thy tears: Nor tongue, to tell me who hath martyr'd thee: Thy husband he is dead: and for his death Thy brothers are condemn'd, and dead by this. Look, Marcus! ah, son Lucius, look on her! When I did name her brothers, then fresh tears Stood on her cheeks, as doth the honey-dew Upon a gather'd lily almost wither'd.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Perchance she weeps because they kill'd her husband; Perchance because she knows them innocent.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
If they did kill thy husband, then be joyful Because the law hath ta'en revenge on them. No, no, they would not do so foul a deed; Witness the sorrow that their sister makes. Gentle Lavinia, let me kiss thy lips. Or make some sign how I may do thee ease: Shall thy good uncle, and thy brother Lucius, And thou, and I, sit round about some fountain, Looking all downwards to behold our cheeks How they are stain'd, as meadows, yet not dry, With miry slime left on them by a flood? And in the fountain shall we gaze so long Till the fresh taste be taken from that clearness, And made a brine-pit with our bitter tears? Or shall we cut away our hands, like thine? Or shall we bite our tongues, and in dumb shows Pass the remainder of our hateful days? What shall we do? let us, that have our tongues, Plot some deuce of further misery, To make us wonder'd at in time to come.
LUCIUS
Sweet father, cease your tears; for, at your grief, See how my wretched sister sobs and weeps.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Patience, dear niece. Good Titus, dry thine eyes.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Ah, Marcus, Marcus! brother, well I wot Thy napkin cannot drink a tear of mine, For thou, poor man, hast drown'd it with thine own.
LUCIUS
Ah, my Lavinia, I will wipe thy cheeks.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Mark, Marcus, mark! I understand her signs: Had she a tongue to speak, now would she say That to her brother which I said to thee: His napkin, with his true tears all bewet, Can do no service on her sorrowful cheeks. O, what a sympathy of woe is this, As far from help as Limbo is from bliss!
Enter AARON
AARON
Titus Andronicus, my lord the emperor Sends thee this word,--that, if thou love thy sons, Let Marcus, Lucius, or thyself, old Titus, Or any one of you, chop off your hand, And send it to the king: he for the same Will send thee hither both thy sons alive; And that shall be the ransom for their fault.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
O gracious emperor! O gentle Aaron! Did ever raven sing so like a lark, That gives sweet tidings of the sun's uprise? With all my heart, I'll send the emperor My hand: Good Aaron, wilt thou help to chop it off?
LUCIUS
Stay, father! for that noble hand of thine, That hath thrown down so many enemies, Shall not be sent: my hand will serve the turn: My youth can better spare my blood than you; And therefore mine shall save my brothers' lives.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
Which of your hands hath not defended Rome, And rear'd aloft the bloody battle-axe, Writing destruction on the enemy's castle? O, none of both but are of high desert: My hand hath been but idle; let it serve To ransom my two nephews from their death; Then have I kept it to a worthy end.
AARON
Nay, come, agree whose hand shall go along, For fear they die before their pardon come.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
My hand shall go.
LUCIUS
By heaven, it shall not go!
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Sirs, strive no more: such wither'd herbs as these Are meet for plucking up, and therefore mine.
LUCIUS
Sweet father, if I shall be thought thy son, Let me redeem my brothers both from death.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
And, for our father's sake and mother's care, Now let me show a brother's love to thee.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Agree between you; I will spare my hand.
LUCIUS
Then I'll go fetch an axe.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
But I will use the axe.
Exeunt LUCIUS and MARCUS
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Come hither, Aaron; I'll deceive them both: Lend me thy hand, and I will give thee mine.
AARON
[Aside] If that be call'd deceit, I will be honest, And never, whilst I live, deceive men so: But I'll deceive you in another sort, And that you'll say, ere half an hour pass.
Cuts off TITUS's hand
Re-enter LUCIUS and MARCUS
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Now stay your strife: what shall be is dispatch'd. Good Aaron, give his majesty my hand: Tell him it was a hand that warded him From thousand dangers; bid him bury it More hath it merited; that let it have. As for my sons, say I account of them As jewels purchased at an easy price; And yet dear too, because I bought mine own.
AARON
I go, Andronicus: and for thy hand Look by and by to have thy sons with thee.
Aside Their heads, I mean. O, how this villany Doth fat me with the very thoughts of it! Let fools do good, and fair men call for grace. Aaron will have his soul black like his face.
Exit
TITUS ANDRONICUS
O, here I lift this one hand up to heaven, And bow this feeble ruin to the earth: If any power pities wretched tears, To that I call!
To LAVINIA What, wilt thou kneel with me? Do, then, dear heart; for heaven shall hear our prayers; Or with our sighs we'll breathe the welkin dim, And stain the sun with fog, as sometime clouds When they do hug him in their melting bosoms.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
O brother, speak with possibilities, And do not break into these deep extremes.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Is not my sorrow deep, having no bottom? Then be my passions bottomless with them.
MARCUS ANDRONICUS
But yet let reason govern thy lament.
TITUS ANDRONICUS
If there were reason for these miseries, Then into limits could I bind my woes: When heaven doth weep, doth not the earth o'erflow? If the winds rage, doth not the sea wax mad, Threatening the welkin with his big-swoln face? And wilt thou have a reason for this coil? I am the sea; hark, how her sighs do blow! She is the weeping welkin, I the earth: Then must my sea be moved with her sighs; Then must my earth with her continual tears Become a deluge, overflow'd and drown'd; For why my bowels cannot hide her woes, But like a drunkard must I vomit them. Then give me leave, for losers will have leave To ease their stomachs with their bitter tongues.
Enter a Messenger, with two heads and a hand...
The play continues at Video #9 above.
Thx...will do!
It’s available on Netflix. As I recall many of the exteriors were filmed at EUR, Mussolini’s model city in Rome.
Much more honest, and available to those who do not wish to visit a blog!
Well done.
As for you, I guess it is not a bad calling in life to run around trying to find bloggers who pimp.
But I can't honestly say I appreciate your compliment. You have picked on one of the honest brokers...and you have spread you little gray outlook to another small corner of the world.
But then...you are quickly forgotten.
ping
Bump!
I recommend the director’s commentary track on the DVD, which I watched years ago when I rented it. Directors, as “artistes”, usually like to hold their hand close to the vest, but in this case Julie Taymor was very forthcoming on many subjects, including her personal thoughts about the story and the reasons for various production decisions. Not only that, but she stayed on track with the action of the film as it went along instead of wandering off into pointless reminisces and anecdotes as is so often the case. You couldn’t ask for more.
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