Titus Andronicus (TV Movie 1985) Poster

(1985 TV Movie)

Parents Guide

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Certification

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Certification

Sex & Nudity

  • A brutal rape is central to the plot of this film/play, though it takes place off screen
  • Even though this is the most subtle and least graphic way one could produce this play, it probably could not escape being at least PG-13 no matter how it was performed. The play is not immoral, but it treats on themes and subjects that are so violent and disturbing that it is simply not ever going to be suitable for young children.

Violence & Gore

  • This is by far Shakespeare's most bloody and violent play. Nevertheless, this production is not graphic in its depiction.
  • A man who has been taken prisoner in war is murdered before the court in front of his family. Blood is seen spilling on the floor.
  • Two brothers brutally rape a woman and then chop off her hands and cut out her tongue so she can't tell anyone. Almost all of this is off-screen, but we later see her mutilated body, and the idea of this is incredibly disturbing.
  • A man cuts off his own hand. Not graphic, but we see him in great pain and we later see the bloody aftermath
  • A servant enters with the two decapitated heads of two sons and presents them to their father. Not graphic or very realistic, but disturbing and sad.
  • The end of the play is a shocking and bloody conclusion to this already very violent play

Profanity

  • None whatsoever. Every line is taken verbatim from Shakespeare's play

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

  • Good deal of alcohol consumption, sometimes to excess

Frightening & Intense Scenes

  • While Shakespeare is a perfectly moral and wholesome writer, there is no question that this is his most violent and disturbing play. It treats on subjects such as rape, bodily mutilation, and cannibalism. This film's portrayal of it is not graphic or gory, but the play itself is nevertheless a play of great violence and disturbing material.
  • While not graphic, this is a very intense story and could not escape being at least PG-13 no matter how it was portrayed
  • The themes of rape and cannibalism (though never depicted) are very disturbing and the emotional anguish and distress expressed by characters in response to these events only makes them more intense
  • The scene where Lavinia is kidnapped and taken to be raped is very disturbing and intense, as is the pain and grief she experiences afterwards

Spoilers

The Parents Guide items below may give away important plot points.

Violence & Gore

  • Titus Andronicus kills the two brothers. It is then reported that he chopped them up and baked them into a pie off-screen.
  • A mother unknowingly eats her two children who have been baked into a pie.
  • Titus Andronicus kills his own daughter by breaking her neck in order to put her out of her pain and misery
  • After Tamora realizes she has eaten her own children, Titus Andronicus stabs and kills her. This leads to the entire banquet rising, drawing their swords, and killing each other in a bloodbath. Practically every character is dead at the end.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

  • The scene where Titus Andronicus kills his own daughter is disturbing and very sad
  • The end where Tamara realizes she has eaten her own children is very disturbing, followed by a very intense scene of brutal murder and bloodshed. This is the violent and intense conclusion to a very bloody story.

See also

Taglines | Plot Summary | Synopsis | Plot Keywords


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