The structure and themes ofWilliam Shakespeare’s most famous works have had a significant influence on cinematic storytelling, with many of his best plays adapted to the big screen several times. Although attending live theatrical performances is an opportunity that not everyone is afforded, there are countless cinematic versions ofMacbeth, Henry V, Othello,andHamlet,allowing cinephiles to compare and contrast the different adaptations.Coriolanusis not always considered to be one of Shakespeare’s best works, but it does contain powerful themes about the seductive nature of power and theall-encompassing destruction of war. In his feature film directorial debut,Ralph Fiennescrafted a brilliant modern war film out ofCoriolanus,in which he co-starred alongsideGerard Butler.
What Is ‘Coriolanus’ About?
The original written version ofCoriolanustook place in Ancient Rome, and centered around a powerful general who considers the possibility of attaining a position of leadership after he scores significant military victories against his rivals, the Volscians at Corioli.Fiennes stars as General Cominius, who is given the name “Coriolanus”after beinghailed as a hero of war.Although his mother, Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), believes that he could hold political office should he put his name out for consideration, Coriolanus is both highly ambitious and deeply skeptical about lending power back over to the people. Unfortunately, he is not able to suppress his opinions, as a conspiracy by the tribunes Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt) results in an outburst that gets him banned from political proceedings. Giving up power proves to be a difficult task for Coriolanus, who turns to his longtime ally Tullus Aufidius (Butler) for assistance. However, Aufidius is forced to make a more critical decision, as he must choose between acting in the nature of a friend, or taking the most responsible action necessary to protect his country.
Coriolanusis a brilliant adaptation that retains the original language of Shakespeare’s text, but makes slight enough alterations to the context in order to make the film feel more modern. The film takes place in what feels like an alternate history, in which the civilization known as “Rome” is actually a Balkan city-state in England. It’s implied that whatever form of civilization that has formed is somewhat based upon the political infrastructure of Shakespeare’s time, as military leaders like Coriolanus have significant influence on the decisions made by the Senate. Although all of Shakespeare’s plays can be considered “timely” because the themes that they address are so universal,Coriolanusis able to evoke imagery of recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and show how devastating a large-scale urban conflict would be. The realism with which Fiennes crafts the film makes it feel slightly unnerving, as it suggests that the world ofCoriolanusisnot necessarily one of science fictionwhen compared to the current reality of global politics.
‘Coriolanus’ Is a Brilliant Modern War Film
Coriolanusis able to visualize aspects of the play that would never have been possible on stage, includingthe large-scale action sequences. While the film does examine the strategic moves that Coriolanus makes in order to prove his merit as a military leader, the dark, brutal war scenes only emphasize how much he is willing to sacrifice in order to make political gains. Fiennes proves to be a terrific director, so it is no surprise that he followed up his work onCoriolanuswith the historical dramasThe Invisible WomanandThe White Crow. Although the war scenes are just as grandiose as they needed to be, Fiennes is able to make the more dialogue-heavy moments just as intimate as a stage production would have felt.
Coriolanusis also a great showcase for its performances, with Fiennes delivering one of the most complex villainous roles of his career; unlike his parts inRed Dragonor theHarry Potterfranchise, Fiennes is able to unlock a deep sense of humanity within Coriolanus that makes him feel like a tragic figure. Butler, who is rarely given the credit that he deserves as being alegitimately great dramatic actor,had the rare opportunity to both make use of his physicality and deliver powerful renditions of stunning Shakespearean monologues. There’s no better test of an artist’s abilities than seeing how they fare with Shakespeare, and Fiennes proved to not only be one of the industry’s best actors, but one of its most promising filmmakers.
Coriolanusis streaming on Freevee in the United States.
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Coriolanus
