Coriolanus

We are in a modern day city called Rome, the people are on the streets demonstrating because of lack of grain and food shortages, there are military threats to the counties borders and the government is ineffectual. General Caius Martius crushes the food riots by inflicting severe force on the populace. He’s then forced to lead a campaign against the Volsians whose leader Tullus Aufidius threatens the very fabric of Rome, hand to hand fighting ensues. For his part in winning this bloody battle Martius receives the honorary title of Coriolanus and a nomination for the consulship, much to the joy of his mother Volumnia………..

A career defining performance from Fiennes.

Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus (2011) has never been adapted for the cinema, until now. Ralph Fiennes has played the part of Coriolanus in a stage play before, but this cinematic version is not only his directorial debut but he also takes the main lead and has a hand in the production. The film is shot in Belgrade and magnificently photographed giving a convincing and bloody feel to the war torn zones by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd who has a long pedigree including ten Ken Loach movies and two recent conflict films 2009’s award winning The Hurt Locker and the Green Zone (2010). As well as a career defining performance from Fiennes the support is superb with Gerard Butler playing the vicious warlord Tullus Aufidius, Vanessa Redgrave as Coriolanus proud and defiant mother, Jessica Chastain, who I last saw in the magnificent The Tree of Life (2011) as his subservient wife with Brian Cox as the senator Menenius.

The film is about modern day warfare, the type of which you see on the BBC News channel every night, and the pitiful world that we all now inhabit. It fact newsreader Jon Snow is actually seen on Rome’s news channel, Fidelis! Fiennes and his scriptwriter have turned the Bards play into an engaging political drama, admittedly devoid of humour but one that reverberates into your subconscious.  

We told you to turn off the mobile phone!!!!!!!