Before him, he carries
noise and behind him he leaves tears.
Death, that dark
spirit, in his nervy arm doth lie
Which, being advanced,
declines, and then men die.
Some of Shakespeare's most renowned plays have been adapted
many times over and modernized re-imaginings are nothing new. Baz Lurhmann
transported Romeo and Juliet to Miami and set their tragic romance to an
alternative rock soundtrack. Ian McKellan set his version of Richard
III in a 1930's England that resembled Nazi Germany. That particular film
is the closest in spirit to Coriolanus,
which marks the directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes. This is also the first time
Coriolanus, based off the purported
life of a real Roman general, has been translated to the big screen.
An opening title placard states that the story is set in a
"place called Rome" though it was shot on location in Belgrade.
Fiennes is Caius Martius, a leading general in the military charged with the
protection of the city. He leads a successful campaign against its enemies, the
Volscians, led by Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler). He returns home to the love
of his wife, Virgilia (Jessica Chastain) and his fiercely patriotic mother,
Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave). The city's leaders heap adoration upon Martius and
bestow upon him the honorific title, Coriolanus, after the Volscian city he
conquered. His close friend, Menenius (Brian Cox), advises Coriolanus to go
into politics. However, his quick temper and open disdain for the common people
turn out to be his undoing. Opposing senators Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius
(James Nesbitt) undermine Coriolanus by whipping the masses into a frenzy
against him and force the government to banish him. Seeking revenge, he allies
himself with Aufidius to lead the Volscian army against the city that spurned
him.
It's a testament to Shakespeare that a play written in the
1600's as commentary for the discontent of the government in his era still
remains relevant to this day. Fiennes has captured these themes in all their
gritty detail. The setting of bombed out buildings will instantly bring to mind
the war-torn countries of Serbia, Bosnia, as well as those in the Middle East. An
opening protest by the plebeians has echoes of the political unrest in places
like Egypt and Libya as well as the Occupy movement. There's an immediacy to
these sequences thanks to Fiennes' direction and the cinematography of Barry
Ackroyd, who shot United 93, Green Zone, and The Hurt Locker. The screenplay by John Logan (Gladiator) maintains a fine balance between modernity and the
florid language of Shakespeare. Logan and Fiennes even manage to incorporate
CNN-esque news updates as a Greek chorus.
To no one's surprise, Fiennes is excellent in the title role
(which he previously played on stage), infusing a quiet fury to Coriolanus
while going big in a theatrical manner when necessary. Gerard Butler is all
sound and fury as the antagonistic Aufidius in a similar performance to King
Leonidas in 300. It's a treat to
watch Fiennes and Butler in a battle of snarling rage. Vanessa Redgrave's
Volumnia won't be winning any mother of the year awards. She isn't overtly
malevolent, but more of an aristocratic stage mom. She would rather have a
dozen dead sons who died defending their country than one who lived a long life
in anonymity. The supporting cast also includes the ubiquitous Jessica
Chastain, who seemed to appear in practically every film in 2011. Her part is
disappointingly brief and not nearly as meaty as her roles in Take Shelter or The Tree of Life.
Make you a sword
of me.
There can be a disconnect when you attempt to place the
poetic words of Shakespeare into a contemporary setting, especially one
involving televisions and cell phones. This isn't the case with Coriolanus. The language of the Bard
flows from the tongues of the cast without feeling artificial or hokey. Ralph Fiennes
makes a powerful directorial debut that stands as a parable for the hot button
issues of today.
Rating: *** (*****)
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