Another fine adaptation of one of the master's works

Rating: 10/10 (1 September 2012)

I really do like the Shakespeare plays that have been moved into a more modern setting, and it is even better when the play that is selected, such as this play, is one that is not well known. The reason I say this is because plays are designed to be performed rather than read and as such they are much easier to follow when they are performed. This is something that I have found time and again when I have had the pleasure of seeing a play performed that I have previously read. One such play was Marlow's Dr Faust, and then I had the pleasure of discovering that Fiennes had decided to make a movie adaptation of this play.
Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's Roman plays and it was originally based on the Plutarch biography of the same name. The play is set during the Roman Republican period at a time before it had spread out much beyond the Italian peninsula. At the time the Republic was facing a number of crises, including a food shortage and border wars with the Volscians. Coriolanus (not his original name, but a name that was given to him in honour of his service to the Republic) is a general in the army, and begins performing civil duties in quelling food riots that are erupting throughout the city. When another border war with the Volscians flares up, he takes his legions and invades the city of Coriolus and captures it for Rome.
As is typical of the Romans, his victory is honoured with a triumph, and he is then elected counsel (the Roman equivalent of President). However being elected consul is not easy thing, because while the Senate may nominate the consul, the people must ratify it. The problem for Coriolanus is that he does not love the people, he is a patrician through and through, and does not hide it. While at first the people do accept him, his enemies the Tribunes (representatives of the people) sway them back to rejecting him. In response, Coriolanus rejects his home and flees to the Volscians and joins forces with them to have his revenge upon the Republic.
This play deals with the age old conflict that exists between the plebeians (common folk) and the patricians (wealthy folk) and we see this conflict played out every day on the streets of our modern cities. One of the reasons that many of these plays are brought into the modern world is that not only do they make Shakespeare more accessible to modern audiences, they also highlight the timelessness of these plays. As was suggested by one commentary, the modern images of this play, and the news footages (which were done really well) show how the problems that faced ancient Rome can and still face our cities and our people today.
The other theme of this play is the tragedy of the hero turned traitor. Once again I dispute that Coriolanus had a fatal flaw, but rather it was the decisions that he made that brought about his downfall. The purpose of joining the enemy was purely one of vengeance, and unless he managed to destroy Rome, this alliance was never going to work. It is made clear, time and time again, that Aufidius and Coriolanus were bitter enemies: they hated each other, so for Coriolanus to think that he could then easily join Aufidius in an assault upon Rome and not meet a bad ending is the epitome of foolishness.
Finally, this film further shows that Shakespeare can and is incredibly violent, however in being brought to the screen, the violence is intensified so much more. One can do a lot more on the screen than can ever be done on the stage, and while it takes an awful lot of talent to be able to successfully translate a Shakespearian play from the stage to the screen, I believe that Fiennes has been very successful in doing so.