Fiennes Excels In His Directorial Debut

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2013)

Coriolanus is a British film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy Coriolanus that star Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler together with Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Jessica Chastain and Paul Jesson. This movie serves as the directorial debut of Fiennes.
Caius Martius 'Coriolanus', a revered and feared Roman General is at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling and ambitious mother Volumnia to seek the exalted and powerful position of Consul, he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure the office. When the public refuses to support him, Coriolanus's anger prompts a riot that culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius to take his revenge on the city.
This film is Shakespeare done right. Ralph Fiennes takes a play about Roman war and hubris and turns it into a violently charismatic picture. There something like poetry in this film, some truth that cannot be apprehended by staring hard at the screen, but drifts softly as a dandelion spore through the burned- out ruins of some sacked and dusty "Rome." it's a challenging, and even exciting, piece of cinema that's sure to inspire much love from Shakespeare enthusiasts.