Coriolanus (2011) Review: It's bloody and brilliant

 

Quicktake:

Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known tragedies. I was wondering from the beginning that why Ralph Fiennes would would want to adapt this play and make this as his first directed movie. he has been a brilliant actor and a great performer. He will always be remembered for his roles but I wondered whether he would be good director. But since the trailer was launched and what I saw was good, and I expected the movie to be really good. So what has happened is the movie good or bad. Well read the detailed review below here to know more about the movie.

Plot Review:

The Plot of Coriolanus is set in current times and the movie begins with Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes) arriving in the city of Rome. He arrives to Rome in a bloodied state but he has been victorious and he has been acclaimed as a warrior who cannot be defeated. Caius’s mother Volumnia played by Redgrave is a proud mother who takes immense pride in her warrior son. And why not Caius has defeated Aufidius, who basically is the leader of the rebel forces named Volsces and now he rules the city of Corioles and that is the reason he is named Coriolanus. And now when Caius Martius has won battles, his mentor Meneius and mother Volumnia both urge him to go for the highest rank in the senate. But they forget that Caius Martius is opposed by the Tribunes Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt).

But to gain such a position he has to please everyone and that includes the senate members and most importantly, the people of Rome. But Martius doesn’t have this ability inside him; he cannot even try to appease the crowd. And now because of the constant wars and campaigns there is a widespread of hunger and people of Rome are deprived of the common essential commodities that people need every day. And now campaigners Cassius (played by Ashraf Barhom) and Tamora (played by Lubna Azabal) help the opposing Tribunes turn the crowd's reaction into a frenzied rejection of their proposed leader. And so Martius is betrayed and he is banished from Rome. Martius is outraged beause of the betrayal and now he just has vengeance in his mind and nothing else. So now to satiate his vengeance he goes in search of Aufidius, and why Aufidius. Well so that they both can team up and destroy Rome together.

And the meeting of these two sworn enemies is one of the best points in the movie. as they had just fought and the images of war are still there in their heads, some amount of vengeance obviously prevails here. But Martius is fearless, and he wins the confidence of the Volsces. And now as Rome is in desperate terms, Martius plans his plot to destroy Rome, and at the same time Audifius also has some plans. But now the tribunes and mother who had betrayed Martius come and plead for peace. So what will happen now. Well as we know it’s a Shakespearean tragedy and things will not go as expected. But whatever happens in the climax just makes you feel the movie has won. So I would not like to give away any spoilers, but the climax is like what one would surely not expect.

Direction and Screenplay Review:

As I have pointed out in the beginning I was confused why would Ralph Fiennes go ahead and direct a Shakespearean play which has not be appreciated much. But I guess he knew all the time that he can pull this movie off with his acting skills, the character of Martius is amazing and the way he has handled the script which has been skillfully adapted by John Logan.

The script has been adapted very well and this script proves that Shakespeare is just timeless. His plays still can be adapted in various languages and still make sense and entertain us. the direction has to be appreciated here, as Ralph has done a great job. The Cinematography by Barry Ackroyd is also very good.

Acting Review:

The acting department deserves a big compliment here. The cast has performed exceptionally well here but the best performer here is Ralph Fiennes and his acting skills were just at the peakest form in this movie. Gerard Butler also gives a good performance and so does every other actor in this movie.

Verdict:

This is surely a movie that one shouldn’t miss. I would highly recommend it to everyone to watch this movie as the movie is just not a movie that is appreciated at the film festivals and the critics. The movie surely will be loved by the audiences all over the world. Don’t miss this one. To know more about it, check out the Coriolanus trailer and Coriolanus preview here.