At one time, anyone going to see an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s plays could pretty well imagine the style and design of the show that was about to be put on for them. With Baz Luhrman’s modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet however, a mainstream marker was put down to show filmmaker and movie goers in general that a Shakespeare time needn’t necessarily be set centuries ago and seem far removed from the current generation and it’s styles and surroundings. And it’s in footsteps such as those that Ralph Fiennes treads with his directorial debut here.
Right from the off Coriolanus sets out it’s stall as an adaptation that is a modern world away from the setting of it’s text, as well as the loud, colourful and brash update that formed the style of Baz Lurhamn’s Romeo and Juliet some years ago now, with an opening act that sets Rome up as a state heavily divided between those in the Senate and the rest of the populace. Left starving and relying on grain and other handouts and then descends into a violent bloody street battle in the Volscian city of Corioles. These events are put into motion when rioters are denied access to stores of grain by Fiennes’ contemptuous Caisu Martius due to a conflict with their neighbours in Volsci, and the Volscian army and it’s commander Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) – Martius leads a raid on Corioles and eventually conquers the city, after a slew of bullets and explosions culminating in a one on one battle with Aufidius.
Following his success in Volsci, Martius is given the nickname of Coriolanus and is persuaded by his mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) to run for consul within the Senate. This brings Martius into the political arena and into the machinations of those for and against his appointment in the form of Senator Menenius (Brian Cox), Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt). It is during this series of events in particular that Fiennes gets to imbue Coriolanus with both a steel eyed, deadly determination and rage in battle, through an intense yet softly spoken husband and father, to a wide eyed, upper body swaying, raging, would-be senator, who even in his quieter moments only seems a few steps away from letting loose his frustration and intense anger. It’s a performance that takes the viewer in, bested only by Vanessa Redgrave’s turn as Volumnia, who’s powerhouse performance is a major strength of the film, not least in the scenes that she shares with Fiennes throughout the film as a variety of emotions are called for by the film’s developing events.
There are also noticeable performances put in by Brian Cox as Menenuis, who of the other political foes in the film has the great story and arc to deal with and handles it with a great deal of aplomb, there is a slight feeling that perhaps a little more time could’ve been given to exactly why Jesson and Nesbitt’s scheming tribunes and why they are so against Coriolanus’ place in the Senate, but on a second viewing this may be more clear. Overall Fiennes has surrounded himself on his directorial debut with a very strong cast, and on that does deliver and also seems to be revelling in the opportunity the modern take take affords them.
Pitching it firmly in modern day times, Coriolanus also makes smart use of modern day news and media, with a familiar face appearing on the local TV network and a political debate show used as a setting for a critical point in the story. Shot mostly in a loose handy cam style, Coriolanus takes in locations that range from the slums and almost squalid outer Rome conditions to the scenic yet almost bleak Volsci countryside. If it was stripped of it’s Shakespearean dialogue then the film would easily pass for a modern day tale of two warring commanders pitched against each other, with the style very much a modern, realistic down to earth approach. The film is also noticeably light on score throughout, which helps to keep the intense atmosphere throughout, especially in the battle scenes and the most highly pitched confrontational character scenes. It’s a touch which helps and suits the tone of the film very well, and also helps focus the audience attention directly onto what the actors are saying, which in something as wordy as a Shakespeare adaption that is faithful to the original text, is obviously hugely important.
At a glance, the two hour running time may put some viewers off, but it actually shouldn’t. Despite it’s length, the film never feels long, never outstays it’s welcome, nor does it linger on unnecessarily or drag scenes out for the sake of it. The 120 minutes passes by quite quickly, helped of course by the performances of the cast, and the pace at which the film is set. True, it’s opening battle sequence is the fastest pace portion of the film but that isn’t to say that any of the story that follows feels slow. It’s also worth noting that the hard hitting and bloody action sequences shouldn’t put some of the filmgoers looking for a purest Shakespeare adaption from continuing with the rest of the story, as the performances convey enough emotion and electricity between the characters to make Coriolanus worth spending the time on. As a first go at directing it’s a great start for Ralph Fiennes and another example of how Shakespeare’s tales can be interpreted in different ways for modern audiences and remain worthwhile viewing. At times it may be bloody, brutal and hard edged but there is a lot of gritty determination and character that stands out and makes Coriolanus a richly entetaining piece of cinema.
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