X
- 2011
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 3 m
- 2011
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 3 m
Summary 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 th...
Directed By: Ralph Fiennes
Written By: John Logan, William Shakespeare
- 2011
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 3 m
- 2011
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 3 m
Coriolanus
79
6.9
Where to Watch
Summary 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 th...
Directed By: Ralph Fiennes
Written By: John Logan, William Shakespeare
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
79
94% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
79
94% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
That action is bloody, but Fiennes' choices as director are unassailably apt and artful. Coriolanus is a triumph.
With its warring factions, citizen uprisings, guerrilla insurgencies, political intrigue, bloody warfare, family tensions, and homoerotic subtext, Coriolanus is one of the year's best political thrillers.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 73 User Ratings
6.9
66% Positive
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
23% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
11% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 73 User Ratings
6.9
66% Positive
48 Ratings
48 Ratings
23% Mixed
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
11% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
first off i truely enjoyed this movie. it was refreshing how they stuck with the original diolog instead of changing it to todays verison of english in my opion its a very interesting movie based on a play done way back in the 1600's
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I hadn't watched or read any Shakespeare material since high school, and walked out the theater awestruck. I think I only got about 80% of the dialogue, but this was definitely the "watching the first shakespeare play" experience that critics talk about that I never understood. The set pieces and the action and combat scenes are expertly done, the visuals alone could carry this movie. Unfortunately the modernization didn't work 100% of the time. The scenes with unwashed mobs inside council chambers and new conferences kind of creaked. Movie would have been far better served repurposing their dialogue into "man on the street" news footage or town hall meetings. Roman style forums just don't translate into modern day life that well.
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You buy the concept, from start to finish, because it feels strong and purposeful and in sync with Shakespeare's own vision of a malleable, fickle populace and a leader raised by the ultimate stage mother.
Exciting, ironic, with assured direction, accomplished performances and the tension of topical themes, this is Shakespeare as relevant as you like it.
Immensely entertaining, Coriolanus is chock-full o' gore and the contemporary trappings of a man and a land divided, both from without and from within.
The greatest performance, though, is Vanessa Redgrave's as Martius's blood-lusting mother, Volumnia. It's an extraordinarily powerful piece of acting, all controlled rage. When, in the end, that rage erupts, her vehemence splits the screen.
Moreover, in attempting to update the play to a buzzing CNN world, Ralph Fiennes proves that as a director, he makes a fine actor.
Coriolanus is unexpectedly well-played. It goes for a more natural style where the action is blended with the environment and the dialogue is acted out rather than recited. This does not come off always but it does work a surprising amount of the time. While it is not a masterpiece, Coriolanus is still a pretty damn good film and recommended to fans of Shakespeare.
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Coriolanus is not for everyone, in fact many people will likely hate it. I can't say I particularly loved the film, but it features many admirable qualities nonetheless. The cinematography is really good. Although it borrows heavily from it's Shakespearean roots, making it hard to understand, the script and solid and the actors deliver it wonderfully. The performances are all top-notch, Vanessa Redgrave in particular is stunning; she steals every scene she's in. If you're a fan of Shakespeare you absolutely must see this, and if you're not, it is still a good film even though it wasn't my cup of tea.
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I can give this film a tepid thumbs up for two reasons: 1) great acting by Fiennes and Redgrave, and 2) Shakespeare is always worth the effort. The exchanges between the two actors are mesmerizing, and the Bard's words are music to the ears.
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Oh the missed opportunity. It cuts me deep. Great visuals and direction from Ralph Fiennes in his directorial debut. The modern day adaptation of Shakepeare's play was a very creative way to change it up. The difference in setting when we see Apple Computers in one shot and then we see this very 1500s/1600s set pieces outside was a very interesting choice that I enjoyed. The action sequences were intense and the thrills were certainly there. In spite of knowing that this is a tragedy, you still get attached to the characters even though you know there is no other way for this one to wind up. Impressive on those fronts for sure.
Now, the negatives. There are, admittedly, not many, but they are major enough to knock this down all the way to such a low rating for me. The major negative here is the dialogue. You can kind of piece together what is going on, for sure, but the Shakespearean language made this one a pain to watch. Very intense scenes could have been all the more intense if I understood what they were saying. The fact that they were intense at all speaks to Fiennes' talent in the director's chair, but his failure to realize that Shakespearean language is very hard to understand and does not really translate well to film is a major redmark on this debut. In addition, aside from Fiennes, the acting was incredibly spotty. In too many scenes, it felt forced and as if I was watching a bad play. I am sure the language used played a role in this feeling, but the acting was anything but up to snuff. With such a capable cast of actors, I expected much more, but was instead left disappointed as I never really "bought" a lot of it, as it was painfully obvious they were acting.
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Production Company
Hermetof Pictures,
Piccadilly Pictures,
Icon Entertainment International,
Lipsync Productions,
BBC Film,
Kalkronkie,
Atlantic Swiss Productions,
Artemis Films,
Magnolia Mae Films,
Synchronistic Pictures,
Lonely Dragon
Release Date Dec 2, 2011
Duration 2 h 3 m
Rating R
Tagline Nature Teaches Beasts to Know Their Friends
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Central Ohio Film Critics Association
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 2 Nominations
