Coriolanus (2011) [Blu-ray]
Drama | Thriller | War

The classic legend of honor and betrayal has been astonishingly re-imagined in this exhilarating action thriller that wields a profound relevance for today. Caius Martius 'Coriolanus' (star and director Ralph Fiennes) is a feared and revered Roman General, suddenly pitted against his own city and fellow citizens. Rebelling against the power-hungry designs of his manipulative mother (Vanessa Redgrave) and rejected by his own people, Coriolanus incites a riot that expels him from Rome. The banished hero joins forces with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to extract his revenge - and determine his destiny.

User Comment: gervasiustvinkleminkleso from Serbia, 27 February 2011 • This is my first review on IMDb so bare with me. Coriolanus has the right ingredients for a good movie, great story (can you top Shakespeare?) and a strong cast.Only thing that was unknown so far is the director.IMO Mr. Fiennes did very well in his debut, his camera moves around at eyes height and often lingers close up to actors faces(it keeps the film from being stagy and lets you see all the nuances they convey).Locations are interesting and there are couple of nice fight scenes.The language is Shakespirian but i had no problems understanding it( not my native lang.), musical score is kinda tribal and quite appropriate for the theme of the film. It's a very dark movie and it gets a bit bloody sometime so if you're not into that be warned. My vote is 8/10 i recommend it to everyone and hope to see more of Mr. Fiennes work behind the camera. P.S. Look out Ken Branagh you've got some competition now :)

Summary: Look out Kenneth Branagh.

User Comment: dbaggett1 from San Diego, California, USA, 14 November 2011 • I had the pleasure of seeing Ralph Fiennes's "Coriolanus" at the St. Louis International Film Festival, on Nov 11th, 2011. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire film. Needless to say, the filming, production values, etc., were fantastic; but it was the relevance of the film that kept me glued to the screen.

Ralph Fiennes captured the timeless concepts that Shakespeare expressed in his play brilliantly - so much so that I feel there will be strong/visceral audience reaction to the film's depiction of themes that reflect in today's front page stories.

The theme of a military officer's political role resonated with me as a retired Navy Officer. The theme of the contrast between "high society" and the proletariat resonates in the "Occupy XXX" protests occurring today. The conflict between liberal and conservative (dare I say Democrat vs. Republican) ideals played very loudly in this film. Even the issues in European politics reflected themes we see in today's news.

The acting by Ralph Fiennes, Vanessa Redgrave & Gerard Butler propelled the story and kept it moving swiftly. Some have panned the use of Shakespeare's original language. I, for one, had no trouble following the language. This film ranks with Kenneth Brannagh's "Henry V" and Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" for making a film in Shakespearean English accessible by 21st Century Man.

I've always believed that some folks in the U.S. malign William Shakespeare's writings today, because they were forced to read his plays in a cold classroom setting in their youth. Shakespeare didn't intend his works to be read. He meant them to be performed and watched. This film proves the power of a good telling of a Shakespeare tale.

Summary: AMAZINGLY relevant - even in 2011.

User Comment: samlapidus from Toronto, 12 September 2011 • I just got out of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) North American Premier Gala event of Coriolanus. The movie was both gripping and powerful. Yes it is always nice to see a film with cast and director in hand to introduce the film and take credit at is completion, but this movie definitely earned the audiences standing ovation. Some may fear a presentation in Iambic Pentameter though the script and delivery made every line understandable. Setting Shakespeare in a modern day Roman city state was smart. I enjoyed ever minute of this film and if you are a fan of good story telling, Shakespeare or war movies, you will enjoy Coriolanus.

Summary: Gripping and Powerful.

[CSW] -3.6- This film rests on a few premises that need clarification from the outset. The story presumes that the ancient Roman system of government, with consuls, senators, tribunes and the like are ruling a modern-day nation which happens to be called Rome but could be anywhere. There is acute social stratification within this nation, with an aristocratic elite jockeying for power and the general population disfranchised and only having a voice in nominally approving or disapproving the rotating dictators ruling the nation. War seems to be a continuous state of affairs in the militaristic state, and the achievement of martial glory and the suffering of physical wounds is the highest and most noble pursuit in this culture. Within this framework, Gaius Martius Coriolanus, a proud and fearless general with a very hands-on approach to engaging his enemies and uncompromising contempt for the lower orders of humanity, is banished by sleazy politicians, flips to the other side, and is on the brink of conquering his own country when the movie reaches its climax. Strengths: acting, action scenes and grounds for introspection regarding the interplay of social classes and parallels to what we see in the modern world. Weakness: dialogue is often hard for a non-Shakespearean to follow, and the plot in some respects is a set-piece conveying straightforward moral lessons. I will admit that using subtitles and being able to pause to absorb some of the harder parts of the Shakespearean dialogue was of great benefit to me. I also thought that the acting was epically great by Ralph Fiennes as Gaius Martius and Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia, his mother whom I thought was even better. Gerard Butler as Tullus Aufidius was also good, but the previous two were the ones what brought the movie up from good to very good.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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