Ecco una prima,interessante recensione di Coriolano ,che su Gerry però spende ben poco tempo):
www.cine-vue.com/2011/09/previews-coriolanus.htmlPreviews: 'Coriolanus'
January 2012 will see the release of Ralph Fiennes' adaptation of William Shakespeare's Coriolanus (2011), starring himself, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave and Jessica Chastain. An all-too-often overlooked work in the Bard's repertoire, Coriolanus combines democratic politics and personal strife into an intriguing blend.
The film has already garnered a good smattering of kudos, perhaps partly because Coriolanus has received little attention on the big screen in comparison to other Shakespeare plays. For many, this will be a new tale, but its timeless quality lies with the universal truth that we continue to live in an age in which a politician's public persona means as much (or perhaps more) than the principles they stand for.
The story follows General Caius Martius (later renamed Coriolanus, played by Fiennes) in his ongoing struggle to win over the hearts of Rome’s citizens. In the face of a very public rejection, Coriolanus audaciously vows to defy the people and joins arms with his enemy Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to attack the city he once defended.
Over the past decade, Shakespeare plays have had little opportunity to shine in the way of blockbuster versions: whilst the illustrious catalogue of Lawrence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh masterpieces are left to gather dust in VHS bargain buckets and local libraries, audiences have been subjected to vacuous teen-flicks tenuously attributed to old-Bill, from Ten Things I Hate About You (1999), to She’s the Man (2006), and the downright pointless O (2001) (which claim to draw inspiration from The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night and Othello, respectively).
Although there have been slightly more credible film versions of the Bard's work such as The Merchant of Venice (2004) (with Al Pacino as Shylock) and most recently The Tempest (2010) (which passed almost unnoticed in the UK due to limited release), not since Baz Lurhmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996) has a Shakespeare adaptation enjoyed both box office success and a good deal of critical acclaim.
Perhaps this is because Luhrmann's version was exceptional in its creative yet accessible engagement with the essence of the original text. From the trailer, Fiennes' version looks as though it will reinstate some much needed substance to Shakespeare on screen, whilst appealing to new audiences through an updated vision.
The film's Balkan state setting has become a popular alternate setting in stage versions of the tragedies - as much as I’d love to see Gerard Butler in a skirt again, it is perhaps refreshing that the characters appear suited and booted to bring Coriolanus firmly into our time, where the struggle for democracy still looms heavily on the horizon in countries throughout the world.
The film has a solid cast, with Fiennes in the titular role, screen veteran Brian Cox as Menenius and Vanessa Redgrave as Coriolanus' insufferable and overbearing mother Volumnia. The play is also deliciously gory - one of my first memories of Shakespeare is seeing a blood-drenched heart ripped from a body and paraded around the audience pit during a performance at London's Globe Theatre.
I will struggle to forget this arresting image - whether Fiennes' version has staying power such as this remains to be seen, but sound direction and an intelligent adaptation of the text will ensure it makes the difficult transition from stage to screen. Coriolanus gained much acclaim from critics when it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, but only time will tell whether this also means box office glory for one of Shakespeare's most compelling tragedies.
Claire Ramtuhul
