Background: About a month ago, I was watching My Week With Marilyn, one of my Vine review products. Coriolanus was one of the previews on the disk. It looked mildly interesting, and I generally love all things Shakespeare, so when it showed up last week as a product I could request from Vine, I chose it.
Plot: As best as I can tell, here it is: Coriolanus (Fiennes) is a Roman soldier who loves nothing more than fighting for Rome. When he returns home from battle, he is pressured to run for consular of Rome. The common people hate him, though, and eventually he is banished. He turns to his sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Butler), to help him exact his revenge on Rome. In the end, he signs a peace treaty with Rome, and Aufidius kills him.
Reactions: Um, yeah … if I hadn’t agreed to review this film, I never would have finished it! First of all, I had no idea what was happening. The film is set in the present, but they kept the Shakespearean language, which just seemed odd. It also made things hard to follow. At times, I just wanted to yell, “Speak in modern English, would you?”
Then there’s Coriolanus. Why do the people hate him? Why does he go from being the presumed consular to being banished? And why does he join up with Aufidius? Perhaps if I’d read the play prior to seeing the film, I would have understood what was happening. There’s a “making of” documentary in the special features that helped clear up some of my confusion regarding what actually happened … but I shouldn’t need to watch the special features in order to understand the film!
All that said, the performances were really good—especially Gerard Butler as Aufidius and Vanessa Redgrave as Coriolanus’s mother. The movie was well done … I just didn’t get it.
Verdict: Throw away (after 6 months, which is how long I’m contractually obligated to keep Vine products).
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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