Ralph Fiennes’ Coriolanus

I went to see Ralph Fiennes’ film of Coriolanus last night. This has been my favourite play since I saw Mappa Mundi performing it at the Sherman Theatre many years ago. The true to life portrayal of a flawed man who will not bow to convention seemed so modern, and the homo-erotic scenes between Coriolanus and Aufidius were extremely moving.

What I found particularly well played was Vanessa Redgrave’s relationship with her son which is at the heart of the play. The medium of film enabled the intimacy of the dialogue to be played right into the audience’s ear, with detailed closeups showing every pore and wrinkle. I have to admit that I found Redgrave’s diction a little soft and her clarity left a lot to be desired.

I particularly loved Jon Snow’s performance as he read the news, and I thought it worked very well. The naturalness of the politicians’ performances made the text completely accessible, although I didn’t see the need for the citizens to have Balkan accents.

This play was a long held secret for many years. It was with great trepidation that I went along to see Ralph Fiennes’ adaptation. It did not disappoint.

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