The movie Coriolanus is an adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. It is a story about confusing political times, rivalry and betrayal in ancient Rome that presents the war as an eternal human drama. The production follows Rome's best general Caius Martius later given the name Coriolanus after conquering the Volscian city of Coriolis. He trusts his mother's judgment and tries to enter politics and earn the common people's trust, something that goes against his nature. However, not long after the beginning of his campaign, his genuine feelings about the plebeians are revealed, and he ends up being exiled from his own city. In anger and driven by thoughts of revenge he joins Aufidius, his former enemy, to attack Rome which ultimately leads to his death.

Eleven years after Ralph Fiennes triumphantly took over the theatres in London and New York playing Coriolanus, the famous British actor is so intrigued by the idea of seeing the historical play on the big screen that he chooses it as his directorial debut. Turning a script written for a theatre performance into film production is no easy task, but he manages to keep the story as close to the original as possible while contemporizing it. Taking on a Shakespearian text that is not widely known and turning it into a political thriller is an enormous challenge but he found a great cinematic context for it and after a few key changes and aggressive editing he achieved a great final result.

In the original text the action takes place in ancient Rome, the movie, however, is a different case. Following Baz Luhrman's example in “Romeo and Juliet”, Fiennes modernised the entire setting for the big screen while keeping the Elizabethan language. Instead of the hungry plebeians rioting against the rulers, we see the common people striking against the government.

The production was filmed in Belgrade, Serbia, a city with a post-WW2- modern architecture. The battle-scarred landscape fits perfectly with the world the director was trying to create. The idea of a modern setting helps us relate the story more to the present. While watching the movie, the viewer is thinking less about ancient Rome and more about a modern city, calling itself Rome. Seeing as the play covers topics like economical unrest, unhappy population, political conflict, the crisis of leadership and so on, which are current issues in today's society, almost makes us forget that the story has been adapted from a play originally published in the 17th century, let alone that it is based on 5th century BC Roman history. This has the potential to bring young people in and help them get a better understanding of the material. The only problem with achieving that is the language.

The combination of an updated setting and old language is not something we are seeing for the first time, nor is it the last. However, to someone who is not used to seeing these two elements together, this could be a little off-putting. Shakespeare's language is challenging, especially if you are not used to this type of speech and it could be absolutely inhibiting for some people, it is definitely something the audience would have to adjust to. Nevertheless, keeping the original form of the language was the right call as it ultimately proves the point that the play itself is timeless. It reminds the viewer that this is, in fact, a few centuries old text that is still relevant to this day, once again proving Shakespeare's utterly accurate psychological understanding of the world around him.

Another thing that supports this argument is the role of the media in the film. The media is a constant element of our lives today, and it was used smartly in the movie. Not only does it make the transition between scenes seem smoother, but it is also a big part of the representation of the citizens. Furthermore, it makes the whole idea of taking an old play and turning it into a modern film more digestible to the target audience. We are watching the movie from the eyes of the common people, watching the news. This gives us ground to compare the economic and political situations between the old and new times, making us realise that we are still fighting the same battles people were fighting over 400 years ago and starting conversations about the progression, or lack thereof, of our society.

One of the most important tasks of the director is the casting, and there is no question that this movie has a fantastic ensemble. With a relatively unpopular Shakespearean adaptation the cast has to not only be talented enough to embody such complex characters but also bring in the audience and Ralph Fiennes did an outstanding job accomplishing that. We have quite a few big names as the main characters, a multi-cultural cast and the locals as extras.

Both James Nesbitt and Paul Jesson were great in their portrayal of Sicinius and Brutus. They are seemingly looking out for the best interest of the people, however, when the cameras aren't rolling we see that they have their own selfish reasons to represent them. Making the connection with the present, this raises the question: Are today's politicians being sincere when they are making promises or is it just a front.

Brian Cox` character is Menenius, the charming partition that we see in the occasional charismatic politician who jokes around and seems like he doesn't take himself too seriously. They regard the commons have for him allows him to disguise the fact that he doesn’t like them. Still, he is able to quell a riot simply by telling them a story. His affection for Coriolanus us clear, he is almost like a father figure to him, trying to guide him when he runs for consul.

Vanessa Redgrave delivers an amazing performance as Volumnia. She puts herself into the skin of a woman glorying in her son's battle wounds, another very complex character. She raised her son to be a soldier, and she takes pride in that. The two of them have a very interesting relationship. Despite Coriolanus being married and having a child, he still listens to his mother, resembling a young boy in a man's body. He trusts her blindly, even when he knows he shouldn't which leads to his downfall.

Coriolanus` nemesis Aufidius was played by the well-known actor Gerard Butler. Despite being enemies, both of them have great respect for each other. They share a common interest- the battlefield. The bloodshed and the fighting bring them the utmost happiness. Aufidius is the best at what he does among the Volscians, which can prove to be boring. Coriolanus challenges him, pushes him to be better. They have a few very graphic scenes fighting both against and alongside each other. However, there is one main difference- Aufidius is a strategist not just on the battlefield. Coriolanus` trust in him is the ultimate reason for his death.

Ralph Fiennes is no stranger to Shakespeare's work. He has taken part in over 10 different theatre productions by him so it should be no surprise that the execution of the role was phenomenal. Shakespeare wanted us to have a complicated reaction to both Coriolanus. This is the only play penned by Shakespeare completely driven by a single character. When Coriolanus isn't on-screen steering, the action the other players are discussing him directly. He is thrown in the middle of a leadership crisis seeking recognition and not really wanting it at the same time. He challenges the audience to resist him. His distaste for the common people makes it hard to root for him but with the progression of the story, we slowly start to understand him. His integrity is manipulated and destroyed by the world around him and his own arrogance and pride. We witness him stumbling like a lost child, a man of war trying to move into politics and compromising himself and his beliefs in the process. It is not an easy role to play and Fiennes` performance was nothing short of spectacular.

One would think that it would challenge him to star as the main protagonist while being a first-time director of such a great canvas, but it seems he tackled both these tasks with ease. After playing this tragic hero in theatres, Fiennes` fascination with the character and the play itself grows tremendously. He becomes more and more curious about the aspect of it becoming a movie and believes that the story should be introduced to a larger audience. Consequently, to his work with many talented directors, he becomes interested in being behind the camera and what better project to direct than the play that is so dear to him. All in all, he delivers a superb performance with the movie both on and off-screen. Fiennes` devotion to the movie and the brilliant performance of the amazing cast, combined with the updated changes to the story results in a great final product.