This film is part of Rentals
Coriolanus
Ralph Fiennes stars and directs in the brutal Shakespeare adaptation about a fallen hero who hungers for bloody revenge against his city.
Drama 2010 123 mins
Director: Ralph Fiennes
Overview
Shakespeare’s Rome – a city of corruption and betrayal. At the head of power is Coriolanus (an incendiary Ralph Fiennes), a duplicitous and entitled war hero who imposes his extreme ideals and causes a mass riot. Banished from the city by its citizens, politicians, and even his own mother (Vanessa Redgrave), Coriolanus is surprised to link up with his enemy Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Together, the two wreak revenge on the city, his family, and fight their bloody way to regain power.
Screenwriter John Logan (Skyfall, Hugo) deftly adapts the Bard’s play of carnage with his original language, yet it is Fiennes’ focused direction that creates the militant world of war and brutality. But no battles are more brutal than that between Coriolanus and his mother, played with darkness and sincerity by Redgrave. It’s a powerhouse performance at the centre of a bloody and vital adaptation. Coriolanus may be Shakespeare, but it’s Shakespeare delivered with an intensity rarely seen onscreen.
Contains strong bloody violenceAccessibility
Related
Drama
A Kid for Two Farthings
Comedy 1954 90 mins Director: Carol Reed
The adventures of a young boy who buys a small goat in the belief that it’s a unicorn that will be able to grant the wishes of him and his friends.
The Wicker Man
Horror 1973 88 mins Director: Robin Hardy
Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward star in the folk horror classic about a policemen investigating an island given over to paganism.
Maborosi
Drama 1995 109 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda’s first fiction feature is an exquisite meditation on loss, loneliness, uncertainty, and coming to terms with the past.
After Life
Drama 1998 119 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda's lyrical fantasy challenges the viewer to reflect on the experiences that most make life worth living.
Still Walking
Drama 2008 115 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda’s subtle, moving account of the tensions within a family is his most Ozu-like film.
Nobody Knows
Drama 2003 141 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda’s drama about four children left to fend for themselves is a heartbreaking study of childhood neglect.
Shakespeare on Film
Richard III
Drama 1995 104 mins Director: Richard Loncraine
Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine’s bold restaging transplants Shakespeare’s play to an imagined 1930s fascist Britain.
All Night Long
Drama 1962 91 mins Director: Basil Dearden
Othello is transposed to the 1960s Soho jazz scene as a malevolent drummer sows mistrust between husband-and-wife jazz luminaries.
William Shakespeare/Martha Graham
1967 18 mins Director: John Phillips
Two reports from This Week – The Arts on adaptations of Shakespeare, including scenes from Joan Littlewood’s MacBird, and choreographer Martha Graham.
The Tempest
Drama 1979 96 mins Director: Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman’s brooding and darkly symbolic third feature is considered by some to be the most evocative Shakespeare adaptation ever to reach the screen.
Midsummer Night's Dream
Fantasy 1964 110 mins Director: Joan Kemp-Welch
Delightful TV version of the Bard's most fantastic romantic comedy starring Benny Hill, Anna Massey and Peter Wyngarde
Music Box
1957 26 mins Director: Douglas Hurn
Stage comedy legends The Crazy Gang perform an uproarious extract from A Midsummer Night's Dream in this 1957 TV variety show.
Featuring Ralph Fiennes
A Bigger Splash
Thriller 2015 124 mins Director: Luca Guadagnino
Ralph Fiennes delivers a sensational performance as one of four passionate souls sharing a villa in the Sicilian sunshine, with jealousy, intrigue and violence simmering beneath the surface.
Great Expectations
Drama 2012 129 mins Director: Mike Newell
Pip, a poor blacksmith's apprentice, becomes a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor. A BAFTA-nominated telling of the Dickens' classic.
The Invisible Woman
Biopic 2012 111 mins Director: Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s book about the long-standing affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan.
Spider
Drama 2002 94 mins Director: David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg directs Ralph Fiennes in this chilling psychological drama about a mentally-disturbed man facing his horrifying childhood memories.
The Duchess
Biopic 2008 110 mins Director: Saul Dibb
Keira Knightley plays an 18th-century duchess who challenges convention by responding to her husband’s infidelities with affairs of her own.
Directed by Ralph Fiennes
The Invisible Woman
Biopic 2012 111 mins Director: Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s book about the long-standing affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan.
New
A Kid for Two Farthings
Comedy 1954 90 mins Director: Carol Reed
The adventures of a young boy who buys a small goat in the belief that it’s a unicorn that will be able to grant the wishes of him and his friends.
Varda by Agnès
Biopic 2018 115 mins Director: Agnès Varda
In her final film, Agnès Varda offers a personal insight into her oeuvre, using excerpts from her work to illustrate her unique artistic visions and ideas.
The Wicker Man
Horror 1973 88 mins Director: Robin Hardy
Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward star in the folk horror classic about a policemen investigating an island given over to paganism.
Maborosi
Drama 1995 109 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda’s first fiction feature is an exquisite meditation on loss, loneliness, uncertainty, and coming to terms with the past.
After Life
Drama 1998 119 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda's lyrical fantasy challenges the viewer to reflect on the experiences that most make life worth living.
Still Walking
Drama 2008 115 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Koreeda’s subtle, moving account of the tensions within a family is his most Ozu-like film.