Critical Analysis Of Ralph Fiennes’ Film Adaptation Of Shakespeare'S Play Coriolanus
In his movie adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Coriolanus Ralph Fiennes is forced to abandon the Plutarch’s complex literary concepts and focus solely on the central themes due to time restraints. In Fiennes’s film, he uses his access to modern film techniques in order to construct his own unique adaptation on the plot while also managing to preserve the crucial pieces from Plutarch’s text. Shakespeare also psychoanalyzed the information offered in the The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans in order to expose the underlying relationship that fuelled the actions of Coriolanus.
Fiennes’ version of Coriolanus takes on a role that is far more dynamic than Plutarch’s original characterization of Coriolanus. This modernized Coriolanus is a direct result of the transition from Plutarch’s philosophical background to Shakespeare’s poetic roots. It appears that the main components of Fiennes’ Coriolanus that set him apart from Plutarch’s version is his emotional complexity and behavioral outbursts. The most distinguishable aspect of Fiennes’ Coriolanus is his complicated relationship with his mom, Volumnia. Although this complex relationship is introduced in Plutarch’s work on a surface level, Fiennes capitalizes on this relationship and emphasizes its role in the actions of Coriolanus. The work of Plutarch portrays Voluminia as a person whom Coriolanus strives to please and honor. Plutarch does not devote much time in developing the relationship between Coriolanus and his mother. Instead, he solely shares that his mother loves him and hopes he reaches his greatest potential. In Fiennes’ portrayal, however, the relationship between Volumnia and Coriolanus suggests that his mother had a hunger for power and used her son’s military success as a means to attain such power. The typical Roman found fulfillment in seeking glory for the empire or to improve their credibility. Coriolanus, on the other hand, found glory in honoring his mother through his political actions. Fiennes uses his platform to expand on this subtle relationship that Plutarch merely introduces in his original work. Coriolanus’ hostile behavioural patterns are, as depicted by Fiennes, a direct result of his love for his mother. Fiennes transforms the traditional Volumnia from her subtle roll in Plutarch’s text into a driving force of the action. In Plutarch’s work, Coriolanus’ passion for combat drags him to war, while Volumnia’s control and influence is the leading cause of his military role in Fiennes’ film. In the film, Volumnia also convinces her son to shift his focus from combat to political power, despite his own desires. The character of Volumnia evolves from a loving parent figure in Plutarch’s eyes into an egotistical figure who views her son as a weapon in her fight for power.
Coriolanus’ obsession with social violence and war stem from an internal need to please his mother by fulfilling her political desires. Fiennes’ Coriolanus is trapped in a period of time that does not align with his military strengths: the Struggle of the Orders. Veterans like Coriolanus hold little value in a society that is preoccupied with solving the internal hunger issue that faces their people. Fiennes’ Coriolanus is renowned for his unruly behavioral outbursts and violent nature; in war he is a hero, but in the political world, he is a disaster. Fiennes expands on the passion found in Plutarch’s original text to dramatize the aggressive nature of Coriolanus and its impact on societal outcomes. Since he is constantly dealing with military conflicts, Coriolanus is left abstinent as a result. Fiennes, unlike Plutarch, emphasizes Coriolanus’ repressed sexual life and its implications. Following his victory in Coriolis, there is not a romantic encounter that is typical in Roman dramas like Julius Caesar’s encounter with Calpurnia. Fiennes emphasizes this abstinence again when Coriolanus is banished from the city. He promises Virgilia, his wife, that he will remain loyal to her in his departure from her and his loved ones. It is likely that his hostile behavior and uncontrollable temper stem from his efforts to remain abstinent and loyal to his wife.
Although the movie interpretation of Coriolanus presents an opportunity to bring the play to life through a visual aid, the movie fails to fully capture the profound scope of Plutarch’s intricate literary elements. Plutarch’s tragic hero, however, is effectively preserved by Fiennes’s efforts in his portrayal of Coriolanus. Plutarch incorporates lengthy passages that are filled with dialogue which reflect Coriolanus’s quest and obstacles to attain a position as consul. Fiennes, on the other hand, frames the task of gaining the support of the citizens as a taxing chore for Coriolanus since he viewed the class of the plebeians as being significantly inferior to him in terms of status. Fiennes makes a contemporary addition to the original text of a loud and powerful instrumental feature in Coriolanus’ march towards the people of the marketplace. Since Coriolanus is on a mission where he must beg for the support of the people, the addition of percussion possibly serves as a metaphor to those played during a battle. However, the unwavering respect that Coriolanus has for those who have served in the war is highlighted in both Plutarch’s words and Fiennes’s film. In Fiennes’s film, Coriolanus is shown shaking hands with a commoner that he saw was wearing a military beret that suggested previous time in the military. This was the only form of physical interaction Coriolanus had with one of the plebeians. This interaction reveals to the audience how Coriolanus’ admiration of those with military backgrounds outweighs his negative feelings for the commoners that he believes to be beneath him. In Plutarch’s text, he frequently refers to the “voices” of the common people in Coriolanus’ quest for the approval of the so called “voices that he deems inferior to his own. In the screen version of the play, Fiennes captures Coriolanus’ quest for consul in one scene where he gives a speech by emphasizing that the words were meaningless but required in order to gain the support of the so called “voices”. Fiennes uses the actions of Coriolanus to highlight his hostile feelings towards the plebeians which accurately mimics the attitude of Coriolanus in Plutarch’s work.
Ralph Fiennes chose to shift the setting of Coriolanus away from Shakespeare’s original stage in Ancient Rome and towards a setting that compliments his modern adaptation. This alteration to the traditional setting of the play presents an opportunity to show the play in a way that is easier to comprehend the complexity of the play, while also appealing to a modern audience. Although Plutarch’s common theme of power struggle and social class are still relevant today, the modernized film interpretation which Fienne offers allows the viewers to personally relate to the central themes found in the play. While the people in today’s age are not typically familiar with the political structure of Ancient Rome, they are aware of the present political issues of the 21st century. Fiennes chose to have Coriolanus wear a plain suit in order to convey his superiority, in terms of class ranking, above the plebeians, whose clothing is far inferior to the suit. Fiennes refrains from capturing both the citizens and Coriolanus in the same shot in order to emphasize the great divide between the plebeians and the far superior speaker. Fiennes also uses deliberate filming angles to further accentuate the gap between the social classes. The camera crew strategically films Coriolanus at an upward angle to indicate that he is seen as being above the class of the plebeians. The frames that capture the eyes of the citizens depicts the interaction as a way for the plebeians to interrogate Coriolanus.
The nature of this movie is adaptive on the surface, and although this version of the play might be more appealing to the modern viewer, crucial literary elements are bound to get lost in translation. Fiennes’s modern version of Coriolanus is bounded by time restrictions that limit his ability to properly develop the main character and unveil the metaphorical complexity at the root of the play. Despite the time limitations that faced the production of the movie, Fiennes utilized a wide range of theatrical methods and choices that prioritized the central elements of the Plutarch’s plot. Fienne effectively transformed the initial play into a modern picture that managed to capture the significance of the work of Plutarch. By revealing the link between Coriolanus’ actions and his mother’s wishes, Fiennes exposes the influence that a psychological bond can have in shaping the course of history. Fiennes also managed to peel back the layers of Coriolanus personality to expose his internal desires and external factors that triggered his course of actions.
