 |
|
Written by Sheila Seacroft
|
|
22 01 2012 |
|
Directed by Ralph Fiennes
Coriolanus is the closest Shakespeare came, perhaps, to the classic Greek tragedy format of a single hero brought down by his fatal flaw, his hubris. It's one of those Shakespeare plays hardly anyone knows - even the Eng Lit graduate is not that likely to have encountered it, so in a way Ralph Fiennes has a free pass to present something fresh and without the weight of expectation. Which he does, impressively. Set in 'a place called Rome', though clearly relating geographically to the Yugoslav conflict (it was shot mostly around Belgrade) it's very familiar contemporary scenario that can be recognised in so many conflicts of the last 30 years - an unstable state facing pressure from warring neighbours outside and civil unrest within in the shape of its oppressed, protesting and increasingly violent populace. |
|
Read more...
|