31st October 2013:
Originally expecting to see trailers for upcoming films as I waited for Danny Boyle's tremendous Frankenstein (2011-also reviewed),I instead got the chance to see trailers for other National Theatre Live titles. Finding most of the shows/films to look a bit too twee,I was greatly intrigued by the final trailer for an extremely grim William Shakespeare's Called Coriolanus.
Due to the trailer showing clips of Coriolanus, (which is one of the few Shakespeare plays to have been banned in recent history,due to the Fascist element of the story leading to it being banned in post-WWII Germany and a production in France being shut down after causing a number of riots)I was disappointed that I had missed out on such an interesting looking movie.
January 2014:
Thankfully,I soon found out that this particular adaptation of Coriolanus was coming back to the big screen,which led to me getting ready to witness the rise of Coriolanus.
View on the film:
Peeling away the more animated side which he had displayed in the fun 2011 Comic book epic Thor (also reviewed),Tom Hiddleston gives an incredibly detailed performance as Coriolanus.
Showing Coriolanus's hatred of the public and the politician's right from the start,Hiddleston gradually shows the troubling psychological effects of Coriolanus entering the spotlight,with Coriolanus's strong military stance being one that is hardened by each shred of power that he grips,which leads to Hiddleston brilliantly showing Coriolanus become a Fascist,as he starts to realize the power of his public persona.
Joining Hiddleston,Birgittte Hjort Sorensen, (who has battled with Danish politics in the TV series Borgen) gives a fantastic,quiet performance as Coriolanus's wife Virgila,with Sorensen giving Virgila a sense of unease,as she finds herself struggling to deal with Coriolanus's craving for power.
Giving the film a flamboyant edge,Mark Gatiss gives an excellent performance as Lanatus,with Gatiss showing Lanatus to be someone who is willing to do anything that will increase his popularity or power,even if it may,inadvertently lead to his downfall.
Whilst the 250-seat Donmar Warehouse theatre does appear to offer a real intimacy for the stage version,director Josie Rourke disappointingly lets some of the intimacy slip out of the filmed edition by using wide shots in some of the movies most powerful scenes which clearly show the audience in the background,which leads to a gap between the stage and the screen.
Limited to one set,Rouke cleverly uses a minimum of sets and props to build Coriolanus's Fascist world,as dripping blood and red paint is splatted across the screen to show the public's anger at the growing corn shortage,and to also show Coriolanus's burning hatred for everyone.
For the scenes based in Rome's parliament,Rouke brilliantly uses chairs to show the politician's constantly changing their direction,as Coriolanus begins to set his sights on power.
Originally expecting to see trailers for upcoming films as I waited for Danny Boyle's tremendous Frankenstein (2011-also reviewed),I instead got the chance to see trailers for other National Theatre Live titles. Finding most of the shows/films to look a bit too twee,I was greatly intrigued by the final trailer for an extremely grim William Shakespeare's Called Coriolanus.
Due to the trailer showing clips of Coriolanus, (which is one of the few Shakespeare plays to have been banned in recent history,due to the Fascist element of the story leading to it being banned in post-WWII Germany and a production in France being shut down after causing a number of riots)I was disappointed that I had missed out on such an interesting looking movie.
January 2014:
Thankfully,I soon found out that this particular adaptation of Coriolanus was coming back to the big screen,which led to me getting ready to witness the rise of Coriolanus.
View on the film:
Peeling away the more animated side which he had displayed in the fun 2011 Comic book epic Thor (also reviewed),Tom Hiddleston gives an incredibly detailed performance as Coriolanus.
Showing Coriolanus's hatred of the public and the politician's right from the start,Hiddleston gradually shows the troubling psychological effects of Coriolanus entering the spotlight,with Coriolanus's strong military stance being one that is hardened by each shred of power that he grips,which leads to Hiddleston brilliantly showing Coriolanus become a Fascist,as he starts to realize the power of his public persona.
Joining Hiddleston,Birgittte Hjort Sorensen, (who has battled with Danish politics in the TV series Borgen) gives a fantastic,quiet performance as Coriolanus's wife Virgila,with Sorensen giving Virgila a sense of unease,as she finds herself struggling to deal with Coriolanus's craving for power.
Giving the film a flamboyant edge,Mark Gatiss gives an excellent performance as Lanatus,with Gatiss showing Lanatus to be someone who is willing to do anything that will increase his popularity or power,even if it may,inadvertently lead to his downfall.
Whilst the 250-seat Donmar Warehouse theatre does appear to offer a real intimacy for the stage version,director Josie Rourke disappointingly lets some of the intimacy slip out of the filmed edition by using wide shots in some of the movies most powerful scenes which clearly show the audience in the background,which leads to a gap between the stage and the screen.
Limited to one set,Rouke cleverly uses a minimum of sets and props to build Coriolanus's Fascist world,as dripping blood and red paint is splatted across the screen to show the public's anger at the growing corn shortage,and to also show Coriolanus's burning hatred for everyone.
For the scenes based in Rome's parliament,Rouke brilliantly uses chairs to show the politician's constantly changing their direction,as Coriolanus begins to set his sights on power.