CORIALANUS

I am not the greatest lover of Shakespeare's plays (not because they aren't masterpieces, but because I always had trouble understanding them), though I have read and seen many performed, and much to my chagrin I do not remember ever trying Corialanus, but tonight I watched Ralph Fiennes' movie adaptation (2011) and was much impressed by the blending of the bard's words and modern background. I hope they didn't mess with the original words much (but I wouldn't know), and suspect there would have been an outcry had they. It is amazing how well the story translates to our times. I thought the acting was great, especially Fiennes in the lead role of a man bred for war and successful at it, but whose integrity and inflexibility does not bode well within the political arena, and whose banishment leads him to take up arms against his own country in revenge for the slights he suffered. His pride and rigidity undo him. Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave are wonderful as well. You almost sensed that the actors were taking this project with an extra dose of seriousness. I truly enjoyed it.