#coriolanus 2011

[hrafnaun]

Fight until you die by the blade

Of the one you love to hate

With all your heart

Shakespeare rarepair posting on main, don't mind me

[ralphfiennes-world]

Journey through Ralph’s interviews and speeches

In the interview, Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave talk about the making of their film and the passion and dedication that went into creating it. Fiennes explains that the project had been in development for several years and was something he deeply believed in. From the beginning, he worked with a group of talented collaborators who were excited about the idea and wanted to help bring the story to the screen.

One of the key collaborators was screenwriter John Logan, who wrote the screenplay. According to Fiennes, Logan created a strong and thoughtful script that helped shape the film. When the first draft was ready, Fiennes immediately thought of Vanessa Redgrave for one of the roles and called her early in the process. Redgrave agreed to take part in the project and patiently waited for more than two years while the film slowly moved toward production. Eventually, after about two and a half years, everything came together and they were finally able to begin filming.

The interview also discusses Fiennes’ role as a director. Redgrave comments on how his leadership and artistic vision influenced everyone involved in the film. She describes him as inspiring and says that his dedication and clarity helped guide the entire cast and crew. His commitment to the story created a strong sense of purpose during the production.

Another topic in the interview is their recent recognition at the BAFTA Awards. The interviewer congratulates them on their nominations, and both actors express their happiness and gratitude for the recognition. They describe it as an exciting moment and appreciate that the film and their work have been acknowledged.

A major theme of the conversation is the film’s interpretation of William Shakespeare. Fiennes explains that he enjoys presenting Shakespeare’s works in modern settings. While some critics believe Shakespeare should always be performed in historical costumes and traditional settings, Fiennes argues that adapting the stories to contemporary contexts can make them more immediate and relatable for modern audiences.

He mentions the influence of Baz Luhrmann and his famous film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, which placed Shakespeare’s story in a modern environment. Fiennes recalls how that film showed that Shakespeare’s language and themes could still feel powerful when combined with contemporary imagery and settings. This approach inspired him to explore a similar idea in his own project.

In the film they discuss, the story is set in a modern world where characters wear contemporary clothing and interact with modern technology such as microphones and cameras. Fiennes believes this approach works because Shakespeare’s themes-such as power, conflict, and human ambition-are universal and still relevant today. By placing the story in a recognisable modern environment, the film highlights how these ideas connect to current global issues and political situations.

🎬 Here you can watch the whole interview:

[ontarom]

"Wait a minute... this fight scene is like a sex scene!" - me watching Ralph Fieness' "Coriolanus" (2011) just now.

[mrsimpstabler]

I went into Coriolanus completely blind and WHAT THE FUCK??????

like I knew this shit was probably gonna be fruity as fuck but HOLY MOTHER OF GOD???

[ralphfiennes-world]

Journey through Ralph’s interviews and speeches

Ralph Fiennes reflects on his modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, a project he had long felt compelled to bring to the screen. He believes the play’s themes of authority, civil unrest, and societal fracture feel deeply contemporary, noting that even before the Arab Spring, global conflicts and economic anxiety made the story resonate with modern audiences.

To underline this connection, Fiennes relocates the narrative to a recognizably modern world, complete with urban warfare, security forces, and digital communication. These elements, he explains, are not decorative but essential to making Shakespeare’s political struggle feel immediate and uncomfortably familiar.

At the philosophical core of the interview, Fiennes reflects on his understanding of the divine:

„God is a force – terror and enlightenment at the same time.”

This perspective mirrors his approach to the film - a worldview shaped by uncertainty, conflict, and flashes of clarity.

Fiennes portrays Coriolanus as a soldier molded by his formidable mother, Volumnia, who instills in him rigid martial values. This upbringing leaves him emotionally constrained, burdened by a quiet self-destructive impulse, and ultimately ill-suited to the compromises demanded by democratic politics. Though tragic and at times sympathetic, he remains a figure incapable of adapting to the political world around him.

📰 You can read the whole article by clicking on the link below:

The NS Interview: Ralph Fiennes

“God is a force – terror and enlightenment at the same time”

[ralphfiennes-world]

Trivia Sunday

For this week’s Trivia Sunday, here’s a fact you might not expect: Ralph Fiennes is also a citizen of Serbia.🇷🇸

The Serbian government granted him citizenship in 2017, recognizing his “selfless promotion” of the country and its people. Fiennes had spent years working there, first filming Coriolanus in Belgrade, then returning for The White Crow. Both projects helped bring international attention to Serbia’s growing film industry.

At the ceremony in Belgrade, Fiennes spoke in Serbian, saying, “Thank you for accepting this Englishman in your fatherland. I am honoured.” He later added with a smile, “I never thought I would become a Serb – and now it seems that I am one.”

Though the citizenship is honorary, it reflects a genuine bond. For Fiennes, Serbia became more than a location- it became part of his creative and personal story.

[ralphfiennes-world]

Rewind Day - "Coriolanus" (2011)

OVERVIEW

Film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Coriolanus.

Ralph’s directorial debut; he also directed The Invisible Woman (2013) and The White Crow (2019). 

Nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 65th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs).

MAIN CAST 

Ralph Fiennes as Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus

Gerard Butler as Attius Tullius 

Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia 

Brian Cox as Menenius 

Jessica Chastain as Virgilia  

FUN FACTS 

The play originally takes place during the Roman-Volscian wars, which lasted for roughly 200 years between the late 6th century BC to the late 4th century BC; however the setting was contemporized to a Balkan city-state. The film was shot primarily in Serbia and Montenegro, utilizing the post-Yugoslav war surroundings to help modernize the film. 

Both Ralph and Gerard had previously starred in Coriolanus on stage as the same characters they portray in the film. 

Sir Ian McKellen commended the film and credited it as one of his favorite Shakespeare movie adaptations. 

Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow makes a cameo in the film as a TV anchor. 

[ralphfiennes-world]

Journey through Ralph’s interviews and speeches

In this powerful on-set interview for Coriolanus, Ralph Fiennes offers rare insight into his experience portraying and directing the tragic Roman general in his directorial debut. Known for his commanding screen presence, he brings a raw emotional depth to the role, revealing Coriolanus not just as a warrior, but as a fractured human being.

He describes the character with striking clarity:

“He has a kind of integrity which is manipulated and destroyed by the world around him and by his own arrogance… He’s like a lost child – angry young boy.”

That sentiment lingers throughout his portrayal - an angry young boy in the body of a man, armoured in power but emotionally fragile. His Coriolanus is shaped by pride, rage, and a deep wound of disconnection. His downfall is as much personal as political.

The interview also reflects Ralph’s evolution from actor to director. Taking on both roles in a Shakespeare adaptation is no small feat, but he approaches the challenge with clarity and purpose. Reflecting on his shift to directing, he shares:

“As I’ve been involved in working with great directors as an actor, I guess something in you grows that you feel you want to be the person who’s guiding the telling of the story and creating the images in the world and the choices being made.”

That desire manifests in a bold directorial vision: one that brings Shakespeare into modern conflict zones, using gritty landscapes and military realism to amplify the story’s emotional urgency. Ralph’s guides his cast with sensitivity, while remaining deeply connected to his own performance.

This interview reveals not only Ralph’s commitment to the character but also his passion for storytelling. In Coriolanus, he offers a powerful study of wounded pride, moral collapse, and the emotional cost of isolation-all filtered through the lens of a first-time director with a veteran’s insight.