Now Showing: Coriolanus

 

Coriolanus

Genre: Historical/Epic

Director: David Lowery

Writer: Jimmy Ellis

Based on the play by William Shakespeare

Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Ben Foster, Jason Isaacs, Barry Keoghan, Rose Leslie, David Morrissey, Stephen McHattie, Damian Lewis, Rene Russo

Plot: 496 BC

The Battle of Lake Regillus between the Roman Empire and the Latins rages on. The speed of which the Romans attacked in the battle allowed for them to face the Latins and did not give the Volscian forces time to join against Rome. Merely a man, albeit a patrician man, on the battlefield, Caius Martius (Alexander Skarsgard), takes on three Latin men on his lonesome. His sword is knocked from his hand. Martius rises as a Latin soldier swings a blade, he ducks it, grabbing the mans arm to use the blade to block another. He breaks the man’s arm before grabbing the blade for himself. He slices the man’s throat before moving to the next two. He easily dispatches the other two before continuing on in the war. We follow him until we eventually hear a horn, sounding the retreat of the Latin people and the war being won by the Romans. Martius celebrates with the rest of the Roman Empire.

Late - 493 BC

We begin in Rome, with the plebeians revolting against their rulers, the patrician elite, accusing them of stockpiling grain while the plebeians go hungry. Instead of accepting a tax imposed by the Senate, the plebeians demand the right to regulate the price of grain, and they name Caius Martius, a patrician general and war hero as the principal enemy of the people. Menenius (Jason Isaacs), a patrician and a friend of Martius, intercepts them on their approach to the Capitol, telling the mob that the patricians have their best interests at heart. He compares the role of the Senate in Rome to the role of the stomach in the human body: The stomach serves as a storehouse and collecting-place for all the nutrients and then dispenses them throughout the rest of the body; similarly, the patricians collect and dispense grain to the entire city.

As Menenius and the rioters argue, Caius Martius himself arrives, cursing the mob and referring to them as dogs and cowards. The Senate has agreed to enable the plebeians to elect five "tribunes," or representatives, to represent their interests in the Roman state, he tells Menenius. A messenger hurries in at that time, bringing word that the Volsces, one of Rome's most vehement opponents among the Italian tribes, are preparing for war. Martius claims that the conflict will benefit their city, pointing out that the Volsces are led by a brilliant general, Tullus Aufidius (Ben Foster), whom he admires as a worthy foe.

Caius meets with senators to discuss the military strategy. They appoint Cominius (David Morissey), Rome's leading magistrate for the year, and Titus Lartius (Stephen McHattie), another aristocrat, to lead the upcoming battle. Martius will serve as Cominius' lieutenant.

In the meantime, the plebeians have chosen their tribunes. Sicinius (Damian Lewis) and Brutus (Barry Keoghan) are two of those who have been monitoring Martius' behavior and have both commented on how pompous and controlling he is. Sicinius is concerned about how he will cope with being under Cominius' direction. Still, Brutus points out that by serving as second-in-command, Martius would be spared guilt if things go wrong while receiving full credit if things go well.

We now travel to Corioli, a Volscian city, where Tullus Aufidius, about to embark on his attack on Rome, informs the Senators of Coriolis that the Romans are already prepared for his invasion. On the other hand, the senators doubt the Romans' readiness and advise Aufidius to lead his army into battle as planned, returning only if the Romans arrive and besiege Corioli.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Caius Martius' mother and wife, Volumnia (Rene Russo) and Virgilia (Rose Leslie), are sewing together. Volumnia explains to her daughter-in-law how she nurtured Martius to be a brilliant soldier and enjoys his wins more than a husband's hug. She expresses her desire that in the impending conflict, he will destroy the Volscians and Tullus Aufidius, and stresses on the beauty of bloody wounds. Valeria, a Roman noblewoman, pays the two women a visit, and the three discuss Virgilia and Martius's son, who shares his father's enthusiasm for physical activity and fighting. Then, Valeria tells them the news from the battlefield--while Cominius has taken part of the Roman army to meet Aufidius's forces in the field, Titus Lartius and Martius are leading the rest of the army in a siege against Corioli.

Martius and Lartius lead their men on a day’s journey from Rome to Corioli, stopping on the way. The two of them converse with Lartius asking Martius what he wants from all of this. Martius says that he wants to put an end to Aufidius and bring joy to Rome.

The Volscian Senators gather at Corioli's walls to debate with Martius and Lartius. They send out what men have stayed behind in a sortie against the besiegers, warning the Romans that Aufidius' army will return shortly to rescue their city. The Volscians push the Romans back to their trenches, but Martius curses his soldiers for their cowardice and leads them all the way back to the city gates. However, he is cut off from his men and confined within the walls of Corioli during the conflict, and Lartius fears he is dead. Martius, on the other hand, holds off the Volscians on his own, forcing the gate open allowing the Roman army to rush in and conquer the city.

The destruction of Corioli begins, and Martius, wounded and bleeding, joins the army to fight alongside Cominius' forces against Aufidius' men. Cominius, whose army is retiring, has not yet heard of Corioli's defeat, so the sight of the bloody Martius surprises him, and he wonders if the Romans have been defeated. Martius promises him that Corioli is in Roman hands, then leads Cominius' army against Aufidius' men, seeking out Aufidius for a one-on-one battle. During the battle, the two generals briefly meet, and Martius drives Aufidius and a few other Volscians back as the Roman forces pursue their victory. He has now led the victory over both the city and the battlefield, but he selflessly refuses any portion of the spoils, leaving them all to his men, who cheer him on. He begs them to stop, but Cominius insists that his valour in the capture of Corioli merits him a new name, Coriolanus, and he is proclaimed Caius Martius Coriolanus.

In the meantime, the vanquished Aufidius insults his Roman foe, who has now defeated him five times, and sends messengers to advocate for peace with Rome.

While waiting for word from the battlefield, Brutus and Sicinius chat with Menenius in Rome. The two tribunes criticise Caius Martius, calling him overly proud and an enemy to the common people of Rome; in reply, Menenius tells them that they should look to their own faults before they criticise others, since they are "unmeriting, proud, violent, testy, magistrates, alias fools, as any in Rome." While he is attacking them, Brutus and Sicinius point out that he is not a flawless public servant himself; in fact, he is more recognised as a wit and gossip than as a great politician.

As Volumnia, Virgilia, and Valeria arrive with word of Martius' victory, the two tribunes step aside. While Volumnia describes her son's wounds in this campaign, Menenius expresses gratitude for both his friend's survival and Rome's victory over the Volscians.

Martius, now Coriolanus, enters Rome surrounded by his soldiers and greets his wife and mother. He then makes his way to the Capitol, escorted by Cominius, Titus Lartius, and Menenius, to greet the Senate. When left alone, Brutus and Sicinius are concerned that Coriolanus would be appointed consul as a reward for his successes, and that once in power, he will abolish their office. They can rest easy, however, knowing that the arrogant commander is unlikely to go out into the marketplace and win the votes of the common people, which he needs to become consul. Indeed, his hatred for the lower classes is likely to derail his popularity gained via his wartime accomplishments.

With these thoughts in mind, the two tribunes make their way to the Capitol, where two officers are setting down cushions for the Senators and discussing the likelihood of Coriolanus becoming consul.

The Senators enter and take their seats, and Cominius rises to tell Coriolanus's triumphs against the Volscians; the object of his worship, embarrassed by the acclaim, departs the chamber as Cominius describes the war and Coriolanus's tremendous feats. The Senators are awestruck by the battle hero's story of courage and decide that they want to make him consul. They encourage him to put on the toga of a candidate and rush to the marketplace, where he must tell the people about his exploits and show them his wounds in order to get their votes. Coriolanus begs to be excused from this custom since he finds it humiliating, but they insist that he must comply. Coriolanus manages to get the senate to agree for himself to recover first before taking to the streets, after all, he will still have scars to show off. Brutus and Sicinius conspire to incite animosity against him because of his hesitancy and contempt for the common people.

Coriolanus returns to his home where is young son greets him with glee. Virgilia also greets him with a kiss. He hands her all of his belongings, and she places them away. Coriolanus lifts his son and plays with him, Virgilia smiles as she watches on. She questions Coriolanus, still calling him Caius, on what he will do about the consulship. He says that he will recover. She questions this decision, asking him why he would waste time lying about with them when he could be leading Rome to new heights. He turns and tells his son to go play, placing him down. He grabs his clothes on his back, pulling them off, asking Virgilia if she thinks he wants all of this. If he wants to lead, if he wants the burden of taking Rome forward. He is a fighter, it is what he does. And he is very good at it too. He throws his clothes on the ground saying that it is all he is good at. He sits on the floor with his head down, “I just want to rest.” Virgilia walks toward him and moves his hair behind his ear, she gets on the ground with him and kisses his head. Caius raises his head before lunging at Virgilia with a kiss. The two of them have sex, then and there.

Coriolanus with his wife in toe stands before the senate. They ask him if the year off has done him well. Coriolanus looks to Virgilia, she nods. He tells them that it has. “Very well, let’s make it so.”

Late - 492 BC

A group of citizens debate Coriolanus' candidacy in the marketplace, claiming that if he appeals to them using battle scars, they will most likely make him consul. Then Coriolanus himself enters, followed by Menenius, who encourages his friend before leaving him alone with the masses, who arrive in small groups. Coriolanus struggles and cannot hide his arrogance, but by emphasising his military experience, he is able to persuade a huge number of individuals to vote for him. Menenius escorts him back to the Capitol to be invested with the robes of office, and Brutus and Sicinius reluctantly admit that he has passed the test.

The plebeians remark on Coriolanus' arrogance when he leaves, and the two tribunes demand to know why they voted for such an arrogant patrician. The plebeians reverse their decision and refuse Coriolanus the consulship; ecstatically, Brutus and Sicinius order the people to join their comrades and march to the Capitol. To protect themselves, the two tribunes encourage the crowds to claim that they only voted for Coriolanus because the tribunes told them to, and that they have since come to their senses and want the vote annulled.

Meanwhile, Titus Lartius informs Coriolanus that Tullus Aufidius has assembled a new army. Despite the newly signed peace pact, Coriolanus fears that the Volsces would assault Rome, but Lartius tells him that they have been shattered and will not fight again. The two tribunes arrive at that precise moment to inform the gathering Senators that the people of Rome will not accept Coriolanus as consul. Furious, Coriolanus accuses Brutus and Sicinius of organising the plebeians against him, then denigrates the common people, warning his fellow patricians that allowing the rabble to hold power, to have tribunes, will lead to the Senate's demise. Coriolanus refuses to return to the market and ask the people's forgiveness, and proceeds to criticise the plebeians—and the patricians—for ever agreeing to give them a place in Rome's governance. Brutus and Sicinius accuse him of treason and summon a plebeian mob to arrest him. He rants at them, prompting the two tribunes to declare that he must be put to death; in response, Coriolanus takes his sword, and the Senators rally to his rescue. Coriolanus and the Senators chase the plebeians and two tribunes away, and Coriolanus flees to a Senator's house. The mob resurfaces, but Menenius persuades the crowd to let him reason with Coriolanus and bring the great soldier to the market square for a public airing of all grievances.

Coriolanus declares to a group of Roman nobles that he will not change his character to fit the mob's wants. Menenius arrives with the Senators and tells him to go to the marketplace and make peace with the people: he must retract what he has said about the plebeians and their tribunes, and then perhaps they will accept him to be consul. Coriolanus resists, wanting to preserve his honour, but his mother tells him to act humbly, even if his humility is false, and to ask for forgiveness, even if he doesn't mean it. For a long time, he is obstinate, but eventually yields and decides to make peace with the plebeians.

491 BC

Brutus and Sicinius prepare for Coriolanus' entrance in the marketplace, hoping to provoke him into losing his cool. With Menenius and Cominius at his side, the war hero enters and proclaims that he would bow to the people's will. When Sicinius accuses him of plotting to tyrannise the Roman state, he becomes enraged and launches yet another rant against the tribunes and plebeians. As his supporters stand impotent by, Sicinius and Brutus, with the support of the entire populace and despite Cominius' protests, declare that he must be exiled from Rome for all timeCoriolanus responds that he will gladly depart the city, halting only to say goodbye to his wife, Virgilia, as well as his mother and friends. Volumnia weeps and condemns the city for exiling him, while Cominius offers to follow him for a time, but Coriolanus declines and exits.

After dismissing the crowds, Brutus and Sicinius try to avoid running into Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius, who are returning from saying their goodbyes to Coriolanus. Volumnia, on the other hand, notices the two tribunes and accuses them of exiling Rome's best man. Brutus and Sicinius accuse her of being insane, and they go, leaving Coriolanus' companions to their sadness.

In the meantime, a Volscian spy reunites with another Volscian spy and says that Coriolanus has been banished. The two men agree that this will provide Tullus Aufidius with a fantastic opportunity to exact vengeance on Rome for the defeats he has experienced. During this time, Coriolanus himself arrives in Antium, where Aufidius is staying. He tells the crowd that he intends to join forces with Aufidius against his hometown and become Rome's greatest enemy.

Coriolanus requests entrance to Tullus Aufidius' residence at Antium. Aufidius' attendants refuse to let him in since he is dressed in rags, but one of them goes to fetch his master. The Volscian general does not recognise Coriolanus, so the Roman reveals himself and says he has come to offer Aufidius his friendship and assistance for the Volscian cause, or to be killed—it makes no difference to him. Aufidius greets him as a friend and invites him into his home, offering him the chance to seek revenge on the Romans for his exile. The two generals share a meal, and one of the servants informs his comrades that war with Rome is imminent.

Back in Rome, everything is calm, and Brutus and Sicinius congratulate each other on how easily they dispatched the troublesome Coriolanus. They tell Menenius that the city is better off without the exiled. Just afterwards, a courier arrives with news that Aufidius and the Volscians are planning another attack on Rome. Brutus refuses to believe the news, but a second messenger delivers even worse news: not only is the army moving on Rome, but Coriolanus himself is leading it. Menenius is joined by Cominius, and the two friends inform the tribunes that they are to blame for the disaster, and that their folly would bring Rome's ruin. Brutus and Sicinius protest, but the plebeians rush in, terrified by the news, and start saying that they were wrong to exile Coriolanus. Fearing for their own safety, the two tribunes travel to the Capitol.

In the meantime, Aufidius is having second thoughts about his partnership with his former foe, since his soldiers have begun to show more loyalty to Coriolanus than to him. He expects Rome to succumb to the exiled general, and he plots a plan to get rid of Coriolanus once the city has been conquered.

Coriolanus arrives on the borders of the city with his army, and Cominius goes out to plead with his old friend for mercy. Coriolanus turns him away, however, to the great despair of the inhabitants of Rome. Brutus and Sicinius plead with Menenius to make his own attempt, and the old patrician reluctantly agrees. However, as he departs, Cominius tells the tribunes that there is no hope-- Coriolanus is immovable.

Menenius is stopped by the sentries at the Volscian camp, who refuse to let him see their generals. After enduring the mocking of the guards, Coriolanus and Tullus Aufidius emerge, but Menenius' pleadings fall on deaf ears, and he is sent away. When Aufidius returns, he expresses his admiration for Coriolanus' tenacity in defying his dearest friends' appeals; the exiled soldier answers that he will no longer accept embassies from Rome.

A shout is raised at that moment, and Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, and Coriolanus' son, Young Martius, arrive from Rome. Coriolanus vows to steel his heart against them, but he allows them to approach, and his mother kneels in front of him, begging him to make peace. She informs him that she will obstruct his journey to Rome. In the meantime, his son swears that when he gets older, he would battle against his father. Coriolanus, moved, begins to walk away, but his mother stops him and urges him to forge an honourable peace that benefits both Romans and Volscians, rather than destroying his beloved city. She prepares to return to Rome and "die among our neighbours" if he does not respond. But Coriolanus has been persuaded, and he promises to make peace right away. Aufidius, seeing this, tells the audience that he now has a chance to kill the Roman general.

Unaware of what has recently occurred, a resigned Menenius informs Sicinius that all is gone and that the tribunes have doomed his city with their stupidity. Then a messenger arrives with the good news that the women have completed their job and Rome has been rescued. The Romans erupt in applause as Volumnia returns home as the city's rescuer.

In the Volscian city of Antium, meanwhile, Aufidius and a band of conspirators prepare to dispose of the returning Coriolanus, who is being given a hero's welcome by the people of the city. When the general arrives and is greeted by Antium's Senators, Aufidius denounces him, accusing him of betraying the Volscian army by giving in to the Roman women and failing to take Rome. Coriolanus, predictably, loses his temper and curses Aufidius, whose conspirators are now stirring up the people against the Roman, reminding them of how he once led Roman armies against them. As Aufidius shouts at him and the Senators try to intervene, the conspirators stab Coriolanus, and he falls dead. Declaring that he was a great and noble man, the Senate orders a hero's burial. Now remorseful, Aufidius joins his men in carrying the body through the city, and eventually riding the whole day to take him back to Rome to his mother and wife.