Ralph Feinnes has been a scary fellow several times through out his filmography from Nazi Goeth in Schindler’s List, to Hades god of the underworld in Clash of The Titans or for most of us Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter franchise. The actor’s next role is actor/director in Coriolanus and today the good people at Empire have release a new exclusive UK poster which looks like he’s playing another scary looking character once more! Coriolanus is the story of Roman’s great general a hero Rome when a disagreement with the great sees him been banished to only seek revenge on the city he loves to do that he must team up with his arch nemesis Aufidius (Gerard Butler, a part the Scottish actor has played before on stage). The film is a modern version of William Shakespeare (or Richard De Vere depending on your views or if your Roland Emmerich)play which looks like could be possibly Butler’s best acting so far well at least since Machine Gun Preacher and will enhance the actors chances of more than just action hero/romcom parts.
Coriolanus stars also Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Jessica Chastain and James Nesbitt, with the film arriving January 20th 2012.
The people of Rome are hungry – they cannot afford to eat. Riots are widespread. Their vitriol turns on Caius Martius (later to be Coriolanus), Rome’s foremost general who despises the people.
Simultaneously, Rome is at war with the Volsces, a neighbouring state which is lead by Caius Martius’s sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius. When Caius’s outstanding courage secures the Volscian city of Corioles for Rome and the Volscians are defeated, Caius is newly named Coriolanus in honor of his victory. The people’s anger subsides.
His mother Volumnia, who has instilled in him a strict martial code of honor, anticipates Coriolanus being elected ‘Consul’ – a ruling position in the Roman senate. In order to be voted Consul, Coriolanus must secure the people’s support. However, the great warrior is loath to engage in the necessary glad-handing and political canvassing that he sees as artificial and contradictory of his personal code.
Under pressure he relents but with the minimum of civility. The Tribunes, the elected representatives of the people, persuade the masses that they should renege on their votes and refuse Coriolanus the office of Consul. Coriolanus is enraged and his vocal aggression leads to a major riot after which he is banished from Rome.
Alone now, he takes himself to the city of Antium, the Volscian capital, home to his enemy, Tullus Aufidius. Coriolanus seeks out Aufidius and offers either his life or his services against his parent city. Confronted by his greatest enemy, Tullus must decide whether to accept Coriolanus as his warrior in arms and seize the opportunity to defeat an Empire, or to destroy his life-long rival and try to take Rome alone, while in its most vulnerable state…
