Lord Voldemort has made his own movie. Or at least his alter-ego Ralph Fiennes has.
After two decades starring in some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films, the lauded thespian behind Harry Potter’s nemesis has turned out his directorial debut with a contemporary, challenging adaptation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Metro caught up with the actor recently to discuss the upcoming drama.
What was your approach in your debut behind the camera?
First of all, I was just motivated by an obsession with this story and the role. Why someone decides this is what they want to do I don’t know — I’ve not analyzed it too closely but I just wanted it to be an accessible modern Shakespeare.
Why did you think Coriolanus would make good modern adaptation?
I think there are so many things in it. (It) exposes a political and social dysfunction and I believe we’re living in a time where everything is up for questioning and the systems we thought worked are not working.
And Coriolanus starts with the people protesting. Everything’s crumbling.
You’ve worked with some great directors. Were there tricks from other filmmakers you borrowed from?
The best experiences I’ve had have been collaborative ones where I feel I’ve been included and that’s a great feeling. Someone like Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) would do that and Neil Jordan (The End of the Affair) to some extent. But I was eager to bring everyone’s ideas to the table which is what I learned from someone particularly like Anthony Minghella.
Any other Shakespeare plays you’d like to tackle on the big-screen?
Oh yes, loads. I’m afraid I’m slightly a Shakespeare junkie. There are a clutch of Shakespeare roles that I would love to tackle.
