YMMV / Coriolanus

The Play

• Misaimed Fandom: Coriolanus' blood-hungriness, unwillingness to let go of war, and wide contempt for democracy and the populace at large are largely depicted as flaws, with his acceptance of peace being depicted as the moral solution (making his death from it all the more tragic). Fascist sympathizers, however, interpret his endless pursuit of conflict entirely at face value, with Nazi Germany hailing the character as a proud, just hero betrayed by a weak, ungrateful democracy that refused to accept him as their "rightful" leader. Unsurprisingly, this is the reason why several countries (most notably France) banned the play for a time.

The 2011 film

• Critical Dissonance: Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the 2011 film a 94% Fresh rating. Regular audiences were less pleased, giving it 58%. It also received a 6.1 in IMDB.
• He Really Can Act: Gerard Butler, usually cast as action heroes or romantic leads, does excellent work as Aufidius, taking to the material naturally and holding his own opposite Ralph Fiennes, making it fully believable that Coriolanus sees him as a serious opponent but also respects him. Many critics were surprised at his performance and a few even cited him as the standout of the cast.

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