Ralph Finnes has done an excellent job directing and starring in his movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Similar to Richard Loncraine's movie production of Richard III, Finnes sets the story in modern times. Many scenes open with CNN-like updates of the war between Rome and its southern neighbor, Volsci. The Roman forces are dressed and armed like typical NATO forces while the Volscians look more like Balkan partisans.
The story is one of Shakespeare's most straightforward tales. Patrician Caius Martius (Finnes) leads the Romans to victory over the Volscis at Coriloi, which earns him his family name of Coriolanus as well as puts him in line to become the next consul. However his vocal contempt for the Roman mob causes the people's Tribunes to call for his banishment and the hilarity ensues.
I'm sure any resemblance between the story's Patricians-Plebeians conflict and today's situation involving the 1 Percent and 99 Percent is purely coincidental.
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