Not all of "Coriolanus'" characters are motivated by such obstinate adherence to principle. The rival general Aufidius (Gerard Butler) is driven by a simple desire for victory, and Coriolanus' mother, Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), is every bit his equal in blood lust. Although she never raises a hand, it's Volumnia who's the movie's most fearsome warrior, dressed in a double-breasted overcoat and a commando's beret as if she has just returned from the front.
"Vanessa has such amazing inner conviction about anything that she does," Fiennes said. "The great moment was our first scene, where she bandages up my wounds in the bathroom. It was quite simple to shoot, but she was fantastic. She wanted to know exactly how she should bandage it, and then she did this great thing where she wraps it around my body, leans into her son and says a line.
