A Tragic UFO (Unidentified Formidable Offspring)

The battle scene in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Coriolanus where Coriolanus fights through the city of Corioles and emerges bloody and wounded reminds me of the film Alien vs. Predator (2004) in relation to his "second birth." In the film, a group of archaeologists investigate a mysterious heat signature coming from under an abandoned whaling post. The explorers discover a large undersea pyramid containing large amounts of warmth, symbolizing the womb with dynamics similar to Shakespeare’s work. For example, once in the pyramid, the explorers attempt to penetrate deeper into the structure but encounter a confusing series of tunnels that open and close without warning. This is similar to the gates of Corioles in that the citizens open the gates only to trap Coriolanus as he invades the city. When Lartius urges Coriolanus to give up the fight, Coriolanus replies, “My work hath yet not warmed me” (1.5.18). He desires to fight through the searing battle to win victory and honor much like the movie’s characters search relentlessly for the source of warmth itself. At the conclusion of the battle, the city of Corioles as a womb “gives birth” to a victorious Coriolanus through its gates much like the fiery expulsion of the archaeologists out of the pyramid through a long, narrow passageway (birth canal).

            Another similarity between the works deals with situational gender roles. In Shakespeare’s play, Coriolanus finds himself conflicted between the interests of Volumnia and Aufidius, trusting them both and experiencing betrayal. Similarly, the explorers discover that the goal of their mission conflicts with the goals of the aliens and predators. In the end, the massive, masculinized queen of the aliens (Volumnia) confronts the central predator warrior (Aufidius). In any case, though, whether Volumnia actualizes her goals as an influential mother or Aufidius realizes his ends, Coriolanus loses. Ironically, the motto of the movie reads, “Whoever wins, we lose,” referring to the similarly precarious circumstances of the explorers and humanity in general as it is represented in the small yet diverse group. In my opinion, the movie emphasizes the influential power of Volumnia by showing the awe-inspiring power of her breaking free of her longstanding chains (her limited role in society as a woman) to finally have a chance to make meaningful change in a male-dominated society. Yet the closing camera shot shows the queen sinking beyond sight into the black abyss of the Antarctic Ocean, demonstrating that Volumnia will ultimately sink under the influence of the preferred gender roles of patriarchal Rome where men expect women to stay out of the public eye. Though the Roman citizens declare Volumnia to be a hero because of her role in Coriolanus’s return, she ultimately returns home defeated in a sense, for she is unable to alter Coriolanus’s final fate. What does everyone else think?