What struck me most wasn’t whether Megalopolis “worked” in the traditional sense, but that Coppola still cares deeply enough to try something so unguarded. The man sold his winery to make a movie about ideas. Who does that in 2025? Whether or not you buy his vision of Rome-in-America, you’ve gotta respect the audacity. I don’t think we’ll see many more nights like that—an aging giant trying to pass on his torch not just as a filmmaker, but as a citizen of the imagination. I’m still thinking about the door metaphor. That might stay with me longer than the movie itself.
Francis Ford Coppola loomed large in our movie obsessed household growing up.
Movies are a window. Me personally- Mr. Francis Ford Coppola’s work provided a glimpse, a window, into a world I would never encounter. Yet, I understood the humanity that he translated, with the equal artistry of the those that contributed to his translation, onto the screen.
The Godfather is seminal. The Godfather 2 - I am biased- I found to be depressing and meandering. WITH the exception of the flashbacks of a young Vito Corleone as portrayed by Mr. Robert De Niro. Apocalypse Now… perhaps is a more consequential film because of the sheer force of will to get it made.
The Godfather and Apocalypse Now are based on books. They digress from the books, only to contemporize them. For book readers- I am being redundant in pointing out this fact.
Personally, My favorite of Coppola’s films is The Outsiders. Based on a book. S.E. Hinton.
Some artists are prolific in their original expression of their vision, their art. Some need to diversify. Break from the past.
Mr. Coppola is probably somewhere in between. Which is exciting for the next chapter in his career.
I have wanted to see Megalopolis in the theater, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to. But I must confess I did feel some reluctance, mainly because I worried the film might be overly earnest and maybe even pretentious. The following quote is in line with this concern:
"...what with its monologues about the need for a great debate about the future, its paean to the unstoppable force of love, and its pleas to accept the importance of art and literature and architecture."
But I respect Coppola as a filmmaker, including the fact that he put so much of his own money into the project--I felt the film deserved to be seen and deserved to be seen on the big screen. I hope that will happen one day.
(On a side note, strangely, Coppola's talk, as you describe it, appeals to, especially if it really did work in concert with the film.)
There were some great moments in Megalopolis, but I felt like to succeed it would've needed to go full "Holy Motors" and stop wasting time trying to make any kind of narrative sense.
I remained convinced Megapolis has a certain genius to it, but as FFC's monologue showed, it's a genius you have to remove yourself from the usual movie experience to really get. I really think it's less a film or a movie or anything like that as much as it is an old man's love letter to a nation who's seen its best, and seen its worst, and desperately wants us all to remember what we can be instead of sinking into the chaotic ocean of populism and fascism
"It's not a movie, it's a manifesto" feels like a cliche, but it totally applies to Megalopolis. I don't think it fully works as a movie, but Coppola absolutely bled on the celluloid and that's something quite rare these days.
It's one of a handful of films post-pandemic whose difference between good and great I think is one more round of edits on the script and in post-production editing.
What struck me most wasn’t whether Megalopolis “worked” in the traditional sense, but that Coppola still cares deeply enough to try something so unguarded. The man sold his winery to make a movie about ideas. Who does that in 2025? Whether or not you buy his vision of Rome-in-America, you’ve gotta respect the audacity. I don’t think we’ll see many more nights like that—an aging giant trying to pass on his torch not just as a filmmaker, but as a citizen of the imagination. I’m still thinking about the door metaphor. That might stay with me longer than the movie itself.
Francis Ford Coppola loomed large in our movie obsessed household growing up.
Movies are a window. Me personally- Mr. Francis Ford Coppola’s work provided a glimpse, a window, into a world I would never encounter. Yet, I understood the humanity that he translated, with the equal artistry of the those that contributed to his translation, onto the screen.
The Godfather is seminal. The Godfather 2 - I am biased- I found to be depressing and meandering. WITH the exception of the flashbacks of a young Vito Corleone as portrayed by Mr. Robert De Niro. Apocalypse Now… perhaps is a more consequential film because of the sheer force of will to get it made.
The Godfather and Apocalypse Now are based on books. They digress from the books, only to contemporize them. For book readers- I am being redundant in pointing out this fact.
Personally, My favorite of Coppola’s films is The Outsiders. Based on a book. S.E. Hinton.
Some artists are prolific in their original expression of their vision, their art. Some need to diversify. Break from the past.
Mr. Coppola is probably somewhere in between. Which is exciting for the next chapter in his career.
I have wanted to see Megalopolis in the theater, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to. But I must confess I did feel some reluctance, mainly because I worried the film might be overly earnest and maybe even pretentious. The following quote is in line with this concern:
"...what with its monologues about the need for a great debate about the future, its paean to the unstoppable force of love, and its pleas to accept the importance of art and literature and architecture."
But I respect Coppola as a filmmaker, including the fact that he put so much of his own money into the project--I felt the film deserved to be seen and deserved to be seen on the big screen. I hope that will happen one day.
(On a side note, strangely, Coppola's talk, as you describe it, appeals to, especially if it really did work in concert with the film.)
Man, I was bummed enough that I had to miss his stop in Chicago stop but this made increased it.
There were some great moments in Megalopolis, but I felt like to succeed it would've needed to go full "Holy Motors" and stop wasting time trying to make any kind of narrative sense.
I remained convinced Megapolis has a certain genius to it, but as FFC's monologue showed, it's a genius you have to remove yourself from the usual movie experience to really get. I really think it's less a film or a movie or anything like that as much as it is an old man's love letter to a nation who's seen its best, and seen its worst, and desperately wants us all to remember what we can be instead of sinking into the chaotic ocean of populism and fascism
"It's not a movie, it's a manifesto" feels like a cliche, but it totally applies to Megalopolis. I don't think it fully works as a movie, but Coppola absolutely bled on the celluloid and that's something quite rare these days.
It's one of a handful of films post-pandemic whose difference between good and great I think is one more round of edits on the script and in post-production editing.
I was really looking forward to seeing this, because the originals are so hilarious. Too bad it's produced by Paramount & I'm on a Paramount diet.