Great piece, enjoyed how you contextualised Megalopolis within Coppola's canon. Actually comically appalling as a film but also, sad that his last effort feels very Benjamin Button-ish i.e. espousing overly simplistic viewpoints like that of an adolescent or even child.
You've understood me exactly. And I wish I could say I feel sorry for Coppola, but I don't, I really don't. He spent $140 million of his own money on a poorly thought-out idea. Obviously, he doesn't keep anyone around to tell him when he might want to re-think an idea. And imagine $14 million in the hands of 10 filmmakers, young or old, with fresh ideas. Poor use of Coppola's resources. For such a smart man, and a true artist, it's puzzling. (btw, thanks for commenting; I've followed you.)
I read that this has been a long-gestating idea for Coppola since the '80s? I watched it with a friend and post-screening I was telling him it's funny how, as filmmakers/artists/chefs/craftsmen age, they generally strip away things and adopt the 'less is more' approach. It seems to be the general rule for most creatives ... but Coppola really went full maximalist in the worst way. It's almost like he's decided coherence is a negligible construct but I do think it's also the power of his résume talking. If any budding filmmaker put this shit out, they might never get another gig.
Likewise, I'm new here haha but I've followed you too.
Andrew, I think you’ve sized up (pun intended) the problem correctly. Reaching big, Coppola was aiming for something that didn’t actually require the massive scale of Megalopolis: a reconciliation, a dovetailing, with his career’s true measure. Going big was like the non-specific “Nobel Prize” his script gives to Cesar. Going smaller would have better served his place within the span of his life and career, to say nothing of sparing his bank account.
Great piece, enjoyed how you contextualised Megalopolis within Coppola's canon. Actually comically appalling as a film but also, sad that his last effort feels very Benjamin Button-ish i.e. espousing overly simplistic viewpoints like that of an adolescent or even child.
You've understood me exactly. And I wish I could say I feel sorry for Coppola, but I don't, I really don't. He spent $140 million of his own money on a poorly thought-out idea. Obviously, he doesn't keep anyone around to tell him when he might want to re-think an idea. And imagine $14 million in the hands of 10 filmmakers, young or old, with fresh ideas. Poor use of Coppola's resources. For such a smart man, and a true artist, it's puzzling. (btw, thanks for commenting; I've followed you.)
I read that this has been a long-gestating idea for Coppola since the '80s? I watched it with a friend and post-screening I was telling him it's funny how, as filmmakers/artists/chefs/craftsmen age, they generally strip away things and adopt the 'less is more' approach. It seems to be the general rule for most creatives ... but Coppola really went full maximalist in the worst way. It's almost like he's decided coherence is a negligible construct but I do think it's also the power of his résume talking. If any budding filmmaker put this shit out, they might never get another gig.
Likewise, I'm new here haha but I've followed you too.
Andrew, I think you’ve sized up (pun intended) the problem correctly. Reaching big, Coppola was aiming for something that didn’t actually require the massive scale of Megalopolis: a reconciliation, a dovetailing, with his career’s true measure. Going big was like the non-specific “Nobel Prize” his script gives to Cesar. Going smaller would have better served his place within the span of his life and career, to say nothing of sparing his bank account.