Some thoughts after having seen Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis at the Global IMAX Premiere at Sydney Film Festival:
It seems almost impossible to now comprehend a reality where Francis Ford Coppola's career encompassing passion project, Megalopolis, actually exists.
As many of the films initial murmurs and reactions promised, it is every bit the kind of bombastic, self-indulgent and convention shattering work that one hopes it would be. It's exactly the sort of artistic statement that could only emerge from the mind of someone with every possible tool and creative liberty at their disposal.
As its opening titles indicate, Coppola's fusion of the past with the future, is a complete 'Fable' in every sense of the word. And like all great fables, Megalopolis is filled with numerous complex themes, presented under the guise of a fictitious and mythical story of sorts.
Coppola's work is intent on its many discussions and pursuits of morality, philosophy and the mystical, with many of the characters seemingly existing in their own sort of personal ideology bubbles. Each character in this tale has their own beliefs and foundations, and this presents itself on screen in a truly remarkable way, with every actor bringing something of their own into their respective performances.
There is of course evidence of self-portraiture in Megalopolis. Particularly the extent in which Cesar’s ambition and dreams, do mirror that of Coppola’s own artistic pursuits and his clear belief that the ruins of our own world are not yet irredeemable.
It's this somber and earnest thematic thread that in crucial moments, manage to ground the constant chaos on-screen. All of which culminates in a frankly transcendent final image that shows where the real passions of this aging artist truly lie.
One really cannot quantify Coppola's on-screen work here, it's honestly a cinematic experience that one will never forget seeing for the first time. There are moments that just leave one's jaw agape with shock and awe, and just when Coppola assumes you have settled, he throws something else your way to shatter your preconceived filmic notions once more.
For all its pursuits however, this is at its core, a story of a man playing creator against all of natures many odds. This seems fitting as Coppola is of course attempting to do the very same here. His gigantic self-funded opera has finally landed on the biggest canvas possible and that on its own is a miracle.
But what is yet another miracle, is the creativity, passion and inventiveness he crafts this with. Coppola directs this with such vitality and determination that it seems like the work of a director during the prime of their career.
As a complete work, it truly pushes the boundaries of cinema and the way we perceive it to be, with one particular moment, having the potential to likely reshape how theatrical films are presented forever.
It's honestly a celluloid fever dream, the kind you never quite thought you'd see and will most definitely never see again.
The Cinematheque
Some thoughts after having seen Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis at the Global IMAX Premiere at Sydney Film Festival:
It seems almost impossible to now comprehend a reality where Francis Ford Coppola's career encompassing passion project, Megalopolis, actually exists.
As many of the films initial murmurs and reactions promised, it is every bit the kind of bombastic, self-indulgent and convention shattering work that one hopes it would be. It's exactly the sort of artistic statement that could only emerge from the mind of someone with every possible tool and creative liberty at their disposal.
As its opening titles indicate, Coppola's fusion of the past with the future, is a complete 'Fable' in every sense of the word. And like all great fables, Megalopolis is filled with numerous complex themes, presented under the guise of a fictitious and mythical story of sorts.
Coppola's work is intent on its many discussions and pursuits of morality, philosophy and the mystical, with many of the characters seemingly existing in their own sort of personal ideology bubbles. Each character in this tale has their own beliefs and foundations, and this presents itself on screen in a truly remarkable way, with every actor bringing something of their own into their respective performances.
There is of course evidence of self-portraiture in Megalopolis. Particularly the extent in which Cesar’s ambition and dreams, do mirror that of Coppola’s own artistic pursuits and his clear belief that the ruins of our own world are not yet irredeemable.
It's this somber and earnest thematic thread that in crucial moments, manage to ground the constant chaos on-screen. All of which culminates in a frankly transcendent final image that shows where the real passions of this aging artist truly lie.
One really cannot quantify Coppola's on-screen work here, it's honestly a cinematic experience that one will never forget seeing for the first time. There are moments that just leave one's jaw agape with shock and awe, and just when Coppola assumes you have settled, he throws something else your way to shatter your preconceived filmic notions once more.
For all its pursuits however, this is at its core, a story of a man playing creator against all of natures many odds. This seems fitting as Coppola is of course attempting to do the very same here. His gigantic self-funded opera has finally landed on the biggest canvas possible and that on its own is a miracle.
But what is yet another miracle, is the creativity, passion and inventiveness he crafts this with. Coppola directs this with such vitality and determination that it seems like the work of a director during the prime of their career.
As a complete work, it truly pushes the boundaries of cinema and the way we perceive it to be, with one particular moment, having the potential to likely reshape how theatrical films are presented forever.
It's honestly a celluloid fever dream, the kind you never quite thought you'd see and will most definitely never see again.
1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 14