History is full of flawed geniuses and artists who get a free pass for their failures and mistakes. Oftentimes, they are preceded by an enormous reputation, an accomplishment so incredible it outweighs even their worst moments. Writer and director Francis Ford Coppola is one of those people, and with the release of “Megalopolis,” it looks like his pass is about to expire.
Despite his massive directorial successes, Coppola has struggled to find consistent critical and consumer response to “Megalopolis.”
In the past, Coppola has been known for a chaotic and frankly absurd style of production that often lends itself to improvisation, delays and last-minute edits. Even some of his most acclaimed work fell victim to this tendency.
This mayhem is part and parcel of every Coppola production, and if the over-40-year production cycle for this movie is any indication, “Megalopolis” is no different.
The idea for the film came between Coppola’s esteemed slate of ‘70s projects, but its filming didn’t begin until 2019. This delay was due, in part, to his difficulty finding funding.
The film failed to receive a distributor after its initial festival run, and Lionsgate picked it up only after Coppola promised to cover the cost of marketing.
This August, advertising for the movie had to be retracted because it contained AI-generated quotes from film magazines attacking his previous movies. Even before that, however, the signs of Coppola’s trademark style abounded.
This wasn’t the end of issues Coppola dealt with. His main actors weren’t the ones in the news this summer, as extras from the film accused Coppola of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment on set.
Against it all, “Megalopolis” released on Friday.
The film is no masterpiece, but it’s also not wholly the trainwreck that many anticipated.
Coppola undoubtedly made the movie he envisioned, and it shows in every frame. It starts on a wide shot of New Rome, a direct allegory for New York City, slathered in a sheen of eerie yellow, setting the stage visually for the rest of the film. The camera pans to Cesar Catalina, played by Adam Driver, teetering on the edge of a building, just as the city teeters in the balance of a desperate power struggle.
Cesar, Franklyn Cicero (played by Giancarlo Esposito) and Clodio Pulcher (played by Shia LaBeouf) jockey for control over an embittered population. Cesar is a visionary city planner who champions a bright future powered by his Nobel prize-winning invention, the imperishable and seemingly magical Megalon.
Using this technology, he plans to bulldoze the city’s slums to build a Megalopolis, with unlimited resources free for all. What exactly a Megalopolis or Megalon is, though, is left pretty vague by the film.
Megalon is somehow used as the base material for a runway dress, a moving sidewalk, a floating television and an entire city — the aforementioned Megalopolis — which is said to grow and shift with need. Coppola uses Megalopolis as a metaphor for a better tomorrow, but its actual significance within the plot is pretty murky.
“Megalopolis” is full of convoluted plotlines and strange twists, none of which seem to add to the story in a meaningful way. Coppola’s strange mix of commentary flits between optimistic futurism, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism and various other philosophies. Especially during the third act, it feels like Coppola is throwing every one of his beliefs at the wall to see which one sticks, a dynamic demonstrated by the incredibly disjointed dialogue.
What does remain consistent is Coppola’s strong direction, both cinematically and artistically.
“Megalopolis” is a lot of things, but it’s never boring. Coppola brings a lot of interesting camera angles to the table, never leaving the audience in a dull moment. He also excels at providing interesting images, like Giancarlo Esposito’ literally buried in sand at his desk or Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel’s character, Julia Cicero, sharing a kiss on a floating beam. Osvaldo Golijov’s soundtrack is equally beautiful, and its eccentricities pair well with this movie’s absurdity.
Still, the picture Coppola paints is rife with blurry lines, both literal and figurative. After the first act, it becomes clear the effects budget runs completely dry, leaving behind ugly CGI, obvious soundstages and bad overdubbing. What ideas can be parsed through the chaos and technical issues are shallow and overplayed.
Overall, “Megalopolis” is a bit of a mess, and that isn’t much of a surprise. It’s a movie with vision nonetheless, and some viewers could find a lot of enjoyment. There’s certainly some value in the sheer boldness of the film’s direction. Bolstered by great performances from Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, the movie is worth the watch, even if only out of morbid curiosity.
