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Recovering Texan. Full time consultant, part time writer.
Earlier this week, an early IMAX screening of Megalopolis was shown in sixty-six theaters throughout the United States. Prior to the movie’s showing, there was a half-hour livestream Q&A with filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Robert De Niro, and Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola. The Q&A was wildly entertaining, unhinged, and touched on multiple topics regarding prejudice, ancient Rome, and artistic intent.
None of the Q&A felt organized (much to the perceived chagrin of moderator Dennis Lim); De Niro disregarded questions in lieu of urging people to vote and berating Donald Trump, Lee cracked jokes the entire time, and Coppola went on long-winded tangents regarding art and reality. ‘Fever dream’ undersells the experience as everyone was coming into the discussion from completely different frames of mind and energy. And despite all of that, it set the tone for Megalopolis perfectly, as the following 138 minutes would be some of the most entertaining and unhinged cinema that I have experienced in my young life.
Discussion
Megalopolis is a behemoth of a film when it comes to its narrative. Taking place in the fictional-New York stylized-city of New Rome, architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) and the mayor of New Rome, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), are at odds regarding what to do with New Rome in the face of societal collapse. Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, and Shia LaBeouf play significant roles as well. However, describing it would come off as “conspiracy theory” levels of nutty. Furthermore, it would feel fruitless to go into more detail as nothing can state how ludicrous this movie really is. My best description is if prime acid-riddled Hunter S. Thompson wrote Plato’s The Symposium.
In an age where movies are boardroomed to death, Megalopolis feels like a breath of fresh air. This movie is jarringly itself and doesn’t ask to be accepted for its faults. Hell, co-existing with its faults is a steep ask and will polarize most viewers. It’s as if experiencing a new flavor for the first time, riddling me with uncertainty, confusion, and brushing my curiosity. Even in writing this review, I am unsure what to make of this movie. Each person who views this will have a wildly personal experience that will challenge the viewer’s own experiences, education, and worldview.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Touch
Rarely does a movie come in with an emphasis on metaphor and meaning. You can take a different approach with this movie for every viewing and can take away something entirely different every time. Coppola intertwines pieces of his own life and career, parallels between ancient Rome and modern society, and his own ideas of the future and the tenderness of time. It is a Frankenstein’s monster of Coppola’s chaotic inner workings, which is unclassifiable and easy to perceive as off-putting.
During the livestream Q&A, Coppola notes that he can’t envision a film as he is creating it. Rather, he rewrites it over and over and over. In comparison to the rest of the Q&A, this is an innocuous statement regarding his creative process, but it couldn’t be more relevant to Megalopolis. It’s stupefying how much is shoved into Megalopolis, as if this has forty years of inspiration condensed into one film. For better or for worse, you don’t feel unstimulated at any point – your brain is actively frying for the entire runtime.
Visually, this movie looks like a prolonged sunset. The look is oddly comforting and persistent, which juxtaposes with the lunacy that transpires. While Coppola’s films can be underscored by a sense of longing, anxiety, and fear, the mortal sadness radiating through the screen was a surreal sensation (on top of an already surreal film). Coppola’s generation of creatives and their respective history will soon wash away and we will be left with the works they leave behind. As saddening a thought as that is, Coppola seems to couple the sadness with a sense of optimism about our future. That is, the future of cinema, the United States, and most importantly, us.
Final Thoughts on Megalopolis
To properly rate Megalopolis is to discredit what it sets out to do. A rating will be added to this review for consistency, but rather than feeling like a straightforward experience, this movie will crash like waves in my mind for a long, long time. It doesn’t feel as tight as Coppola’s other masterpieces – specifically the ones mentioned in the infamous, now removed, critic quote trailer. Still, Megalopolis is less of a movie than it is an experience, and whether you choose to meet it on its terms is up to you. With that said, Megalopolis is an unforgettable and intoxicating film.
Rating: 8/10
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Recovering Texan. Full time consultant, part time writer.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.