Coppola as an Auteur


The production phase of ‘Apocalypse Now’ transversed a charismatic and cinematically mature Frank Ford Coppola through a crazed, arguably chaotic and out of control process. The film was the fourth amendment to Coppola’s reel, and thus he was able to bring his art-house vision to life with the help of his good relationship with trusting bankers and businessmen, that provided large budgets, allowing his experimental masterpiece to be developed.

-       Vast budgets
-       Often involved with businessmen
-       Connections bankers
-       Very experimental up to a point where it ‘should’ fail commercially
-       Straddled commercial vs. artistry & experimentation – specifically for AN
-       Chaotic shooting behind the process of Apocalypse now
-       A cross between art-house and blockbuster
-       Similar to Spielberg and Scorsese
-       Coppola tried to find himself through the making of his films – however, too much money seemed to be put into Apocalypse now for him to show his true self/personal style through the film
-       Coppola was a part of a brat pack of directors/actors who seemed to be a pack of new wave/generation within the film industry
-       Influenced by French new wave
-       Lighter film equipment, more portable, new possibilities for what you can include in a film – technological innovations – separation from classical Hollywood filming in a studio
-       Steady cams and other portable camera techniques


Interweave film criticism with biography and produce an account of a wasted genius… produced magnificant movies but slid further and further down as time past.


Went in directions unanticipated by his critics.

He began his career working with Roger Corman. His first film was made from equipment borrowed from another Corman picture which he worked on as a dialogue director. He was bending the rules of Hollywood film making even at the start of his career. Found in American Zoetrope: a production company that gave many directors a home and help at the start of their career.

COPPOLA VALUES FAMILY. He is fascinated by families:
- those created at birth - the godfather
- Social forces - the outsiders
- Those springing shared goals - Tucker: the man and his dream
- Random circumstance - Apocalypse now.

Coppola is intensely interested in how people are able (or unable) to live and work together.

The geography of the godfather trilogy films is also marked by distinct progression from the local in new york: godfather part 1 to the national godfather part 2 to the international godfather part 3.

In jack (1996) and the rainmaker (1997) are more sober affairs than the godfathers, where he adopts a more classical style to tell the stories.

It is impossible to make a war film.



John Milius: -

-       Screenwriter of hearts of darkness.
-       Milius inspire by classic literature like Dante Alighieri’s inferno and Homers odyssey.
-       John Milius came up with the title of the film.
-       Lucas abandoned the project in 1977 to make star wars.
-       When Coppola got bored him and Milius had conflicting visions.
-       Coppola continuous releasing all these endings – AN is not 40 years old but it’s 40 years in the making.
-       Opening has prolepsis.


Comments

  1. JCoSS Media DeptNovember 19, 2019 at 7:19 AM

    Good notes, Yoav. Did you ever do the Casablanca essay? I can't find it anywhere on your blog. Your recent timed essay was a little thin on detail, so having example paragraphs and essays on your blog is the best way to prepare. Please ensure you do this.

    Mr Boon

    ReplyDelete

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