Megalopolis (2024 | USA | 138 minutes | Francis Ford Coppola)
I’m not sure I can actually sum up the full story of Megalopolis like I tend to do in my possibly (ok probably) long-winded reviews of the past. I’ll keep it brief, otherwise I’ll fall into the deep deep waters of the storyline; I’ll just leave that to you when/if you go see it.
Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is a genius inventor who discovered/created a new element he dubbed Megalon. This material is incredibly durable, easily manipulated and can do any number of things in any number of ways to create stuff we need across many aspects of our lives (ie the load-bearing structure of a building or material for a dress, it can apparently run the gamut). Cesar considers this new compound the answer to many of mankind’s problems including homelessness and war. Ever the optimist, he wants to create a utopia, Megalopolis, with Megalon as its backbone both literally and metaphorically. There are those in power that don’t appreciate this idealism, mostly for selfish reasons, and essentially the entiretyof the film is the battle of wills between Catilina and varied greedy politician types. There is a love-story, a Hamlet-like thread woven throughout, a plethora of references to the Roman Empire, and many an allusion to a Trump-like figure and his cronies.
Despite it’s official opening day having only been yesterday, there’s already a lot of chatter and I’ll be real, most of what I’ve heard isn’t good. That being said, I don’t hate it. As a matter of fact, I kind of enjoyed it. The truth of it is, I’d have to watch it at least a few more times to really get the essence of the story and understand even half of the references and metaphors that Coppola crammed into every crevice. That also means it would take several more viewings for me to really know whether I liked it or if the puzzler in me just enjoys trying to figure it out. I love a good metaphor-heavy story (as long as it’s not over-the-top and cringey). If I can follow along and grasp what the director is striving for, it feels like I’ve solved a puzzle and that makes me feel smart.
If you know Latin, you’ll gain more from this film than I did. If you know a decent amount about ancient Rome, then you’ll get more from this film than I did. If you’re incredibly familiar with Shakespeare, then you’ll definitely get more from this film than I did and lastly, if you have been keeping up with the shitshow that is our political landscape over the last year, you’ll get more from this film than I did. I’m not unfamiliar with any of the items I just listed above, but subject-matter expert I am not… especially with Latin and the Holy Roman Empire.. oh and don’t forget to add Greek mythology, that’s in there too. Perhaps this list of dense subjects that Coppola utilized with abandon from beginning to end gives you a better sense of what the film is like than any review I can offer.
When a movie comes along, like Megalopolis, that literally makes it impossible for any one person to understand what is happening on first view, it’s perplexing to say the least. You don’t want to frustrate your audience so much that they walk out, or fall asleep or just throw their hands up… all of which I heard from others who have seen the film. At this point though, I don’t know that Coppola cares what we think. He wanted to make this movie (he’s been working on it for longer than a decade, most likely multiple), he had a vision and saw it through. In the interview prior to the film viewing (my screener was a part of the NYFF so the interview was a fun bonus), Coppola mentioned that he’s ever the optimist when it comes the future of mankind. With that in mind, I believe he wrote the Catilina character in his own image. He wanted someone who wasn’t completely likeable but had high moral standards, high intelligence and an overabundance of idealism. He wants the future to be brighter for generations growing up in our world now; he’s worried we’ve left them a steaming pile of poo to shovel up, and to combat that he’s pleading with us to shovel our own shit before it’s too late.
Megalopolis is in theaters now.