Before Francis Ford Coppola unleashes his passion projectMegalopolison the world, there are plenty of other movies to check out from the director. In the 1970s, Coppola rose to prominence as one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the New Hollywood movement. FromThe GodfathertoApocalypse Now, Coppola helmed four of the greatest movies ever made back-to-back. This year, Coppola has been making headlines with one of the most ambitious independent productions in film history. The director has invested millions out of his own pocket to bring his long-gestating sci-fi epicMegalopolisto life.
From allegations of inappropriate on-set behavior to trouble securing a distribution deal,Megalopolishas faced every problem imaginable in the lead-up to its release. Most recently, the filmmakers faced some heat forincluding fake review quotes in the latestMegalopolistrailer. The fraught production ofMegalopolishas drawn comparisons to past Coppola movies, which faced similar challenges in their journey to the screen. After receiving mixed reviews from critics,Megalopolisis set to finally arrive in theaters on September 27. Before then, there are plenty of previous Coppola masterpieces to catch up on.
7The Godfather (1972)
The movie that solidified Coppola’s reputation as one of the world’s greatest filmmakers and cemented the American New Wave’s takeover of the Hollywood movie industry was 1972’sThe Godfather. Based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name,The Godfatherrevolves aroundthe fictional Corleone crime family. The patriarch, Vito, must choose a successor following an attempt on his life. He initially wants to keep his youngest son, Michael, out of the family business, so he can be the first Corleone to lead a legitimate life. But Michael ends up getting drawn into the business and succeeding his father.
The Godfatherwon three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Writing,
UntilThe Godfathercame along, the gangster genre was defined by well-worn archetypes and familiar clichés. By imbuing the Corleone saga with the rich minutiae of Italian-American life, Coppola brought a refreshing sense of authenticity that was missing from previous gangster films. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino anchor the movie with two of the finest performances in cinema history – Brando as the aging patriarch and Pacino as the favorite son swayed from his wayward path.The Godfatherwas both universally praised by critics and a blockbuster hit at the box office.
The Godfather
Cast
The Godfather chronicles the Italian-American Corleone crime family from 1945 to 1955. Following an assassination attempt on family patriarch Vito Corleone, his youngest son Michael emerges to orchestrate a brutal campaign of retribution, cementing his role in the family’s illicit empire.
Vito Corleone’s The Godfather Timeline Explained (In Chronological Order)
Vito Corleone was already rich and powerful when audiences met him in The Godfather, but Part II filled in his complex (and tragic) backstory.
6The Rainmaker (1997)
After suffering some of the worst reviews of his career withJack, Coppola bounced back with the 1997 legal thrillerThe Rainmaker. Adapted from the John Grisham novel of the same name,The Rainmakerrevolves around a young, underdog lawyer taking on a corrupt insurance company.Grisham’s work has been adapted for the screenmany times, fromThe FirmtoThe ClienttoThe Pelican Brief, butThe Rainmakeris arguably the best of the bunch, because it doesn’t just adapt Grisham’s plot; it adapts the everyday immersion and colorful supporting characters that make his writing so great.
The Rainmakerwas lauded for eschewing the usual clichés of the courtroom genre and depicting the day-to-day life of a lawyer with a surprising degree of realism. Every client matters, and they often require more from their lawyer than just legal services, andThe Rainmakercaptures that. Most Grisham adaptations iron out the subtlety of his books, but Coppola’s movie thrives on that subtlety. An early-career Matt Damon gives a gripping performance in the lead role, and Coppola maintains the tension from start to finish.
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker is a legal drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on John Grisham’s novel. The film stars Matt Damon as Rudy Baylor, a young attorney taking on a powerful insurance company with the help of a paralegal, played by Danny DeVito. As Rudy faces off against an experienced defense lawyer, he aims to achieve justice for his clients while navigating the challenges of the legal system.
5Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Uncharacteristically lighthearted for a Coppola film, 1986’sPeggy Sue Got Marriedis a feel-good fantasy rom-com. Kathleen Turner stars as a woman on the brink of a divorce, who attends her 25-year high school reunion with her daughter (rather than her husband, Charlie, who was her high school sweetheart). At the reunion, Peggy Sue is magically transported back in time to her senior year in 1960. It seems as though the universe has given her a second chance to avoid marrying Charlie and choose a different path, but she finds herself falling for Charlie all over again.
Everyone looks back on their life with regret and wonders what could have been. WithPeggy Sue Got Married, Coppola brought that introspection to the screen in a touching story about true love.Peggy Sue Got Marriedarrived in the midst of a wave of similarly nostalgic movies in the mid-‘80s –Back to the Futurebeing the most iconic example – but what made it stand out was the sincerity of Coppola’s direction and the commitment of Turner’s performance. WhereasBack to the Futuregets bogged down in its complicated sci-fi plotting,Peggy Sue Got Marriedfocuses squarely on the emotions.
4The Conversation (1974)
From Alan J. Pakula’sKluteto Roman Polanski’sChinatownto John Schlesinger’sMarathon Man, it seemed that every Hollywood filmmaker came out with their own paranoid conspiracy thriller in the years following the Watergate scandal. In between the first and secondGodfatherfilms, Coppola seized the opportunity to write and direct his own post-Watergate thriller, 1974’sThe Conversation. In a contemporary spin on Michelangelo Antonioni’sBlowup,The Conversationstars Gene Hackman as surveillance expert Harry Caul. While carrying out a routine wiretapping assignment, Caul hears something he wasn’t supposed to and becomes paranoid that he’s being targeted for assassination.
Hackman gives one of the greatest performances of his career, capturing Caul’s worsening paranoia perfectly as he finds more and more evidence that he’s being followed. Coppola charts this journey spectacularly from behind the camera, matching every element of the filmmaking to Caul’s fears. Walter Murch and Richard Chew’s editing masterfully ratchets up the suspense as the conspiracy closes in on Caul. The only reasonThe Conversationisn’t more widely known is because Coppola’s ownThe Godfather Part IIoutshone it in 1974. Coppola achieved the near-impossible Oscar feat of losing Best Picture to himself.
The Conversation
The Conversation, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a 1974 thriller following a paranoid surveillance expert who faces a moral dilemma. As he becomes increasingly immersed in his latest case, he fears that his recordings may be linked to a potential murder, challenging his professional detachment.
3Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
There had been dozens of film adaptations of the seminal Bram Stoker novelDraculabefore Coppola took a stab at it in 1992, but Coppola aimed for a much more faithful adaptation, as evidenced by his chosen title,Bram Stoker’s Dracula.Bram Stoker’s Draculafollows the episodic structure of the source material, starting off with Dracula falling for Mina Harker in the first half before bringing in Van Helsing to end his reign of terror in the second half. Coppola also digs into Dracula’s backstory as Vlad the Impaler in the unnerving 1400s-set prologue.
Coppola brought the gothic descriptions of Stoker’s book to life with moody cinematography, extravagant costumes, and foreboding sets.
Although Keanu Reeves’ less-than-convincing English accent in the role of Jonathan Harker was universally panned, just about every other aspect ofBram Stoker’s Draculawas widely praised. Gary Oldman’s uniquely eccentric turn as Dracula, Winona Ryder’s impassioned portrayal of Mina, and Anthony Hopkins’ understated performance as Van Helsing were all well-received. Above all,Bram Stoker’s Draculawas lauded for its visual style. Coppola brought the gothic descriptions of Stoker’s book to life with moody cinematography, extravagant costumes, and foreboding sets. It might not be the greatest Dracula movie ever made, butBram Stoker’s Draculais visually stunning.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, set in 19th century England, follows Count Dracula as he journeys to London. There, he encounters Mina Harker, who bears a striking resemblance to his long-lost love.
2The Godfather Part II (1974)
For the past half-century,The Godfather Part IIhas been the go-to example of a sequel that outdoes its predecessor. The original movie is regarded to be one of the greatest films ever made and a landmark in cinema history, so topping it with a sequel would’ve seemed nearly impossible. But somehow, Coppola did it.The Godfather Part IIis part sequel, part prequel. As it follows up on Michael succeeding his father as the head of the family, it simultaneously jumps back in time to show how Vito built his criminal empire in the first place.
By contrasting Vito’s rise to authority with Michael’s moral downfall,The Godfather Part IIdeepens the themes of power and loyalty introduced in the first movie. The climactic christening scene in the first movie showed what a heartless monster Michael had become in taking up his father’s mantle, but the sequel showed that he was capable of even more inhumanity; the christening massacre was just the tip of the iceberg. Pulling offa superior sequel toThe Godfatheris a feat that’s almost as impressive as making a sci-fi epic with a self-funded nine-figure budget.
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is a continuation of the Corleone crime family saga. The film explores Vito Corleone’s early life in Sicily and 1910s New York, while Michael Corleone navigates the 1950s, seeking to expand the family’s influence into Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Cuba. Released in 1974.
1Apocalypse Now (1979)
Coppola went way overbudget and way overschedule onhis Vietnam War epicApocalypse Now, which was finally released in 1979, but it was worth it to deliver arguably the greatest movie of his career. John Milius’ script recontextualizes the story of Joseph Campbell’sHeart of Darknessinto a Vietnam setting. Martin Sheen stars as a disillusioned U.S. Army Captain who’s sent upriver on a black-ops mission to assassinate the mysterious Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando, who’s gone rogue and amassed a cult following deep in the jungle. Along the way, he slowly loses his mind.
Although it’s unrealistic that the U.S. military would order a hit on one of their own colonels,Apocalypse Nowcaptures the chaos of the Vietnam War more accurately than most other entries in that subgenre. It has psychedelic visuals, nightmarish editing, a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack, and a surreal odyssey through the fog of war. What makesApocalypse Nowthe greatest war movie ever made is that it’s more of a horror film than a war film. It has beheadings, animal attacks, and shameless sadism. UnlessMegalopoliscan somehow top it,Apocalypse Nowwill likely go down as Coppola’s masterpiece.
Apocalypse Now
In Francis Ford Coppola’s classic Vietnam War film, loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, an army Captain is tasked with assassinating a rogue Colonel who has created a cult-like compound in the Cambodian jungle and is currently waging his own war outside the army’s purview. Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando star as Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz respectively, with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper.
Megalopolis
Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.
