Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a science fiction futuristic film in which the theme of early Rome is the center. Imagine a ‘Modern America’ as the city of ‘New Rome,’ and due to the unrest of its citizens, it must change. The central conflict is with Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future. Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), remember him in the” Breaking Bad” series (2008-2013), he’s committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. A welcome character is Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves. I appreciated the attention to detail of the set designs and the casting of many notable actors, even though they couldn’t save the disjointed and rambling script.
I enjoyed the cinematography and script idea, although it’s a shame as the film is all over the place, making it difficult to follow. Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) is a “breath of fresh air”. She takes center stage whenever she’s on screen. Aubrey Plaza has lots of screen time, yet here she’s an over-written villain. Shia LaBeouf is also interesting to view; his role is contemptuous, although you can tell he’s having fun with it from the gleam in his eyes at times. The fantastic Jon Voight also has an erroneous amount of screen time; he plays distressed well. Other cast members, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman, make the film enticing.
Shia LaBeouf is the evil Clodio Pulcher, Cesar’s cousin, who typically seeks power at any cost. Take note of his eyebrows as they change constantly. Jon Voight’s Cesar is a power-drunk uncle, Hamilton Crassus III, and Laurence Fishburne plays Cesar’s driver, Fundi Romaine, as well as the narrator of the story, who at one point answers himself in his own voiceover. Dustin Hoffman, Balthazar Getty, Grace VanderWaal, Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister), and Jason Schwartzman (Coppola’s nephew) also appear in various roles.
The story revolves around the quest for power within the city and Cesar’s vision of a utopia where every adult human is entitled to a garden and everyone can ride magic streams to the city’s closest parks. It also focuses on love, truth, sex scandals, starlets, greed, lust, legacy, class systems, parents and children, creation and destruction, Art Deco architecture, destiny, and the totality of humanity. You will also follow storylines of the assassination of Julius Caesar, the rise of Adolf Hitler, Elvis Presley, 9/11, Donald Trump, January 6th, and Beethoven’s 7th, to name a few of the film’s historical and cultural themes.The characters speak in famous quotes from acclaimed works; Driver’s Cesar at one point quotes most of Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” speech, and there’s also lines from Marcus Aurelius, Marcus Licinius Crassus and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” These are at times okay, yet become monotonous after a while.
Megalopolis defies traditional storytelling and offers a unique viewing experience. While I recommend seeing the film, be prepared for a wacky script, a large cast of characters, and intertwining storylines that may initially confuse you.
Sarah Knight Adamson© September 30, 2024