44/27
166); “predicted” the attacks
The city of New Rome is faced with a duel between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist who advocates a utopian future, and the greedy mayor Franklyn Cicero. Between them is Julia Cicero, whose loyalties are divided between her father and her lover. The script was written by Francis Ford Coppola in the early 1980s, but the film was shelved, in part because of his financial debts. Pre-production finally began in 2001, after 30 hours of second-unit footage and table readings with Paul Newman, Uma Thurman, Robert De Niro, James Gandolfini, Nicolas Cage, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Edie Falco, and Kevin Spacey, but the project was scrapped after the September 11 attacks because a scene in the script (p. Coppola completely abandoned the project in 2007 and only began developing it again in 2019. At 21:40, the character of Catiline utters the phrase “Holy Jesus Christ!” in amazement. However, in-universe, the city of New Rome is derived from a culture based on Roman mythology (example: 54:47, sacrifice to Vesta; 01:55:51, someone says “The Will of Kronos” or at 01:51; 56:49, a statue of Saturn is prominently shown, and there are many more images of Roman deities). Christianity does not exist in this universe.
Julia Cicero: Yes
There is no reason for Catiline to use the phrase “Holy Jesus Christ!” in such a context.. Caesar Catiline: *You* want to help me? And, well, I… well, I want to learn. Cesar Catilina: And you think a year of…medical school entitles you to wade through the riches of my Emersonian mind? Julia Cicero: Does that entitle me? Yes. Julia Cicero: [scoffs] Entitle me?
Caesar Catilina: Yeah!
Julia Cicero: Entitle me? Caesar Catilina: EEEEEE! Julia Cicero: You don’t know anything about me! Cesar Catilina: No, nothing, but I reserve my time for people who can think. About science. And literature, and… architecture, and art. Do you think I’m cruel, selfish, and unfeeling?
Julia Cicero: Fine!
I am. I work, not caring what happens to either of us. So go back to the cluuuub, bare it all, and persecute the people you like. I’ll do it. Cesar Catilina: Come back when you have more time! The “Best IMAX Experience” version of the film features a live actor asking questions during a filmed press conference Explained (2024). My PledgeWritten by Grace VanderWaalPerformed by Grace VanderWaal Courtesy of Columbia RecordsProduced and orchestrated by Kris Kukul. “Megalopolis” is a film I wanted to like primarily because it’s an incredibly expensive indie project written, produced, financed, and directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola—an auteur who has been planning this piece for 40 years and is so enamored with it that he personally rated it a 10/10 on film platform Letterboxd.
Coppola does not shy away from weaving political commentary and reflections on human existence
What’s more, the atmosphere of sitting in a nearly empty IMAX theater with a few other people added to the atmosphere… But aside from Adam Driver’s Oscar-worthy performance and the stunning visuals that played beautifully on the huge screen, there’s nothing else about this film that’s worthy of praise. The plot tells the story of a brilliant scientist Cesar, inventor of the revolutionary material “Megalon”; with whom he plans to build a utopian city of the future – “Megalopolis”. This is one of the main themes of the film – the obsession with perfection in a world and society far from this world. Envy, jealousy, greed and lust for power are other themes that shape the essence of this work.
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16/30
