Francis Ford Coppola: On Risk, Money, Craft & Collaboration

Coppola should put out a book on filmmaking. He'd make a great teacher. Been watching the BTS on Apocalypse Now which are basically just long sit down interviews and they are great.
 
No one's mentioned this part yet?

This idea of Metallica or some rock n’ roll singer being rich, that’s not necessarily going to happen anymore. Because, as we enter into a new age, maybe art will be free. Maybe the students are right. They should be able to download music and movies. I’m going to be shot for saying this. But who said art has to cost money? And therefore, who says artists have to make money?
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Because he follows it up with
So I would say, “Try to disconnect the idea of cinema with the idea of making a living and money.” Because there are ways around it.
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The last part is important.

Besides, Coppola is an artist. He is probably right if he is asserting you will make better films if your focus is entirely on your craft. Those are easier assertions to make in his current position than they may have been when he took a directing job for the money back in 1972.

The great part is that he took that commercial project and used his passion, his skills and his artistry to transcend the source material and create a masterpiece. We are all better off because Coppola was forced, through economic means, to work in Hollywood. If he had remained just an "artist", we may have never heard of him. You can't learn from people you don't know exist.
 
I remember a few years ago when Coppola came to speak at my school (Georgia State), it was so cool, at first you see him and you get stunned, like "That's the guy that directed Brando, Pacino, De Niro, etc." But after a few mins you just sort of calm down and realize he's a real, cool person. Great interview.
 
Having already made his fortune, Coppola can afford to sit back on his vineyard and wax philosophical...

These are pretty offensive sentiments to all the filmmakers following in his footsteps.

Perhaps he should put his idealism where his mouth is and start giving away all his wine for free?
 
Gary Huff said:
No one's mentioned this part yet?
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I kind of like that idea. The problem is that I don't feel our culture (USA) values art for art's sake enough. I would love to live my life poor and spend all my time making films, but the problem is that films do cost money to make. If all art becomes free, it would be much harder to find investors who want to spend lots of money for the sake of art.
 
I'm still confused how a director who made 4 classic films in the 70s, would go on to produce such constant drivel ever since.

Can someone explain it? Sure, Spielberg, Scorcese and the like have made bad films, but they usually counter it with a very good or great one. Coppola's all tank...

Why should we listen to someone who is now a truly pedestrian director?
 
Futchibon said:
I'm still confused how a director who made 4 classic films in the 70s, would go on to produce such constant drivel ever since.
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It's not so much of a mystery if you've seen Hearts of Darkness. Apocalypse broke him psychologically. If you haven't seen it, I highly reccommend you do. One of the best documentaries on filmmaking ever.
 
Great article. I think he has some valid points, including those he made about non-commercial art. But I also think that art can be made for profit. Not all profitable entertainment is mindless. And not everything that is made by someone who's living in a cardboard box and not eating because he just wants to create art is actually art.

I think it just comes down to what kind of filmmaker you are. I personally like to blend the two.
 
Futchibon said:
I'm still confused how a director who made 4 classic films in the 70s, would go on to produce such constant drivel ever since.

Can someone explain it? Sure, Spielberg, Scorcese and the like have made bad films, but they usually counter it with a very good or great one. Coppola's all tank...

Why should we listen to someone who is now a truly pedestrian director?
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I see your point, but put it into perspective

The first 4 films worth mentioning, The Conversation, The Godfather, The Godfather 2, Apocalypse Now (all directed in his 30's) are widely considered the finest films in film History.

I really enjoyed The Outsiders, Rumble Fish (My first bands name; we lasted 5 minutes), Dracula and although The Godfather 3 isn't horrible, it really just isn't the first two, which are epic masterpieces.

I think Francis is a true artist, but living up to the first four films is nigh impossible I would think.
 
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