Movie review Megalopolis, by Francis Ford Coppola

Megalopolis, movie plot

Francis Ford Coppola crafts an evocative, vividly imagined narrative, with shots that alternate between contemporaneity and myths of the past, linked to moments in history that seem to recur cyclically. The sequences flow slowly, almost tediously, yet fascinating in the ability of the set design to heighten the visual effects, sci-fi and romantic, extended and elegant. Cesar (Adam Driver) plays the role of an architect who has the ability to stop time, while Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel) would like to learn how to interact with time, all becomes complicated when the protagonist is accused of murder. Coppola with his Megalopolis had the merit of defining the decadent spirit of contemporary society, fulfilling the parallelism between ancient Rome, perhaps creating excessive expectations resulting in a visually beautiful, at times cloying film. However, the man who is master of time in a decadent world poses, amidst the flow of metaphors, a pleasing science fiction element, one that manages to intercept the attention of the co-star but remains in the background of a story linked to the symbolism of past happenings, lost and replayed.

Megalopolis, paralleling society in decay

Megalopolis expresses a dreamy and intellectual moment that is both intimate and collective, romantic and ironic, biting in its metaphorical critique of the need for change, seen as necessary to dispossess the power elite and create new opportunities in a decaying society. Cesar dreams of building a city for the people, while the mayor and his associates think of him as a madman to be stopped. A visionary fairy tale set against the backdrop of a drama that re-enacts myths from history in a contemporary parallel, this seems to be Megalopolis.