It’s curious that Megalopolis has become one of the most anticipated films of the year. It began as an almost cursed project—another one of the practically zero-budget films that Francis Ford Coppola has signed in recent years—but became one of the highlights of 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Nevertheless, the public has followed the film's problematic road to distribution with a fervor that larger productions would love.
Now, after a recent teaser earlier this month allowed us to take a first look at the city where the action occurs, the public has finally gotten to see the film's first official trailer, which reveals specific details about the setting, the characters, and the aesthetics. First impressions? Megalopolis is a truly megalomaniacal and gigantic project, where the public can feel the references from Tinto Brass’ Caligula to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.
Coppola said he found inspiration for the futuristic city in the movie in the Roman Empire. The trailer shows that the director meant that quite literally, as chariot races and party togas are very much in the film. Moreover, the characters’ names are Catilina and Cicero, which transports us to a decadent place dedicated to pleasure and frivolity. In addition, the public can easily identify the trio of protagonists—a young architect, the mayor of the city, and his daughter—in their respective roles because of this new advance.
There is no doubt that Megalopolis is visually ambitious. It even offers a series of shots with superimposed images reminiscent of silent film montages and an allegorical opening where gigantic statues lament the city’s fate. The only question remaining is whether the story and the proposal do the project justice or if they're just a series of shocking images.
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