Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola, born on April 7, 1939, in Detroit, is an influential American filmmaker known for his significant contributions to cinema. Growing up in Queens, New York, he developed an interest in filmmaking at a young age, making his first film with an eight-millimeter camera when he was just ten. After earning a drama degree from Hofstra University and an MFA in film from UCLA, Coppola gained early experience working with B-movie producer Roger Corman before making a name for himself with films such as *The Godfather* and *Apocalypse Now*.
Coppola's work is characterized by its depth and intense storytelling, particularly evident in the critically acclaimed *Godfather* series, which garnered multiple Academy Awards. He founded American Zoetrope to support new filmmakers, although it faced financial struggles early on. In addition to his directorial pursuits, Coppola has also been involved in wine production and has collaborated with family members in the film industry. Recently, he announced plans to return to directing with his upcoming film *Megalopolis*, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Coppola's legacy is marked by a blend of artistic innovation and a commitment to storytelling that resonates with diverse audiences.
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Francis Ford Coppola
Film Director
- Born: April 7, 1939
- Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan
Biography
Francis Ford Coppola was born April 7, 1939, in Detroit, the son of Carmine Coppola and Italia Pennino Coppola, and grew up in Queens, New York. His father was first flute in the NBC Symphony Orchestra under conductor Arturo Toscanini. Coppola had polio as a child and made his first film with an eight-millimeter camera when he was ten. He graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in drama in 1959 and received an MFA in film from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1967.
While at UCLA, Coppola wrote and directed Tonight for Sure, a soft-core pornographic film, and won the Samuel Goldwyn Award in 1962 for Pilma Pilma, an unproduced screenplay. Coppola also worked for legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman, editing foreign-language films, among other duties, and was allowed to direct a cheap horror film, Dementia Thirteen. He married the film’s set decorator, Eleanor Neil, in 1963.
Coppola’s thesis film at UCLA, You’re a Big Boy Now, got the attention of Warner Brothers, which hired him to direct a big-budget musical, Finian’s Rainbow. Coppola followed with The Rain People, a smaller, more personal drama. In 1969, he formed American Zoetrope, hoping to create a studio sympathetic to young filmmakers, but found himself facing bankruptcy after only one film, George Lucas’s THX-1138. During this period, Coppola wrote the screenplays for films directed by others, including This Property Is Condemned, Paris brûle-t-il?, and Patton. He won his first Academy Award for cowriting the latter.
Against much opposition by Paramount executives, Coppola was hired to cowrite and direct The Godfather, an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel. The film went on to become one of the most popular of all time and is widely considered to be the best film adaptation of a novel. Both it and The Godfather, Part II, generally considered the best sequel, received many Academy Awards, including best picture. Between these two gangster epics, Coppola wrote and directed the paranoid thriller The Conversation.
Coppola spent years making Apocalypse Now, one of the first serious films to address the agonies of the Vietnam War. The ordeal of Apocalypse Now, inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, has been captured in the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, featuring footage shot by Eleanor Coppola, who also wrote Notes, an account of the production. After Apocalypse Now, Coppola concentrated on American Zoetrope, producing many films by other directors. His own films since Apocalypse Now have not received the acclaim of his earlier work.
By the 1990s, Coppola was concentrating on producing wines from his Sonoma County, California, vineyards. He directed Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992, starring Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder. Since then, Coppola has largely worked as a producer, at times teaming up with members of his family. His son, Roman, and daughter, Sofia, have written and directed films. Coppola has served as producer on a number of Sofia's films, including The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and The Bling Ring.
His sister, Talia Shire, and nephews, Nicolas Cage and Jason Swartzman, are successful actors. Coppola’s many awards include Oscars for writing The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II, and for directing the latter. In 2019, Coppola announced that he planned to return to film to direct Megalopolis. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. That same year, Coppola announced that he did not intend to return to retirement following Megalopolis's release.
Bibliography
Canfield, David. "The 5 Best Films of Francis Ford Coppola." Indiewire. Indiewire.com, 21 May 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Cohen, Rich. "Francis Ford Coppola's Third Act: Italy, Wine, and the Secret of Life." Vanity Fair. Condé Nast, 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Coppola, Francis Ford. "The Rumpus Interview with Francis Ford Coppola." Interview by Anisse Gross. Rumpus. Rumpus, 17 Aug. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Ebri, Bilge. "Megalopolis Is a Work of Absolute Madness." Vulture, 27 Sept. 2024, www.vulture.com/article/review-francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-is-totally-nuts.html. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
"Francis Ford Coppola." Bio. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Phillips, Gene D., and Rodney Hill. Francis Ford Coppola: Interviews. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 2004. Print.