A project that has been on writer-director Francis Ford Coppola’s drawing board for close to a half-century, “Megalopolis” recently debuted in the United States to polarizing critical reviews and audience reactions.
Modern-Day Parallels
The current war between Israel and multiple Islamic nations in the Middle East shares more parallels than it doesn’t with the Holocaust, yet far too many people believe Israel to be the aggressor in the conflict.
However, its principal flaw is that it can, and eventually does, become corrupt. Once those elected to power attain office, they will do practically anything to remain there; this almost always requires rigging, tampering, or compromising the system dynamics. This also includes besmirching and falsely attacking anyone and anything that attempts to displace them.
Is this sounding familiar yet?
The lead character in “Megalopolis” is Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), an architect and chairman of the Design Authority in New Rome, a de facto stand-in for New York City during an unspecified part of the 21st century.
Cesar has recently received the Nobel Prize for his invention of “Megalon,” a multi-applicable substance that can be used as a replacement for building materials, such as concrete, steel, and glass. As the film progresses, Megalon is also able to be used as a fabric and in multiple medical procedures such as casts for broken bones and skin grafts, and this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Back to Cesar
Once Cesar (who recently lost his wife) receives the Nobel Prize, he becomes an immediate threat to New Rome mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). Already hated by the majority of the citizens of New Rome, Cicero (rightfully) views Cesar as an imminent threat, not so much on political grounds, but because Cesar represents change for the better.
In Ancient Rome, Catilina’s principal foe during his attempted overthrow was Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of the principal proponents of the not-yet-realized, fully formed Roman Empire. The well-respected Cicero doggedly fought Catalina who was slowly trying to wrestle power away from the legitimately elected leadership.
According to many historians throughout the ages, it was Cicero that led the movement that ultimately usurped and disposed of Catalina. Some of these same historians liken Cicero’s political positions to those of our Founding Fathers.
Although both men share the same last name and are in positions of power, the real and fictional Cicero have nothing in common.
In “Megalopolis,” Mayor Cicero isn’t nearly as forward thinking as his namesake, but he is astute enough to realize that Cesar’s invention will eventually lead, not only to his own downfall, but also to that of the lackey sycophants that surround him, particularly Nush Berman (Dustin Hoffman), who acts as his principal fixer/spin doctor.
The Only Weak Link
This is the sole portion of the narrative that bothered me. Cesar having the ability to pause time, meaning everything stops at his command, didn’t make sense even within the construct of “a fable” (the words Coppola chose as the movie’s subtitle). Lending the Cesar and, later, Julia characters the ability to stop time on a dime doesn’t work, even when viewed in the most abstract viewpoints; it does nothing to propel the narrative.Regardless, this chance encounter leads Julia to pursue Cesar, partly out of romantic intrigue and partly out of rebelling against her father, and her timing couldn’t be better.
Media Is the Key
This portion of the plot is where Coppola really hits the nail squarely on the head. No amount of government spin or subterfuge would be possible without the willing and conspiratorial aid of the media. Whether that was Coppola’s intent or not, that’s how I viewed it, and I don’t think I’m alone.Mayor Cicero isn’t the only character in “Megalopolis” who will benefit from Cesar’s demise. It is the mayor’s hope that once “the truth” is revealed about Cesar and the circumstances surrounding the details of his wife’s death are revealed, Cesar will shrivel up and silently crawl away. But this doesn’t come to pass.
Even when a salacious pirated video showing a Cesar with a supposed underage pop singer (Grace VanderWaal as Vesta Sweetwater) is released, he says nothing and smartly, waits for the truth to surface.
Hitler and Mussolini
In the movie, Clodio seizes on Cesar’s temporary public embarrassment to start his own grassroots political party that targets Mayor Cicero. Brandishing lots of black and red posters and signage, Clodio and his minions are obvious stand-ins for Hitler, Mussolini, and their followers; more than one of them die in a similar manner as one of those fascist historical figures.It is during one of the executions that a member of the mob screams “sic semper tyrannis,” the Virginia state motto that translates to English as “thus always to tyrants.”
Again, history buffs will recognize these words as those shouted by John Wilkes Booth immediately after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln in 1865; however, its origins go back much further.
The phrase is attributed to Marcus Junius Brutus who took part in the murder of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 B.C., also forever referred to the “Ides of March.”
There are countless other nods and asides to ancient Rome strewn throughout the film.
It is during a “bread and circus” gathering at an indoor coliseum where crowds are entertained by chariot races, three-ring wrestling matches, high-flying trapeze acts, acrobatic clowns, and a performance by Vesta that is brought to an unexpected end with the hacked airing of the video with her and Cesar.
Détente?
Before the movie ends, Cesar and Cicero reach something of a grudging détente. Neither of them is at all pleased with this arrangement, but come to the conclusion that their mutual animosity towards each other means less to both of them than their mutual love for Julia.At first, I didn’t care for this narrative “compromise,” not so much because it felt like, well, a compromise in a story where these two men were morally and professionally inflexible the rest of the time. It is also the only point in the story where the screenplay strays far from the actual events from 2,000-plus years ago involving the actual Catilina and Cicero.
Upon reflection, my opinion has changed. Coppola was honest and up-front at the start by stating this movie is a “fable,” a story that intends to impart a moral message.
“Megalopolis” portrays a lot of people behaving badly, and ending it on yet another downbeat note would have been an unneeded deal-crushing overkill, leaving the entire production totally lacking in redemptive value.
It was author Shelby Foote who, while being interviewed in the Ken Burns epic documentary “The Civil War” (1990), reminds the viewer that the United States has succeeded throughout its history because of the ability to compromise. In a true democracy, no one ever gets everything they want; concessions must be made in order to maintain civility and order.
What Coppola does so brilliantly here is in taking past events, altering the motives of the two male leads and couching them in a modern-day setting. He points out to the audience that, while true democracy has its faults and shortcomings, it is still the most equitable form of government ever conceived by man.
It was when Rome eventually abandoned democracy in its first global foray into fascism did it crumble.
If the United States isn’t careful, it could meet the same fate. That is Coppola’s ultimate message.
It should be made abundantly clear that “Megalopolis” is not a work of “revisionist history,” “alternate history,” or even a “modern day adaptation,” but rather pure fiction. Why Coppola chose the names Catalina and Cicero for his leads escapes me. The characters played by Driver and Esposito are nothing like their ancient counterparts. Hopefully viewers will be clearly able to make that distinction.
