What did Francis Ford Coppola think of AOTC?

Francis Ford Coppola, director of The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now (and The Conversation, which you really must see if you've not), has been one of Lucas's best friends, and helped him a lot in getting started.

Does anybody have any quotes of Coppola, stating what he thinks of the Prequels and Star Wars in general?

YJ edit: If someone actually finds a quote from Coppola, saying what he thinks about AOTC, then let me know. Otherwise, this isn't the place to discuss him or his films.

 

Well, I don't think he's said anything about Attack of the Clones directly, but he did say Star Wars robbed us of one of the world's greatest directors, so I imagine he wasn't too enchanted with Episode II.

 

I'll go and ask him...

 

I know Steven Spielberg loved it. He said it was his second favourite Star Wars film, and the second best film George has directed, or something. But that doesn't really answer your question!

 

Oakessteve, that actually sounds as a veiled compliment:

Coppola thinks it's a shame that Lucas doesn't direct regular films besides Star Wars, because Star Wars is absorbing all his time.

 

<but he did say Star Wars robbed us of one of the world's greatest directors, so I imagine he wasn't too enchanted with Episode II.>


He said that about ANH and how since then George decided to make films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones (very commercial) instead of the more experimental or dramatic ones like THX-1138 or American Graffitti.

However he is not one of the best friends of George...he is the best. So I doubt he would say anything bad about the prequels.

In fact as far as we know he and Spielberg has been in the selected group of people who has seen the prequels first and have gave George some feedback.

 

Thanks guys.

I can imagine Coppola being slightly disappointed that his little brother of sorts didn't follow him into the artistic world where he is so focused, and instead went for commercial films.

Firstly I'd like to say that Coppola is my favourite director. I love the grandeur that he puts into each of his films, and if you've seen 'Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse' you'd see that he was ruthless.
I think he manages to balance art with commercialism.

The thing is, I don't agree that Lucas has entirely succumb to the commercial side of the film industry.
I just watched AOTC with commentary on today, and I must say I was very annoyed with how much of it is spent talking about little CGI-things we never realised weren't real, and how more of it should've been given to Lucas.
Lucas has also managed to balance art and commercialism in Star Wars alone. They have more meaning than a lot of today's films (you'll hear about how such and such a film has a wonderful allegorical meaning, but Star Wars is always overlooked as being meaningful, except by the fans on this board and a few people), and they're extremely enjoyable at the same time.

But I digress.

Anyway I think Coppola and Lucas differ on one thing, and that's where I think Coppola is slightly better - he opts for complete realism in his films - everything has to physically exist. Lucas has opted for doing things that he could've done quite easily in real terms on computers instead. Granted that Star Wars is extremely different to The Godfather in that it is set in a world that doesn't exist, but I was quite sad to see that not a single clonetrooper man-in-a-suit was used.

Anyway I loved AOTC and I consider George Lucas to be the greatest storyteller of our time.

 

Coppola made Jack and Rainmaker, how exactly is he artistic now-a-days? I mean, the last good movie he made was Peggy Sue Got Married back in 1986 and Godfather 3 which IMO is very underrated. But, his time has passed if ya ask me, he made about 5 truly great films and faded. Hell, he had to go back and re-edit Apocalypse Now and re-release it to get some press. Apocalypse Now Redux, btw is far superior to the original cut.

 

Didn't Lucas pass up directing Apocalypse Now to do Star Wars and handed it over to Coppola?

 

Samwise,

you're right that Coppola has deteriorated a lot over time, but I'm looking forward to his Megalopolis project.

I do agree that Godfather III is very underrated.

Now, Apocalypse Now Redux...I agree that it's superior over the original cut except for one major point - that god-awful French Plantation sequence. I actually really like that first misty shot of the plantation, and Clean's funeral, but the dinner scene is so pointless in my eyes and what follows it. Coppola is filmed in 'Hearts of Darkness' saying to the actors 'Forget we ever filmed this scene!' If he hated it that much, why's it back there?

Sorry to go a bit off topic from AOTC.

EDIT: Yep, ST, that's very true. We must all be grateful that he did. Otherwise there might never have been a Star Wars. And imagine a 'go motion' version of the helicopter attack!

 

Coppola said that it was not that good.

 

Did he say why?

 

You know, the regular stuff, lack of character depth, acting, excessive CGI...

Remember Coppola is an artistic film-maker...

..but said it was a "fun" ride...

 

Franics Ford Coppola appears on the Episode II DVD, so I'd say he admires the film at the least. Or maybe he was just having a little fun chatting about R2.

 

Well I think Coppola realises now that R2 could've brought so much more to the role of Michael Corleone.

DISCLAIMER: That was by no means a reflection of my opinion. Al Pacino ruled in that film.

 

I disagree that Star Wars films are made to be purely commercial. If so, there would be Ewok flavored Doritos in them.

Just remember that Star Wars has been seen by more people than the Godfather and made MUCH more money.

Instead of asking what Francis thinks, we should ask Lucas where did Coppola go wrong...

 

AgonyEngine if you read my very long post in the middle you'll see that I believe SW is not purely commercial.

 

He hasn't said anything that I know of. He's basically been out of film for a while so that doesn't exactly make him fodder for interviews, let alone about Star Wars.

 

That's a good point, Ultimate.

What does he do now, is he focusing on his brand of pasta sauces?

Speaking of which, I was in the US in the summer and wanted to buy some Coppola pasta sauce but I forgot!!! NOOOO.

Is it good?

 

"What did Francis Ford Coppola think of AOTC?"

does it really matter what his friends think of his movies?

why do we care what his friends think about his movies? is it cause we want to feel better on why we like his movies?

am i making sense here?

 

We don't know if that's what he said about the movies. I'll have to see a quote before believing that.

 

Good thoughts, anyway does anybody know what Tim Burton thought about AOTC?

How about Martin Scorcese?

 

While I agree that "Jack" was rubbish, let us not forget "Dracula", which was great.

And I don't think Peggy Sue was his last good film at all.

I still think Tucker, the Lucas/Coppola collaboration was very underrated and a hell of a good film.

And yes, I agree that Godfather 3 was very underrated. It's not a bad film, it's just not a great Godfather movie. I think the film would have fared better with the original title, which removed itself from the Godfather series in a way.

Rainmaker, is a commerical film and not up to his standard fare. But it was fun. I'll give it that. Well acted and well directed. Just an odd choice for him. Then again, so was "Jack"

But yeah, it is true. Lucas was supposed to directed AN. But he passed it up. Not only that, the story idea of doing Conrad's novel set during the Vietnam War was from Lucas. And he did write the first draft of what would later one become AN. But I'm glad Coppola made AN. And in a way we can thank Lucas for making it possible even though he didn't direct it in the end.

 

Oh, how could I forget about Dracula. Thats one of my fave movies. Yeah, that was the last great film.

 

I wonder what some of the stars of the OT thought of it? I think Mark Hamill wasn't the biggest fan of TPM, but I wonder what he thought of this one, if he even saw it? I think if I were him I would at least be curious.