The Cinema of Francis Ford Coppola - Every Film Ranked

It was a work for hire, and he took over the dance direction himself after he fired the choreographer, but Petula is a nice singer, though most musicals were big and bloated in the late 1960s. Blame "The Sound of Music". And as I am sure you know "Tucker" started out as a musical, Leonard Bernstein and Adolph Green and Betty Comden started writing songs for it, but that idea was dropped pretty early on.

To add to your comments about Citizen Kane. I showed my wife the movie a few years ago and I said this is the film that many consider the greatest movie ever made. She saw it and was like “it is like every other movie I’ve ever seen!” that’s absolutely right you can see the best movies from the 1930s and then look at the best movies from the 1950s and the dividing line is Citizen Kane, I don’t think it’s the greatest movie ever made but I don’t think anybody could say it’s not the most important or influential film ever made.

EPIC video. I didn't realise how few FFC films I'd actually seen.

This was a great video, James, watched every minute of it, and you did right by Francis Ford Coppola.

Wow, I just watched The Godfather for the second time after only seeing it as a teenage girl. Also, my husband's first watch. Apocalypse Now still holds the number one spot for me. While I was spellbound throughout and heartbroken by the end of The Godfather. Apocalypse Now really brought me into the heart of darkness in a way that is just more impactful for me. Plus, I'm a sucker for a psychedelic movie. I agree about the expanded version. Not only because of the reasons you described, but the time spent at the house added nothing to the film imo other than what felt like a good bit of runtime.

You mentioned discovering new talent with the S.E. Hinton adaptations, and that was true for more than the actors. Coppola asked Stewart Copeland (drummer for The Police) to do the soundtrack for Rumble Fish. Copeland talks very openly - and gratefully - about Coppola giving him the chance to go in a direction that he never dreamed of going (film/television music composing). Film scoring, opera, collaborations with other epic band members from the 70's and 80's. The list of Copeland's accomplishments goes on and on, and continues today, and all because Coppola gave him that chance.

Wow... nice work. Fantastic watch. Thanks for the effort.

Great summary James, and I agree with most of your rankings. It's funny re Dracula as I have a lot of the same feelings about that movie....I loved it at the time and watched it multiple times around it's release in theatres/on-video, however, I gotta say that I really can't watch it now due to the really horrendous over-acting. Not only is Reeves absolutely brutally inept/mis-cast, both Hopkins AND Oldman seemingly take turns in trying to see who can go more over the top. Honestly, there are just too many cringe-worthy scenes to mention for all three actors. It is unfortunate, as there is so much to like with the film. I get why Coppola cast them all as they were all red-hot at the time and were guaranteed to sell tickets (and did obviously) but shame on Coppola for not reigning them in and providing more control over their performances.

Love this ep from start to finish - kudos!

Best director oat. The godfather 2 is the best film ever made. Al's. Performance is the greatest oat.

This is a worthy use of time and research, Coppola has earned it -- and let's not underestimate the golden tones of "Tucker," a movie in which every frame looks like the most beautiful sunset ever caught on film.

Thank you! This was a brilliant retrospective 👏 My Top 5: 5) Dracula 4) Conversation 3) Godfather Part II 2) Godfather 1) APOCALYPSE NOW! 🎞📽🎬

This is an incredible video, James. Not only is your passion and knowledge of Coppola's cinema evident from how adeptly you speak about his movies, but you're also able to objectively and clearly talk about the strengths and weaknesses of his entire filmography. Few people can do both, especially so skillfully. Marvelously done!

James, that's an excellent video! I've learnt so much more about Coppola and realise how many of his movies I haven't seen. Can't disagree with your top 4, even if I would have a different order. Glad you've ranked The Conversation so high. I saw it for the second time recently and got so much more from it ... time for a third viewing methinks.
Completely agree with you on Apocalypse Now Redux; I rewatched that yesterday and both the 2nd bunny sequence and the French plantation sequence are best left on the cutting room floor. Actually, the latter makes some interesting points, but the acting isn't the best and ... clean sheets in AN? ... I don’t think so!
Have you read Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now by Eleanor Coppola? A companion piece to Hearts of Darkness but with enough added detail to make it worthwhile.
Anyway ... keep up the good work ...Onwards and Upwards!

As someone who has only seen like 5 of his movies, I really appreciate this video

I agree with James aged 20-40. That said I'm 36! Coppola did miraculous work on The Godfather but the basic arc is too mainstream and formulaic for my personal taste, although at the same time that is the success of the film, a wonderful blockbuster experience.

But let's be honest the Puzo book is total trash, unreadable and embarrasing, a total slog to get through. Definetely not one to read in a cafe or on the train in righful fear of rightful public shaming. Coppola manages to take such awful material and turn it into operatic entertainment. Part II expands on this and offers a far more intelligent emotional gut punch. Also as iconic as Brando is it's nowhere near his best work, the nuance and subetely that made him brilliant is all gone by this point despite some of his excellent work done in the doldrums of his career in the '60s.

Cimino's The Sicilian proves how much work Coppola put into adapting Puzo, The Sicilian is unwatchably bad. Coppola may have done some stinkers but they are never anything other than interesting (maybe Jack aside) it takes a genius to offer such highs and such lows.

I don't hold much hope for Megaopolis considering his latest workbut there's no doubt I'm rather curious, it may be another flawed masterpiece but if it's a car crash it will be one you won't be able to avert your eyes from.

When are you doing Wrong Reel?

Appreciate the effort of putting this together. Great rundown with a lot of passion and curiosity and clear reverence and respect for one of the best to ever do it!

Bravo! Nicely done.

Thank you for this.

Question, what do you think of Patton? Francis Ford Coppola wrote the script and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay

Great video essay! Thanks! I got hungry just LISTENING to Clemenza making tomato sauce in 'The Godfather'.

Amazing video as always! Ashamed to admit I've only seen The Godfather Trilogy but will catch up eventually. Would love to see more videos like this in the future. Keep it up!

Let’s have a conversation about The Conversation.

Thank you for the effort you put into these videos, Coppola is worth a video this long! The Conversation, highly highly re-watchable.

Spectacular review of the filmography of one of the great American film directors, James. I have to say that after seeing the first images of Megalopolis they have not caught my attention. It's as if the Coppola of the 70s and 80s has faded. Not only him, the latest works of greats like Scorsese, Allen or Polanski seem lazy, disjointed and in some cases out of time.
I've really wanted to revisit The Conversation, one of those movies I saw a long time ago and have most likely seen once or twice, so I think I'm at the right time to go back to it and watch it with new eyes.
I really miss those films, their magnificent casts, scripts, music, photography. It is the existence of these films that keeps my interest in cinema alive today. Current cinema is far from interesting to me. Nothing like continuing to discover ancient gems made in lost times where magic, chance and perseverance created masterful combinations, not only masterpieces but great films.

Woke up this morning, saw this and thought, “today is a good day.” 🎉

Francis Ford Coppola executive produced one of my favorite films of all time Tough Guys Don't Dance, so for that alone I must tip my hat to the man.

Well this should make my first 2 hours of work a little better.
I think JLo in Jack is what seeded my immense interest in latinas. So much so I married and had two daughters with one.

I'll never forget that moment in Hearts of Darkness when Coppola is explaining to his crew how he wants the French compound dinner scene set up all the way down to the exact temperature of the wine in each glass. Kind of amusing his level of obsessive detail amidst a shooting nightmare. And then the entire sequence was cut anyway!

Absolutely love the passion and research you put into your director series. I have learned so much and have also experienced a range of new films that I would never have watched nor even knew existed. Thank You, James for your stellar videos, your love of film is contagious. xx

You totally ignored the fact that Mickey Rourke was in Rumble Fish he played Matt Dillon's older brother The Motorcycle Boy you didn't talk about him acting or anything. If I didn't know Rumble Fish I wouldn't know that Mickey Rourke was in this film... I was hoping you say something about Mickey Rourke but you didn't even say his name when saying the actors names. Damn.

“The mind of man is capable of anything.”

― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

A ranking worthy of a true Auteur.

Cheers.

Great job here James. Have you seen the series from a few years ago The Offer? Its about the making of the godfather its a brilliant show.