Movie Series: Megalopolis

Movie Review: Megalopolis (no plot spoilers)

Bill Petro
ILLUMINATION

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Megalopolis poster. Image: IMDB

Over half a century ago, Francis Ford Coppola fictionally introduced us to the history of his grandparents’ world in Sicily in The Godfather (reviewed here) in 1972.

Now, he takes us back 2,000 years and also into the near future with his Roman roots in Megalopolis, opening this weekend.

CONTENT

  • The Characters
  • The Actors
  • The Historical Parallels
  • The Look and Feel
  • Conclusion

The Characters

The context of the film is a struggle between two powerful men.

  • Cesar Catalina (Adam Driver) is a brilliant city architect with a vision of a utopian New Rome. He strikes the viewer as part brilliant designer Christian Dior, part misunderstood product visionary Steve Jobs, and part creative celebrity genius Tony Stark. He is the creator of Megalon, a miraculous material that will last forever, that will build and rebuild New Rome, like the forgotten secret of Roman concrete. He represents the future.
  • Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Exposity) is the corrupt mayor of a crumbling New Rome who stands for the old repressive traditional values yet loves…

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Bill Petro
ILLUMINATION

Writer, historian, technologist. Former Silicon Valley tech exec. Author of fascinating articles on history, tech, pop culture, & travel. https://billpetro.com