Today I fully realized my love of Sofia Coppola's work. Seriously, my love for her films runs deep and is heart-felt, and my awe and admiration for Coppola herself is also intense.
I knew when I rented 'Marie Antoinette' a few months ago, and loved it so much that I watched it twice over the course of 24 hours (contrary to what it seems many people felt about the film), that there was something special about the way Ms. Coppola sees the world and translates her perspective into films. There was something about the rich yet easy beauty of the long (some might say indulgent), lingering and somewhat wistful shots, that speak so directly to my own view of the world, and the beauty of certain moments.
My Favorite shot(s) in 'Marie Antoinette' are of Kirsten Dunst (playing the young 1780's party girl Miss Antoinette herself) as she rides home to her palace, in her horse-drawn carriage in the wee, blue-ish hued hours of morning, after partying all night at some ball. The lighting of the pristine French landscape at sunrise, underscored by Air's dreamy soundtrack and Dunst's spot-on interpretation of a pensive young party girl, leaning her head against the window, gazing out at the suddennly day-lit world, post all-night partying, feels somehow universal no matter what era you live in. It's my favorite 'scene'... Maybe because it strikes such a familiar, heart-wrenching cord...
Upoon watching Coppola's Antoinette movie, I promptly set out to learn more about this young queen, with whom I suddennly felt a kinship as a result of Coppola's film-making skills, only to discover that my kinship is perhaps even more actual than I had originally thought; Marie and I (notez bien as well that my MIDDLE name is Marie...), well, we share the same birth date: November 2nd! Kindreds. Indeed.
So Marie Antoinette is my favorite Sofia Coppola film, but sadly, the only one that I do not own. Well, technically I only own Lost in Translation, but Roomate Laura owns The Virgin Suicides, and that's what I watched this morning when I found myself wide awake at 5:30am. And I must say, Coppola's first film is every bit as impressive as her last. And they do also share a lot of similarities: Dunst as the intriguingly beautiful young party girl, indulgently long sweet and lingering shots and like all her movies, a wonderfully complimentary soundtrack by ethereal band 'Air.' Both The Suicides and Antoinette were also films that Coppola adapted from published books.
Lost in Translation on the other hand, arguably Coppola's best and certainly her most critically acclaimed film, was wholely written and conceived by Sofia herself. I also re-watched Lost in Translation today, and found myself reflecting on Sofia's original storytelling skills (as demonstrated with 'Lost...') versus her interpretation techniques (as demonstrated with The Suicides and Antoinette). I came to the conclusion that Coppola's real skill might be in her own creative pursuits as an original story teller, which generates the film(s) that appeals most to mass audiences.
But while her skills as a writer and filmaker interpreting previously published written material tends towards a slightly less accessible final product, I'm still an avid fan. Of all her work.
So, I wonder what's up next for the lovely Sofe-Cope?
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