After risking his finances, reputation, marriage, house, and sanity to complete his masterpiece Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola could have played it safe. Instead, he put it all on the line again for his next feature, this experimental fairy tale musical starring Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, and Nastassia Kinski.
The story is about a couple about to celebrate their 5th anniversary together, when a fight leaves them each exploring the city alone, where they meet potential new lovers. Set in Las Vegas, the entire film was shot on soundstages, with heavily detailed sets and miniatures. Coppola also had a sophisticated video setup which enabled him to review and edit his footage before the film was developed.
Tom Waits contributed an original score and songs (sung by Waits and Crystal Gayle) for the film and was nominated for an Academy Award. Legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro provides stunning images of a fantasy version of Las Vegas, which also serve as a tribute to musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age.
The runaway budget of the production combined with its critical and box office failure left Coppola bankrupt, a hole he would spend the next 15 years digging himself out of, throwing his self-created dream studio Zoetrope into a tailspin. The fairly recent release on DVD has allowed film fans to see it without the hype and gossip and enjoy Coppola's vision for the groundbreaking achievement it is, despite some casting and script shortcomings.
Film runs approximately 100 minutes.
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