What’s With the Fourth-Wall Break in Megalopolis?

As a longtime cinephile and connoisseur of the avant-garde, I find myself utterly captivated by Francis Ford Coppola’s masterwork, Megalopolis. This film is not just a cinematic tour de force; it is a time capsule that transcends the boundaries of our conventional understanding of cinema.

In simpler terms, Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “Megalopolis,” which the 85-year-old director has been working on for many years, focuses greatly on the future. The characters in this film are all part of a fictionalized city-state elite and often discuss topics related to power, civilization, inheritance, succession, expansion, and decline as the fall of the American empire approaches. However, the movie’s futuristic themes are most clearly conveyed through Coppola’s innovative directing style and technical experimentation. Throughout the film’s duration of 138 minutes, he employs triptych split screens, dreamy CGI, and a postmodern approach that mixes these modern, digital techniques with more traditional effects like iris shots to highlight focus or signal scene endings.

Among the unique elements that have intrigued film enthusiasts most is a “live” fourth-wall break scene in Megalopolis, where Adam Driver’s character, Cesar Catilina, interacts with an actual theater performer during the movie screening. After whispers about this reality-bending moment at Megalopolis’ world premiere at Cannes, there was uncertainty whether it would be included in screenings outside of the festival. As Megalopolis began its nationwide release, Lionsgate announced a series of select screenings and theaters across the country where this live scene will be part of opening weekend. Regular screenings, however, will take place solely in two pre-recorded dimensions.

Last Monday, September 23, I had the privilege of attending an extraordinary screening of Megalopolis at an Imax theater. This event kicked off with a captivating panel discussion involving Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Spike Lee, and Dennis Lim from the New York Film Festival. The conversation was broadcast live to Imax theaters all over the continent.

Regardless if they felt affection or antipathy, my spectators were absolutely captivated by the live aspect during the screening. Around the halfway point of the film (I believe… time seems to warp differently at a 9 p.m. showing of Megalopolis), after an ecological disaster devastates the legendary city of New Rome, the movie goes black. A moment passes, and the house lights in the 512-seat auditorium come on, revealing a man near the front of the screen speaking into a microphone stand with his back to the audience and facing the projection. The screen then illuminated Cesar Catilina sitting at a desk, gazing intently in the direction of this live performer or “reporter.” At our viewing, this reporter had some distinctive touches: He wore a fedora, and he pretended to jot down notes in a notebook. It’s possible that each performer is granted creative freedom, as I didn’t notice similar prop work in social media videos from other locations.

In my experience attending screenings of Megalopolis at Cannes, there was a widespread belief that a reporter asks Driver’s character a question. However, upon closer examination during press and public screenings, it appears that the reporter’s question is actually a prerecorded piece of audio integrated into the film itself. The microphone does an impressive job of making this pre-recorded voice sound live. Many of my peers who have seen the movie thought that the recorded voice resembled Jason Schwartzman. In the movie, Schwartzman plays a character named Jason Zanderz, providing mild comic relief as part of Mayor Cicero’s entourage. To clarify this confusion, we reached out to the press team of Megalopolis, and surprisingly, they confirmed that the voice is not actually Schwartzman’s, which only adds to the intrigue surrounding that particular moment.

In this movie scene, the character portraying a reporter poses a question about potential fears when jumping into the future. Catilina, the character being questioned, gives an abstract response that seems reminiscent of Ayn Rand’s philosophy. Afterward, the house lights dim, the performer exits, and the screen goes black before the next scene starts. This brief, impactful moment, lasting nearly a minute, could potentially be removed or altered in future edits of the film. Despite feeling a bit out of place, such creative choices are characteristic of the movie’s overall style, which I find admirable, much like the statue of Jon Voight in a toga on the eve of his wedding to Wow Platinum is a testament to his performance.

Can you attend the live-action fourth-wall-break scene in Megalopolis during its premiere weekend? Absolutely, if you book your tickets promptly. At certain Imax and Premium Large Format (PLF) theaters in various cities across the country, you can purchase tickets for the “Ultimate Experience” of the film on September 27 and 28. This special screening will feature an interactive element known as the “Live Participant,” as indicated in the official movie materials. The list of Ultimate Experience screenings includes 34 theaters in 23 cities.

What’s With the Fourth-Wall Break in Megalopolis?

As a movie enthusiast who thrives on the bizarre and extraordinary, if the most unconventional cinematic moment of 2024 has your heart racing, don’t hesitate – grab your ticket for the Ultimate Experience right now! If, unfortunately, you can’t attend one of these screenings, fear not! You could always take matters into your own hands and stage an impromptu performance at your local showing of Megalopolis. Become the futuristic utopia you yearn to witness in reality.

2024-09-28 01:53

What’s With the Fourth-Wall Break in Megalopolis?

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