“The Godfather,” “The Conversation," “Godfather II” and “Apocalypse Now” -- it’s got to be the longest string of masterpieces ever by an American director. He is the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, the maverick who, in 2007, embarked on a second career with the enigmatic “Youth Without Youth." His new movie, “Tetro," was produced, written, directed and even financed by Coppola, using money from his wine and gourmet food interests. Vincent Gallo and newcomer Alden Ehrenreich star as estranged brothers who struggle to come to terms with a family crisis that drove them apart. Shot in black and white and color, it's Coppola’s 23rd movie.
First “Youth Without Youth," now “Tetro." Is this your second career?
Well, I don’t have a career anymore. I don’t want a film career. I want to be an amateur filmmaker -- “amateur” meaning what the word means: that you make it because you love it. I don’t want to get paid. I have plenty of money from other things, and I just want to learn. As you get older you realize that to learn something is the real pleasure of life.
If I have gained anything, it’s that I really know how to put together a movie that you can have beautiful photography and beautiful sound and beautiful music and wonderful actors. I don't have enough money to go out and get the most sought-after stars, but I never could. Even back then, the reason I used new faces like Al Pacino or, to a lesser extent, Bobby DeNiro, or all the actors from “The Outsiders” is because I couldn’t afford the stars of the day.
But look at the movies you made! It's easy to see why people consider you such an icon.
“Iconic” is very lifeless. I can tell you what I’m like. I feel, in life, that you really ought to say yes to more things than you say no to because the only real risk of life is that when you’re getting ready to die, you say, “Ah, I wish I had done this. I wish I had done that.” I don’t have that problem. I risked money, and I lost money, and I had to spend my forties paying back a huge debt to the bank -- which is a pity, because that’s a very powerful decade for a man.
You know, people are funny. They try to get an image of you but they take it from whatever is happening. So after I did “Apocalypse Now,” for 10 years I was a megalomaniac. I never felt like a megalomaniac. I felt like I was enthusiastic about whatever I do. I’m still enthusiastic.
Here you are again, taking risks. George Lucas said he based Han Solo on you because you’re both so daring.
I’m like George's older brother. I am, because I’m four, five years older. And he always saw me as a daredevil, as, like, I’m taking all these young filmmakers, “Okay, guys! Let’s all jump off a cliff!” And they’re saying, “Francis, we’re all going to die!” And I say, “Maybe not!” So George thinks of me as an incredible adventurer.
