Megalopolis: in defence of Francis Ford Coppola’s sprawling, self-financed artwork

After decades of development, Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed film Megalopolis was finally released in cinemas on September 27. It cost the director US$120 million (£91.5 million) and has received overwhelmingly negative reviews, with a global box-office taking of just US$4 million during its opening weekend. This has prompted reports that the film is crumbling, sputtering and a “financial disaster”.

Megalopolis frames the US as the new Roman Empire. On the surface, the film is about...