How Sofia Coppola began her creative journey
Sofia Coppola was born into a famous creative family. Her father is the great Francis Ford Coppola, one of the main directors of the second half of the XX century. And brother Roman worked in a variety of areas of film production. Sophia, barely born in 1971, has already made her film debut in the role of a baby at the christening in “The Godfather”. As a child on her father’s film set, she could come to the set whenever she wanted.
Ironically, the patronage of a famous dad did not help the discovery of Sophia’s talents, and even hindered. Francis Ford, for example, attached his beloved daughter in place of retired Winona Ryder in his final film about the family of Don Corleone. But critics mercilessly trashed the girl, and that’s basically where her acting career ended.
But failure pushed Coppola to try herself on the other side of the camera, and here her talent was undeniable. When Sofia released Suicide Virgins in 1999, she was only 28 years old. The film was so good that Coppola Jr. immediately established herself as an independent creative unit.
What makes Sofia Coppola’s directorial handwriting different is the following
Exquisite colour schemes
Sofia Coppola’s films are always unmistakably recognisable thanks to a special aesthetic of tenderness, pastel colours and pleasant halftones. First of all, this applies to the early works of the filmmaker. Apogee signature “candy” reaches in “Marie Antoinette” (2006), where the setting literally resembles a large confectionery.
Emphasis on small, intimate details
Sofia is renowned for her meticulousness in terms of detail. For example, in “The Suicide Virgins” the director showed in detail the life of girls living in a sleepy American suburb, and in “Marie Antoinette” meticulously recreated the luxury of the Palace of Versailles. This technique allows the viewer to feel closer to the character.
The intimacy of Coppola’s approach is also evident, for example, in the bath scenes, which can be seen in almost every second of her film. This is another subtle move designed to convey the fragility and vulnerability of the characters.
