A discomforting environment for the characters
Almost all characters in Coppola’s works are united by the fact that they are constrained by some insurmountable circumstances: tight clothes, obligations to loved ones, norms of morality or etiquette. For example, in “The Difficulty of Translation” heroes Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson arrive in a strange country where even such simple actions, such as eating or going to the shower, involve discomfort.
The young girls in “Suicide Virgins” are literally locked up at home under the supervision of a strict mother. The existence of the girls in The Fatal Temptation is confined to the fence of their boarding house. And Marie Antoinette in the film of the same name is day and night under the gaze of others and with few exceptions is never alone with herself.
Constant repetition
Coppola’s characters often find themselves hostage to the same life situation, repeating itself day after day. For example, the heroine Kirsten Dunst in “Marie Antoinette” has breakfast in the luxurious hall of Versailles, doomed to look at her husband. Or the actor Johnny Marco from the film “Somewhere” from time to time calls to himself go-go dancers – only their outfits change. This ingenious device very accurately conveys the monotony of the characters’ existence, the meaninglessness and emptiness that surrounds them.
Picturesque camerawork
From film to film, Sofia uses the same recognisable visual motifs that help her turn the real world into a dream-like experience. Among them are double exposures, reflections in glass, successfully caught sunlight, and the ubiquitous glare. Also Coppola usually shoots in high key. This is a way of building a lighting scheme in which there are almost no shadows in the image, so that the frame turns out to be particularly lyrical, filled with soft light.
What are other unique features of Sofia Coppola’s work?
Architecture, design and fashion as full-fledged characters in the film.
Initially Sofia didn’t intend to be a film director at all, but planned to work in the fashion industry. And the influence of this part of Coppola’s personality is noticeable in almost all her films. “Elite Society” revels in the glossy, vulgar aesthetics of the noughties, “Suicide Virgins” praises the classic attributes of style 70’s, and the shoes for “Marie Antoinette” invented shoe genius Manolo Blahnik. And these are just a few examples.
By the way, Coppola periodically shoots commercials for famous brands. Thus, her authorship belongs to the adverts for Miss Dior perfume and Daisy perfume from Marc Jacobs, as well as a mini-film in honour of the collaboration between H&M and Marni.
No less attention than to the clothes of the characters, Sofia pays as much attention to the environment in which they are located. For example, the Lisbon sisters’ house in The Suicide Virgins and Martha Fartsworth’s mansion in Fatal Temptation are actually full-fledged participants in the events. Whether it’s the aesthetics of the hotels in “Difficulty of Translation” and “Somewhere” or the pompous Versailles in “Marie Antoinette”, the worlds created by Coppola, you want to consider without missing a single detail.
