Francis Ford Coppola on Thursday will premiere at the a film on which he has risked everything, one that害羞草研究所檚 arriving clouded by rumors of production turmoil. Sound familiar?

On Thursday, Coppola害羞草研究所檚 will make its much-awaited premiere. Other films are debuting in Cannes with more fanfare and hype, but none has quite the curiosity of 害羞草研究所淢egalopolis,害羞草研究所� the first film by the 85-year-old filmmaker in 13 years. Coppola put $120 million of his own money into it.

Forty-five years ago, something very similar played out when Coppola was toiling over the edit for 害羞草研究所淎pocalypse Now.害羞草研究所� The movie害羞草研究所檚 infamous Philippines production, which would be documented by , was already legend. The originally planned release in December 1977 had come and gone. Coppola had, himself, poured some $16 million into the $31 million budget for his Vietnam-set telling of Joseph Conrad害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淗eart of Darkness.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 was terrified. For one thing, I was on the hook for the whole budget personally 害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 why I came to own it,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚n addition, in those days interest was over 25, 27%. So it looked as though, especially given the controversy and all the bogus articles being written about a movie that no one knew anything about but were predicting it was 害羞草研究所榯he heralded mess害羞草研究所� of that year, it looked as though I was never going to get out of the jeopardy I was in. I had kids, I was young. I had no family fortune behind me. I was scared stiff.害羞草研究所�

Gilles Jacob, delegate general of Cannes, traveled to visit Coppola, hoping he could coax him into returning to the festival where the director害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭he Conversation害羞草研究所� had won the Palme d害羞草研究所橭r in 1974. In his book, 害羞草研究所淐itizen Cannes: The Man Behind the Cannes Film Festival,害羞草研究所� Jacob recounted finding Coppola in the editing suite 害羞草研究所渂eset by financial woes and struggling with 20 miles of film.害羞草研究所�

By springtime 1979, Coppola had assembled an edit he screened in Los Angeles 害羞草研究所� much as he recently did 害羞草研究所淢egalopolis.害羞草研究所� When Jacob got wind of the screening, he threw himself into securing it for that year害羞草研究所檚 Cannes.

害羞草研究所淎lready considered an event even before it had been shown, 害羞草研究所楢pocalypse Now害羞草研究所� would be the festival害羞草研究所檚 crowning glory,害羞草研究所� Jacob wrote. He added: 害羞草研究所淯ltimately I knew it was Cannes害羞草研究所� setting 害羞草研究所� more than a match for his own megalomania 害羞草研究所� that would convince him to come.害羞草研究所�

But Coppola wasn害羞草研究所檛 so sure. The film was unfinished, didn害羞草研究所檛 have credits yet and he still was unsure about the ending. But after some back-and-forth and debate about whether 害羞草研究所淎pocalypse Now害羞草研究所� would screen in or out of competition, it was decided: It would screen as a 害羞草研究所渨ork in progress害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� in competition.

At the premiere in Cannes, Coppola carried his daughter, Sofia, then 8, on his shoulders. The response to the film wasn害羞草研究所檛 immediately overwhelming.

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶛Apocalypse Now,害羞草研究所� one of the most ballyhooed movies of the decade, got only a polite response at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday,害羞草研究所� wrote the Herald Tribune.

At the press conference, Coppola was defensive about the bad press the film received and the attention given to its budget.

害羞草研究所淲hy is it that I, the first one to make a film about Vietnam, a film about morality, am so criticized when you can spend that much about a gorilla or a little jerk who flies around in the sky?害羞草研究所� .

But 害羞草研究所淎pocalypse Now害羞草研究所� would ultimately go down as one of Cannes害羞草研究所� most mythologized premieres. The president of the jury that year, French author Francoise Sagan, preferred another entry about war: 害羞草研究所淭he Tin Drum,害羞草研究所� Volker Schlondorff害羞草研究所檚 adaptation of the G眉nter Grass novel. The jury, split between the two, gave the Palme d害羞草研究所橭r to both.

害羞草研究所淢egalopolis,害羞草研究所� too, will be premiering in competition on Thursday.

The day after the 1978 Cannes closing ceremony, Jacob recalled running into Coppola at the Carlton Hotel, just as he was leaving.

害羞草研究所淎 big, black limousine was about to drive off. The back door opened and Francis got out,害羞草研究所� Jacob wrote. 害羞草研究所淗e came up to me, held out his hand and, as he removed a big cigar from between his teeth, said, 害羞草研究所業 only received half a Palme d害羞草研究所橭r.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

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