So I have this theory: a young person’s success is difficult to replicate because, if the young person’s success results in wealth, the discomforts responsible for their zeal and creativity can be removed with cash.
A few examples: Guns N Roses. Metallica. The guy who made Silver Linings Playbook. Coppola himself (although he managed to fight this off for a while).
And while I was watching this, I was thinking about a guy who basically considered bankruptcy as an option. He gave up his mansion and lifestyle and moved to the jungle for a year and a half, and lost a bit of his mind along the way, and I think that actually saved Apocalypse Now. Because you can’t make a movie like that from a place of comfort.
As far as the documentary, it’s good. It felt a bit like a fluff piece at times, and I had the constant feeling that something more interesting was left on the cutting room floor. Martin Sheen’s story is more arresting than Coppola’s. It’s too easy to get the feeling that we’re being held at arm’s length away.