Sofia Coppola faced a rather lackluster entry into Hollywood as an actress, but she struck gold with her filmmaking. The daughter of legendary director, Francis Ford Coppola, even won an Academy Award for Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation. However, there was a time when Coppola decided to call it quits in 2006 after her cult classic film, Marie Antoinette.
Coppola revealed that the film about the unpopular queen of France was particularly difficult to film, and she was worn out by the time it reached theaters. The mixed reception for the film didn’t help either, and she believed she was done with filmmaking.
Sofia Coppola Was Almost Done With Filmmaking After Marie Antoinette
Although filming Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman was enjoyable for Sofia Coppola, the process took a toll on the director. Since it was a historical biopic, though a little unconventional, the film was much more demanding than her earlier projects. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Coppola revealed that she had to manage a lot of people in the film, and she was simply worn out by the work.
She almost considered leaving the world of films. However, The Virgin Suicides director found another solution to her burnout when she met cinematographer Harris Savides. The two of them discussed minimal filmmaking, focusing on the action and the story.
Coppola and Savides collaborated on her next two films, Somewhere and The Bling Ring. The Beguiled director shared in her Rolling Stone interview:
“I had a great time with Kirsten and Jason, being in Versailles and in Paris at that time. But it was a lot to manage so many people. I was just worn out, and I was just like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do this anymore.’ And then, when I met Harris Savides and we talked about minimal filmmaking, I got inspired to try to make Somewhere and go back to two people in a hotel room, and focus on the action and the story.”
Coppola added further that she couldn’t have left filmmaking even if she wanted to, as there was something addictive about it. She shared that she couldn’t rest until she could develop an idea that bugged her.
Sofia Coppola’s Film Failed To Impress Critics At The Time
A movie made on a budget of $40 million, Marie Antoinette was a commercial failure, grossing only $60.9 million at the box office. The film was praised for its costume design, which even won an Oscar, but people were confused with the modern elements in a historical movie. Coppola clarified that she intentionally made it modern to humanize the historical figures.
When the film premiered at the Cannes Festival, it was met with some boos from the crowd who criticized the political incorrectness of the film. Coppola again explained that she wanted to show the human side of the unpopular queen, who was put in that position at a very young age. Coppola expressed her disappointment with the film’s reception in her interview with Rolling Stone:
“The whole thing about being booed at Cannes, that was exaggerated. I was a little disappointed but more just for Kirsten because I thought she did a great job and we were so proud of the movie. But anyway, I’m glad people are enjoying it now.”
Coppola came back even stronger with films centered around themes of loneliness, feminity, and youth. Her latest film, Priscilla, was featured at the Venice International Film Festival and is scheduled for a limited release in the U.S. on October 27. Marie Antoinette is now available for rent on AppleTV+.
