One from the Heart

In 1969, filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas founded the film production company American Zoetrope in San Francisco, aiming to create a space for filmmakers to have creative control outside of the Hollywood system.  In just a few short years, it would produce iconic films such as “The Godfather”, “American Graffiti”, “The Conversation”, and “The Godfather Part II” as well as support the work of innovative and experimental filmmakers, becoming a hub for auteur- driven cinema.  Taking its biggest risk financing Coppola’s Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now”, a historically troubled venture that eventually took three years and $30M to complete, the gamble paid off upon the film’s lucrative release in 1979.

Emboldened by the success of “Apocalypse Now”, the company purchased a studio lot in the heart of Hollywood and rebranded itself Zoetrope Studios.  Coppola had just completed an arguably flawless decade as a director and now looked forward to creating a small, simple love story to be filmed as a studio musical, avoiding the hazards and over-runs of his previous location shoots.  Forgoing MGM’s offer of $2M to direct his vision, the filmmaker turned to his own studio for an initial budget of $15M, a number his visionary opus “One from the Heart” would soon eclipse.

Filmed in its entirety on the soundstages of Zoetrope Studios, the film opens on a pair of theater curtains which part to display a uniquely fantastical version of the Las Vegas Strip.  Coppola and his creative team meticulously crafted the city’s glittering streets lined with neon lights, casinos, and bustling crowds, lovingly capturing a romanticized, dreamlike version of the city’s iconic thoroughfare while emphasizing the film’s surreal and theatrical style.  Paired with a memorable score by Tom Waits, who shares vocals with Crystal Gayle, the prologue is a visually striking and musically innovative introduction to the director’s bold approach.

Having established its artistic ambitions, the film juxtaposes its hyper-stylized and artificial Las Vegas façade with a grounded and emotionally raw portrayal of a struggling relationship.  Highlighting the contrast between fantasy and reality, we are introduced to Frannie and Hank, played by Teri Garr and Fredric Forrest, whose deeply flawed but relatable dynamics emphasize the tension between romantic idealism and the messy complexities of real life.  Following their latest argument, they experience a tumultuous night apart as they each seek solace with new lovers Leila and Ray, effortlessly inhabited by Nastassja Kinski and Raul Julia.

Their journeys take them across the Vegas Strip, narrowly avoiding each other’s paths as they look for their latest potential partners.  Leila, a young circus performer bristling under the discipline of her strict father, breaks away from her performing family to escape outside the city with Hank, while Ray, an aspiring jazz pianist currently struggling as a waiter, quits his job upon reconnecting by chance with Frannie.  While the attraction between Leila and Hank is less than convincing (and concerning given their age difference), the connection between Frannie and Ray captures the screen, driving the movie’s strongest sequence.

Spiriting Frannie back to his nightclub, Ray plays his piano for her before the two engage in an expertly choreographed tango which magically transports them to an exotic garden before spilling onto a romantically lit street overflowing with activity.  The set piece is grand in scale, utilizing intricately designed sets that amplify the film’s blend of intimate romance and cinematic spectacle.  Together, Garr and Julia convey a mix of seduction, playfulness, and yearning, their chemistry adding a layer of emotional intensity to the sequence and effectively conveying the fleeting nature of their connection.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city, Leila and Hank drive their car above the skyline to watch the lights from afar.  Performing much of Leila’s circus act herself, Kinski shines taking center stage, leaving Hank caught between temptation and the weight of his troubled relationship.  As the night ends, both Frannie and Hank have left their relationship behind.

At the cold break of dawn, however, Hank awakens and regrets his decision, hoping to find Frannie and win her back.  Ultimately tracking her down as she and Ray are boarding a plane to Bora Bora, Forrest is given his most tender moment as Hank, sincerely serenading Frannie in a final desperate attempt to change her mind.  Conflicted, Frannie remains aboard as the doors close, seemingly swayed by the potential of new beginnings.

Heartbroken, Hank returns to their home still praying for one last chance, a wish that the film grants as Frannie returns and the pair reconcile.  Following a night of romantic misadventures and emotional confrontations, the ending sees Hank and Frannie with a shared acceptance of their relationship’s flaws.  This bittersweet conclusion underscores Coppola’s heartfelt theme of imperfect love, suggesting that despite the tempting allure of artifice and fantasy, there is honesty and comfort in embracing the authentic and familiar. 

While visually striking, the film’s highly stylish approach and relatively thin narrative combined to overshadow the development of its central characters, making it difficult for viewers to fully invest in the romantic struggles at the heart of the story.  With a final cost exceeding $25M and box office gross of less than $1M, “One from the Heart” was a crushing commercial failure for its production company and financially devasting to its filmmaker, resulting in the eventual auctioning of Zoetrope Studio’s Hollywood lot and a decade of financial turmoil for Coppola.  The financial strain forced him to take on more mainstream and less personal projects in the ensuing years, significantly impacting his creative freedom and motion picture career.

Though a commercial failure upon its release, the film is an audacious, if flawed, merging of theater and cinema.  The movie’s groundbreaking blend of practical effects, intricate sets, and music-driven narrative has inspired reappraisal and influenced filmmakers.  With its innovative use of color, lighting, and soundstage design, the film creates its own uniquely heighted sense of reality, celebrated for its elaborate visuals and technical achievements, and as a testament to Coppola’s willingness to embrace creative risks with genuine sincerity.