Through the Lens of Sofia Coppola’s Films
Through the Lens of Sofia Coppola’s Films
By: Sophie Smith
Sofia Coppola is a 52-year-old American filmmaker notorious for her films’ feminine, dreamlike aesthetics. On the first of September, Coppola’s first book, Archive, was published. Archive is a collection of exclusive, behind-the-scenes moments from her cinematography portfolio.
Coppola’s first written and directed work was a 14-minute, black-and-white short named “Lick the Star.” As is Coppola’s signature, the film depicts the complexities of girlhood, with visuals of coming-of-age such as dark lipstick, obsession with the most popular girl in school, and eating lunch in the bathroom. One year later, Coppola’s eye for atmospheric filmmaking gained much attention from spectators after her release of Virgin Suicides. A consistent theme of Coppola’s style is her emphasis on images rather than character dialogue. Coppola lets the angles and shots of each scene speak for themselves instead of relying on conversation.
Coppola’s leading ladies all share similar characteristics. They move in a way that insinuates they recognize that all eyes are on them, whether that be the sight of the actual camera or the characters within the film. Coppola’s lens captures the viewpoint of society’s gaze. It is as if the viewer only knows the main character at arm’s length, like a hazy hallucination.
In 2006, Marie Antoinette hit the box office. Close-ups of pastries, shoes, and whimsical details of clothing contribute to the defining features that create the essence of a Sofia Coppola film.
In 2017, she became the second woman and the first American woman to win Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for her film The Beguiled. This film was a recreation of its original 1971 version. Coppola’s movies invariably have somber undertones, so this Southern Gothic psychological thriller mixed well with her imagination as she made the film her own.
On November 3, Coppolla’s newest film Priscilla based on the book Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley will be available for viewing in theaters. The movie’s trailers solidify that the film will be showcasing optical, unapologetic, and uniquely feminine themes as are Coppola’s trademark.
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