Megalopolis meaning

Reading Time: 3 mins

We discover Megalopolis meaning as a utopian city of the future, where courage and risk shape a new world order.

The film Megalopolis is a new production by Francis Ford Coppola, the renowned American director responsible for classics such as The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979). His latest work premiered at Cannes in 2024. The film tells the story of a utopian project to rebuild New York after a catastrophic event. Coppola’s vision, as the poster itself suggests, refers to Fritz Lang’s legendary 1927 film Metropolis, which depicted a dystopian future dominated by class conflict and mechanisation. Both productions present metropolises as symbols of civilisational conflict and dreams of a better society, but Megalopolis seems to focus more on utopian possibilities than dystopian dangers.

Denotative analysis

The poster shows a man standing on the edge of a roof in a modern city, leaning out as if he is about to fall. The background is a sunset over a large metropolis and at the top of the poster is the logo of the Cannes Film Festival. The title of the film Megalopolis is placed in large gold letters at the bottom, suggesting weight and monumentality. Shades of orange and gold predominate, emphasising the aura of mystery and drama.

Connotative analysis. In search of Megalopolis meaning

The image of a man standing on the edge of a building connotes a moment of tension. It symbolizes an act of courage, perhaps even desperation. The sunset behind him can be read as a symbol of the end of an era or change. This could signify the end of an old order and the beginning of a new one, which corresponds to the film’s themes of reconstruction and utopia. The modern buildings in the background hint at the futuristic aspect of the film. They allude to visions of utopian and futuristic cities. The colours of gold and orange build up an atmosphere of hope and ambition, but also of transience.

Commutative test

Replacing the man with another figure, such as a woman or an older person, would change the perception of the poster. A young man suggests dynamism, energy, and the idea of a rebel or visionary. Similarly, changing the background to a night sky could emphasise the element of mystery and danger. However, it would also take away from the poster the aura of hope that the sunset brings. Also, a different colour for the title, for example grey, would reduce the impression of monumentality and majesty.

What is Megalopolis meaning? Myth analysis

The Megalopolis poster exploits the myth of the visionary man standing on the edge between the old and new worlds. The man on the edge is the archetype of the hero who takes risks to create a new order. In doing so, he draws on myths of characters pushing the boundaries of human possibility in the name of higher ideals. The inspiration of Lang’s Metropolis is particularly evident here. Both Lang and Coppola create the myth of the city as a battlefield of ideas and the future of society. Megalopolis, however, offers a more optimistic vision, emphasising the potential of human innovation to create a better world.

The myth of Jerusalem and Rome

The Megalopolis poster evokes the archetype of the city as the New Jerusalem from the Apocalypse of St John (chapter 21). This is a symbol of perfection and spiritual renewal. In this vision, the New Jerusalem is a perfect city, full of light, where people live in harmony and peace. It symbolizes a renewed spiritual kingdom. The Megalopolis poster alludes to this archetype through monumental buildings in the glow of the setting sun. This may suggest not only a utopian vision of the future, but also the promise of spiritual renewal. The city thus becomes not only a physical place, but also a symbolic paradise. It is a reborn world where humanity wishes to start anew, freeing itself from past mistakes and striving for a higher order.

New Jerusalem
The New Jerusalem, described in the Revelation of St John, symbolizes spiritual renewal and hope for a reborn world. Megalopolis draws on this vision, depicting a utopian future where humanity builds a better order, free from past mistakes. Freepik AI.

Alongside the vision of the New Jerusalem, Megalopolis also evokes the myth of fallen Rome. This is a symbol of the destruction and disintegration of a great empire due to moral corruption and internal conflicts. By juxtaposing these two archetypes, the film’s poster emphasizes the ambivalent nature of the great metropolis. On the one hand, the city can be a space of renewal; on the other, a place where tensions and discord lead to destruction. Megalopolis thus appears as a fragile utopia, which can both elevate humanity to a higher level and also collapse under the weight of its own contradictions, like Rome of old.

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