- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
- Actors : Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr
- Studio : Lionsgate Home Entertainment
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Media Format : 4K, Digital_copy, Blu-ray
- Run time : 1 hour and 47 minutes
- Release date : May 7, 2024
While it is
difficult to imagine a movie like Moulin Rouge ever existing without the
experimentation of Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart first occurring,
that does not make his unique musical vision a success. While boldly creative
and undeniably unique, One from the Heart is also a messy movie that
doesn’t work any better after forty years, even with new footage and an
alternate edit approved by Coppola. The characters are still unsympathetic and
the plot overly simplistic, though it now seems clearer that the real star of
the film was the production design, all constructed on the stages of the historic
Zoetrope studios in Hollywood.
The simplistic
storyline follows Las Vegas couple Hank (Frederic Forrest) and Frannie (Teri
Garr) on one Fourth of July holiday. After years together, an argument during
their anniversary dinner leads to questions about their relationship. Both Hank
and Frannie meet new people, tempting them away from their relationship remarkably
fast. Frannie meets a sleazy waiter/piano player (Raul Julia) while working at
her job as a window dresser, and Hank makes plans to meet an attractive young
circus performer. Despite both moving on quickly, there is never any doubt
about the way the narrative will be resolved.
The story within
One from the Heart is simple, but the execution is unique. While Frannie
and Hank leave each other to enjoy sexual escapades with new romantic partners,
before inevitably changing their minds, there is a musical soundtrack providing
additional insight into the emotional journey of these two. The Oscar-nominated
music by Tom Waits is not what most might expect from a musical, because none
of the cast onscreen ever sings (and only dance in a few musical sequences),
and that may have been part of what led to the film failing on initial release.
Even if the story
and characters aren’t particularly likeable and the music is unconventional at
best, the ambitious vision is admirable. The decision to shoot the film on a
stage rather than on the actual streets of Vegas is the one aspect that remains
compelling multiple decades later. The work that went into the production
design and elaborate camera moves is even more impressive with the 4K restoration
and presentation.
In addition to a
Blu-ray disc with the original 1982 theatrical cut of the film, the main
selling point of this package is a 4K disc with a new cut of the film. This “Reprise”
version doesn’t so much as improve the story as it does provide an alternative
edit, including six minutes of footage added to the original negative. Even
with new footage, however, this version of the film is shorter by ten minutes,
partially because of the decision to change the chronology of the narrative.
In addition to
the two cuts of the film on Blu-ray and 4K, there is also a digital copy of the
Reprise cut, along with plenty of extras on the discs themselves. There is a
commentary track with Coppola on the new cut, in addition to five new
featurettes, including an interview with Baz Luhrmann on the impact the film
had on his career. The Blu-ray disc with the theatrical cut also contains the extras
that already exist, including a making-of
featurette and deleted footage/alternate musical tracks.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 8/10
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