The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.
Teri Garr
Frannie
Frederic Forrest
Hank
Raúl Juliá
Ray
Nastassja Kinski
Leila
Lainie Kazan
Maggie
Harry Dean Stanton
Moe
Allen Garfield
Restaurant Owner
Jeff Hamlin
Airline Ticket Agent
Italia Coppola
Couple in Elevator
Carmine Coppola
Couple in Elevator
Edward Blackoff
Understudy
James Dean
Understudy
Rebecca De Mornay
Understudy
Javier Grajeda
Understudy
Cynthia Kania
Understudy
Monica Scattini
Understudy
Luana Anders
Bit Performer (uncredited)
Judith Burnett
Eleanore (uncredited)
Ty Crowley
Dancer (uncredited)
Michael David Eilert
Dancer (uncredited)
Miranda Garrison
Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Ken Grant
Dancer (uncredited)
Sandra Gray
Dancer (uncredited)
Doctor Hayes
Porter (uncredited)
Michelle Johnston
Dancer (uncredited)
Douglas Brian Martin
Triplet (uncredited)
Lezlie Mogell
Dancer (uncredited)
James Ridgley
Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Waits
Trumpet player (uncredited)
Cynthia Windham
Dancer (uncredited)
Director, Screenplay
Francis Ford Coppola
Dialogue
Luana Anders
Screenplay, Story
Armyan Bernstein
April 20, 2020
5
_**Coppola’s avant-garde musical with Teri Garr and Nastassja Kinski**_
A couple who’s been living together for five years in Las Vegas has a tiff (Teri Garr & Frederic Forrest). As they grieve their heartbreak, they flirt with alternative lovers on July 4th (Raul Julia & Nastassja Kinski).
“One from the Heart” (1981) was Francis Ford Coppola’s follow-up to his incredible “Apocalypse Now” (1979). It’s a romantic musical shot entirely on a large sound stage (with one sequence done in the back lot) of Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, a studio by artists for artists. It’s in the tradition of the outstanding “Moulin Rouge” (1952) and the precursor to the dynamic “Chicago” (2002), but it lacks the compelling story of the former and the electricity of the latter. Coppola was excited about using experimental video equipment to view/edit the movie and it certainly looks good, but the story is simplistic, which no doubt was the point in order for the viewer to focus on the artistic visuals and pleasant lounge music (by Tom Waits featuring Crystal Gayle). Nevertheless, the story is dull and Forrest lacks the charm to play a leading man, although Raul is charismatic. On the female front, Garr looks great as she nears the end of her physical prime and this is perhaps the best film to view Nastassja’s beauty.
While the film has its partisans and is certainly worth checking out for the reasons noted, it flopped upon release and it took Coppola a decade to recover financially. But I respect Francis for his experimental drive. They can’t all be hits.
The movie runs 1 hour, 47 minutes.
GRADE: C
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$26,000,000.00
Revenue:
$716,612.00