One from the Heart (1982)
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Francis Ford Coppola spent twenty-six million dollars recreating Las Vegas on a soundstage, down to a scale model of the Strip lit by thousands of tiny bulbs. The gamble bankrupted him.
ONE FROM THE HEART (1982) follows Hank and Frannie, a couple who break up on their fifth wedding anniversary. Over one night they each chase someone new, Hank with a free-spirited circus performer played by Nastassja Kinski, Frannie with a musician played by Raúl Juliá.
Coppola shot the entire film on artificial sets at his own Zoetrope Studios, using no real Las Vegas locations at all. He directed much of it remotely, watching actors on video monitors from a trailer, an approach he called the "electronic cinema."
The film pairs Teri Garr and Frederic Forrest as the couple, with Harry Dean Stanton and Lainie Kazan as their confidants. Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle wrote and performed the songs that narrate the night, their voices carrying the emotion the characters can't quite say aloud.
It arrived after Apocalypse Now made Coppola a legend, and its costs nearly destroyed everything he had built.
Physical media
About the film
When Francis Ford Coppola makes a love story… don't expect hearts and flowers.
- Directed by
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
- Released
- February 11, 1982
- US theatrical
- January 19, 2024
- Certification
- R
- Country
- United States of America
- Starring
- Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest, Raúl Juliá, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan
More credits
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- Language
- English
- Origin
- US
- Studios
- American Zoetrope
- Written by
- Armyan Bernstein, Francis Ford Coppola
- Produced by
- Gray Frederickson, Fred Roos, Bernard Gersten
- Cinematography
- Vittorio Storaro, Ronald Víctor García
- Music
- Tom Waits
- Also starring
- Harry Dean Stanton, Allen Garfield, Jeff Hamlin, Italia Coppola, Carmine Coppola
- Budget
- $26,000,000
- Box office
- $716,612
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A very flawed movie, but somehow amazing at the same time. One of those rare movies that deserves every bit of criticism it gets and yet those who praise it aren’t wrong either.
I’ll never forget this movie for its absolutely jaw-dropping visuals.
Interpersonal communication without explosions and murder wasn’t really FFC’s forte’ until this era. But anyway, who gives a rat’s ass on whether you connected with the character’s and their dying relationship or not. If Terri Garr, Fredric Forrest, Raul Julia and Nastassia Kinsky isn’t a lure on it’s own merit, The incredible soundtrack written by Tom Waits, features an unlikely yet mesmerizing pairing with Crystal Gale, along with great session players like Jack Sheldon make this film a must see.
PS: The Cotton Club Murders are a great rabbit hole too.
I recently bought the CD and realized how tragically underappreciated the soundtrack is.
I’d rather watch a flawed Coppola move than a successful marketing plan disguised as a studio tent-pole movie. I like this one, and I liked MEGALOPOLIS. I didn’t care for TETRO or YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, but even the ones I don’t care for, I admire him for always stretching his boundaries.
Jim Delaney Ooo rah!
Jim Delaney 100%. A failure or a miss from an adventurous filmmaker is worth ten perfect films by someone who just wants to make formula movies.
Just saw it in 70mm at The Paris theater in NYC. Loved it.
I’ve always LOVED this film and the soundtrack, which I have on CD. Wonderful!
Tom Waits met his future wife and creative partner Kathleen Brennan on the set. She basically saved his career.
Cameron Macdonald, his life. too.
A very underrated masterpiece. It’s strange how Coppola’s masterpieces somehow manage to bankrupt studios. After “One From the Heart” , also “Cotton Club” was a financial disaster, although I consider it Coppola’s best movie (and what a cast!!)
Great soundtrack album.
The Vegas studio was inside an old Mint on 15th St. Only 3 blocks from my place. That building is incredibly formidable from the street. There’s a lot of theater magic in O.F.T.H. plus, the Academy nominated score by Tom Waits. Gorgeous arrangements by Bob Alcivar. Don’t forget Lani Kazan is in it. Type in Empty Pockets/Once Upon A Town on youtube.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
I adore this film, flaws and all.
This was my very favorite film ever… had it on an ancient VHS… then he finally put it on DVD and edited it and ruined it.
I finally watched it recently and was shocked at how funny it was. I liked it!
Flawed but visionary work way ahead of its time.
It’s quite flawed but also quite amazing at times. I own the 4K that came out in Europe with both the theatrical and reprise cuts on 4k. I prefer the theatrical overall, but whichever cut you see, the look of this film is breathtaking.
Reminiscent of Michael Cimino. Deer Hunter – big hit. Heaven’s Gate – big flop.
Fascinating experimental film incorporating theater and film techniques. Raul Julia and Terri Garr’s tango is wonderful.
He vowed never to shoot on location after the disaster that was Apocalypse Now. It’s a wonderful film and was highly influential on the French filmmakers who developed the ‘Cinema du Look’ in the 80s and 90s.
A little trivia: Blade Runner was shooting on the same lot as One From the Heart and they used all of the neon from the latter film to light the background, which is why the exterior scenes in Blade Runner look like they’re taking place right around the corner from the Las Vegas strip.
The critics panned it and it flopped big time….and then it made all of their 10 best lists.
Not the first nor the last time he nearly bankrupted himself. Thank God for wine.
Love this movie so much in every incarnation. I know people who love the record but hate the movie, which seems nonsensical to me because it IS the movie; all of the emotion that critics complained was missing is right there in the songs; I guess they needed the actors to sing them to get it.
“I *liked* ‘One from the Heart!'” “Boy, Michael you’re so *loyal*! Now, what were we talking about, again?” Computers. It drove him nuts that I didn’t use one, even for screenwriting, a “lesser form.”
—from ‘Kubrick’ by Michael HERR (2000)
In the final analysis it doesn’t matter what the critics say: if you love a film then to hell with the detractors. I thought this was a unique and memorable film, and despite the fact I’ve seen it only once, many of the scenes remain fresh in my memory after many years.
Che degrado
Lovelyfilm
It had the most amazing continuous shot that back then was so unique and had people wondering how he accommodations it. Chills! And I found is delightful and deeply romantic. Coppola is genius.
The soundtrack is out of this world.
This is one of my favorite all time movies. I even had the tom waits crystal Gayle record album (it was round, you played it on a spinning platter)
Love that movie. Own it on Selectavision. It broke Zoetrope, though.
Selectavision! Now that’s impressive! Oh, wait… your name. It all makes sense.
LOVE this movie — the ORIGINAL cut, not the messy “director’s money grab” cut.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard it mentioned.
I love the original theatrical release. The new 4K recut feels less innovative. Still some pretty sweet cinema.
I saw ONE FROM THE HEART being filmed and Coppola directing one night. Amazing. As it was being shot, largely in very long takes, it was being edited in a trailer, a kind of video first draft. In a way, the first draft of the way a film can be digitally made now.