There are two reasons why you might want to watch this film; firstly, it’s famous for being a musical (songs composed by Tom Waits) directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the film which bankrupted Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios. Secondly, it is completely bonkers.
Frederic Forrest (Hank) and Teri Garr (Frannie) are a couple living in the city of sin, Las Vegas, both dreaming their lives away. Frannie wants to get away to anywhere; she’s completely fed up of her life. Conversely, Hank seems to be happy working at his wrecking job, collecting the old neon signs of casinos and nightclubs (much to the chagrin of Moe, played by Harry Dean Stanton).
These two lovebirds have a little row because Frannie wants to do something other than stay in for their 5th anniversary, which just happens to be on the fourth of July. So she leaves and the madness starts. The two of them meet other suitors; the late Raul Julia’s piano-playing waiter and Nastassja Kinski’s circus performer, so we then follow them on their respective nights out and seemingly inevitable attacks of regret. Will they manage to get past this hiccup? Will we even care at the end of it all?
The whole thing was filmed at Coppola’s Zoetrope studios in the style of a stage musical and the Vegas sets are impressive but they really should be: the whole production cost in excess of $25 million. Sadly, the sets are the only impressive thing: the first 10-15 minutes are reasonably engaging then the whole thing careers rapidly downhill.
Much time is spent showing the estranged lovers moping around in different locations but in the same shot (in Teri Garr’s case, the moping is mostly done in minimal amounts of clothing), separated by a thin hazy drape of muslin. The soundtrack is very 80s but not in a good way, in fact it does what it was meant to do; perfectly complements the cheesy scenes unfolding onscreen.
The scenes starring Nastassja Kinski are nothing short of hilarious; she delivers the best line of the entire film – you’ll know it when you hear it. The relationship between Garr and Forrest is generally believable but clearly hampered by the premise and/or direction. Their first few minutes together onscreen are funny and quite memorable but this approach is soon abandoned for an off-kilter ‘romantic’ fantasy.
If it’s true that Coppola was then forced to make subsequent films such as Godfather 3 because of the failure of One from The Heart, then this film is responsible for far more than 107 minutes of pure cinematic randomness.
Maryann has awarded One from The Heart one Torch of Truth.
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