Rome wasn't built in a day as the saying goes, a truism summating that the city (or any city) wasn't built by one person's vision and even less the actual work and efforts of its construction.. It was/is an accretive process, a halting violent wrestling match of many hands (in the case of Rome mostly the hands of slaves) a creative organic growth of paroxysms of births - and deaths. Perhaps FFC at 84 yo is feeling this veil of tears descending on his utopian vineyard(s) catalyzing his desire to address this as his biggest theme yet - how history is constructed, experienced and built upon to progress. But whereas the biggest themes of war, death and rebirth found in Apocalypse Now was based on the genius mind of Joseph Conrad, FFC takes on the mantle of being a genius scriptwriter of the same promethium talents, which is debatable, even with the ability to realize 'mega' themes since the 1970's catalyzed or perhaps more aptly INSPIRED given FFC's purview, to realize the great themes for his Megalopolis germinating since the 80's, via the 'mega' developments of using artifice with CGI. I think he needed to give it more time. But at 84 he's likely feeling that may not be a luxury he has much more of, and as he's been quoted, not hard to understand his hopes and dreams for this film's message as he readies his coins for the boat man. In the end, I'm not sure he even asked the right questions. I'd re-read Thomas More's Utopia (again?) and give it more of a think without the Sword of Damocles in FFC's mind of a camera lens. Another recommendation, E. F Schumacher, Small is Beautiful.
