Washington DC, June 26: Acclaimed filmmaker Sofia Coppola, best known for Lost in Translation, has voiced her discomfort with the trend of excessive violence in modern action cinema. Speaking during a masterclass at the Nouvelles Vagues Festival in Biarritz, France, Coppola said she finds today’s portrayal of violence “overdone” and “upsetting,” especially considering the gun violence prevalent in her home country, the United States.
“There’s so much gun violence in my country. It’s really hard to see those kinds of movies,” Coppola said, as quoted by Variety. “Old cowboys are cool, but just the way [violence] is overdone now is upsetting.”
While she acknowledged that violence can have narrative value when done thoughtfully, she emphasized that gratuitous gore is not her style.
“I love Scorsese, so there are moments for it. Violent themes can be interesting or insinuating. But really gory—not so much for me,” she added.
During the session, Coppola also reflected on her early interest in fashion, photography, and her journey as a filmmaker. She spoke in detail about her breakthrough film The Virgin Suicides, revealing that a male director was originally set to adapt Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel, but she felt the direction was too dark and sexualized.
“When I read the book, I loved it. I heard a guy was going to make it and I thought, ‘That’s not how I see it. I hope they don’t make it like that,’” she recalled.
Coppola began adapting a few chapters herself to better understand screenplay writing. When she gained confidence, she asked producers to consider her version if the original plan didn’t work out.
That move led to her directorial debut. The Virgin Suicides premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999 and has since become a cult classic, praised for its unique female perspective and lyrical style.