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Youth Without Youth (2007)

Starring Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, and Matt Damon.  Cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr.  Edited by Walter Murch. Produced, Written, and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Dominic Matei (played by Tim Roth) is an elderly Romanian linguistics professor in the late 1930’s. Depressed by the fear that he will never complete his life’s work, he plans his own demise.  Before he can perform his final act, he is struck by lightning.  Dominic is badly burned and taken to the hospital, but when the bandages are removed he has inexplicably regenerated into a younger man.

With his refreshed mind and body, he is able to effortlessly tackle previously impossible tasks. It’s only a matter of time before the Nazi’s hear about Dominic’s remarkable recovery and he is pursued for experimentation. He is able to maintain his neutrality and ultimately survive the war using his rejuvenated mental capacities. Shortly thereafter he meets Veronica (played by Alexandra Maria Lara) who, ironically, is aging prematurely as a result of the same phenomenon that affected Dominic.

Mircea Eliade’s Tinereţe fără tinereţe or Youth Without Youth was first published in 1976.  The book was a perfect compliment to Eliade’s already amazing resume of works examining reality, time, and consciousness. Though often criticized for his far-right views during the Second World War, Eliade was generally considered one of the most significant authorities on religion and philosophy. His canon includes both fiction and non-fiction literature and he was a world-renowned scholar, professor, and lecturer.

Francis Ford Coppola had been working on Megalopolis, a film he has described as his “dream project”, for years and was beginning to struggle with his inability to produce a completed script.  Hoping for guidance on the story’s philosophical elements, Coppola sent the outline to his childhood friend Wendy Doniger, who now teaches comparative mythology and Hinduism at the University of Chicago.  In her response, she included quotes from her mentor Mircea Eliade and suggested that Coppola read his novella, Youth Without Youth.  Coppola followed his friend’s advice and was immediately enamored with the book.  With it, he discovered the muse that would swiftly pull him out of his eight year filmmaking hiatus.

Coppola was able to approach this film in a way that was very unique in his memorable career.  Uninterested in the complacency of becoming a studio director, he resolved instead break the mold and pursue his personal interests instead. To avoid the headaches of financiers and box office results, he decided to fund the film himself with the earnings from his successful winery. In fact, Coppola has said that part of the enjoyment in making the film was doing it quickly and quietly. Youth Without Youth may truly be as intimate as a filmmaking project can get.

Youth Without Youth may not appeal to the average moviegoer, or even the average Coppola fan, but it’s inventive style and unconventional subject matter may eventually earn it a modest following among open-minded cinephiles.  It enjoyed only a very modest domestic theatrical run, but has since been released on DVD via Sony’s Picture Classics. The story may not have the same impact with you as it did with Coppola, but it’s certainly worth a watch if you get a chance.

Budget: ???

Total US Gross: $239,495

Genre: Fantasy

Runtime: 124 Minutes

US Release Date: 12/14/07

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Awards: none

Tagline: none

Quote: “Time, Dominic… we are running out of time.”

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