The artist is Icarus. It is dangerous to fly so high, to dare so much -- yes, they can fail and plummet spectacularly. Francis Ford Coppola is an artist. Yes, he made some real shit. He had a run of films that were genius; he had a run of films that prostituted his talents. It's complicated. THE GODFATHER was a studio assignment that ended as great art. The later corporate films were literally recompense for earlier artistic endeavors. But he's an artist. The moneymen, the suits, have no love for the artist.