2011 Oscars: Francis Ford Coppola to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2011 Oscar Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Francis Ford Coppola at the Academy Awards Feb. 27 in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary filmmaking. This is appropriate adulation from The Academy for a man who has been involved in making more than 70 movies throughout his professional career, many of them unforgettable blockbusters.

Coppola is no stranger to the Academy. He has been nominated on numerous occasions and has won Oscars for "The Godfather," "The Godfather II" and "Patton." He also had Oscar nominations for "The Godfather III," "Apocalypse Now," "The Conversation" and "American Graffiti." His single win for best director was for "The Godfather II." Coppola's other wins were for best writing and screenplay and best picture.

Coppola mounted the summit of fame during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood in the 1970s. As he lived in a time of controversy, one of the notable things about Coppola is that he has never been one to shy away from controversial topics. In turn, he has played on the bad-guys and sentiments of the nation to make hit movies, some with cult-like followings. This has often placed him at the center of controversy, but this seems to be a place where Coppola thrives. He has said, "Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos." If controversy can be defined as chaos, then his passion has achieved that end.

As for his views of filmmaking and the current film industry Coppola has said, "What the studios want now is 'risk-free' films but with any sort of art you have to take risks. Not taking risks in art is like not having sex and then expecting there to be children." Risk taking is what he has done best, and he has proven his own philosophy of art right through filmmaking.

"The Godfather" was one of the highest grossing films of all-time, and Coppola made it when he was a young man, bringing him early success. He built upon that success with the release of "The Godfather II." "The Godfather III" brought more fame and Oscar nominations and was to be followed up by "The Godfather IV," but Coppola gave up the project when his friend and writing buddy on the "Godfather Trilogy," Mario Puzo passed away.

One of the things that made "The Godfather" trilogy epic was that it not only told a powerful story, but like Coppola's other movies it meant bigger things to him and viewers who took an interest. His movies have been simultaneously real and symbolic. That's what makes them so powerful and controversial.

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