Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

• Directors: Fax Bahr; George Hickenlooper
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Film, TV & Radio
• Movie Type: Film & Television History, Media Studies
• Themes: Filmmaking, Crisis of Conscience
• Main Cast: Francis Ford Coppola, John Milius, Martin Sheen
• Release Year: 1991
• Country: US
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

An intimate look at the making of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 classic Apocalypse Now, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse combines the usual documentary interviews with outtakes from the film and rare documentary footage, some shot on the set by Eleanor Coppola. Not long after the arrival of Francis Ford Coppola and crew in the Philippines, the shooting schedule begins spiraling out of control; the film's cost has soon far surpassed the original budget, with the ending still unwritten. As the problems mount, from lead Martin Sheen's heart attack to the disappearance of several helicopters needed for a scene (because they went to fight in a nearby war), the making of the film begins to frighteningly resemble its subject -- an unending tale of madness and obsession in the jungle. The film provides a remarkably immediate look at the filmmaking process and the personalities involved, especially Coppola, who publicly acts the autocrat but privately proclaims his belief that he is making an awful film, and Marlon Brando, whose rambling, mumbled improvisations are among the documentary's highlights. Even more impressively, the documentary explores how, despite the chaotic environment, the filmmakers somehow managed to produce an acclaimed, lasting work of art. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Review

Movie buffs who play this documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now after they watch the movie itself may have a difficult time deciding which is better or more compelling. That's how revealing and powerful Hearts of Darkness is. Director Francis Ford Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, audiotaped and filmed her husband, often in secret and at his most agonized moments, during the making of this most agonizing film. A brief recap: Star Martin Sheen had a heart attack and a nervous breakdown. A typhoon devastated the film's sets, closing down the film for about three months. The film's backers, United Artists, threatened to pull the plug on the film. The Philippine army kept withdrawing its helicopters to fight a real war against guerrilla insurgents, killing the film's schedule almost as much as the typhoon. Star Marlon Brando arrived way overweight, didn't know his part, bogged the film down with incessant questions and improvisation, then made off with one million dollars a week when he went over schedule. The documentary relays all of this with depth, insight, and sensitivity. It leaves a final impression of Coppola as a heroic and remarkably brave man who built around himself a community of very fine and dedicated artists and created one of the greatest films of all time. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide

Cast

• Francis Ford Coppola
• John Milius
• Martin Sheen

Samuel Bottoms; Colleen Camp; Eleanor Coppola; Laurence Fishburne; Frederic Forrest; Albert Hall; Robert Duvall; Dennis Hopper; George Lucas; Michele Tafoya - Narrator

Credit

Fax Bahr - Director, George Hickenlooper - Director, Todd Boekelheide - Composer (Music Score), Doug Claybourne - Producer, Les Mayfield - Producer, Fred Roos - Producer, George Zaloom - Producer, Fax Bahr - Screenwriter, George Hickenlooper - Screenwriter

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