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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 38 reviews in total |
22 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
this is the end ... all the children are insane, 5 June 2002
Author:
rogierr from Amsterdam, Netherlands
'Are my methods unsound?' - 'I don't see a method at all,
sir.'
Hearts of darkness: a filmmaker's apocalypse has become the mother of all
making-of documentaries. At least that's what Coppola had in mind. I guess
every making-of ever made wanted to be something like Hearts has
accomplished. Problems in production, actors, story, editing, financing and
directing are revealed. However, not much attention is paid to the actual
adaptation of the original story and the difference in vision that was
obviously there. The trouble surrounding Apocalypse Now as presented in
this
documentary makes you wonder how on earth Apocalypse Now was actually
released at all. On the other hand that might just be exploitation of a
supposedly disastrous production, like the trouble with 'The African Queen'
(Huston, 1951). In that case, it would mean Coppola created a legend out of
some futile problems to emphasize that you HAVE to see the final
product.
Nevertheless his film IS spectacular. The helicopter action in Black Hawk
Down can't top the impact of the lauded Huey-attack. And Apo features one
of
the greatest scores and (awardwinning) sound designs in history of cinema.
With the emphasis on lunacy and despair in the form of surrealist
cacophony.
I would have liked to hear some more in this docu about the sound design
that was as revolutionary as that of 'the Right Stuff' and 'Star Wars'. I
really couldn't say that we were all tricked into pretensions and
reputation-building (which IS the case with Vertigo if you ask me) for
commercial purposes.
Almost forty years after Orson Welles wanted to make his first film out of
Joseph Conrad's book 'Heart of Darkness' (yes, that's 3 years before
Citizen
Kane), Coppola started to create his own loose adaptation of the book. In
this documentary is even an excerpt of Welles' 1938-radio adaptation of
Heart of Darkness. I hope it will come with the docu when it is released on
dvd (will it ever?).
Apo was supposed to be a sort of journey of a man into the past (hence the
newly restored scene on the french plantage), almost maybe like Bergman's
Wild Strawberries, but only the form and the surrealism, not the content of
course. But if we may believe this docu, the production resembled just as
much turmoil as the lunacy in the story itself. The French plantage (with
french actress Aurore Clément ('Paris, Texas')) illustrates the fifties:
the
idea of the French still being in the forest and representing the fifties
politics. Coppola elucidates why he initially shot and later cut out the
scene. Fortunately it would later be presented to the world in the 'Redux'
version. The story of Apo was supposed to take us back in time, to re-live
Kurtz' adventure. Maybe even like the extraordinary 'Paris, Texas'
(Wenders,
1984) that in content is also a journey into the past of a
man.
For most people, this docu will be a delight just to see behind the scenes
footage, because they don't see they're being manipulated by the actual
SELECTION of footage and mutilation of interviews. It's very entertaining,
but ultimately some points do not convince. How can the director of 'the
Godfather 1+2' and 'the Conversation' let a production get out of hand like
the way it's presented in 'Hearts'? And, the real heart of the concept
isn't
really touched by any of the interviewees. But, as an admirer of Apo, I say
it's a must see, not only for the background stories (Welles), the problems
created by actors (Sheen's attack, Brando's corpulence) and the lunacy on
the set itself (idiodyssey?), but also to hear Francis Ford Coppola say
that
the film will not be good and a 20 million dollar disaster, while it was
becoming the greatest warmovie ever made (right behind Catch-22 ;-). And
for
that, mr and mrs Coppola, I salute you. 9/10
18 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Travel deep inside the mind of Coppola & the craft of filmmaking, 18 April 2001
Author:
JawsOfJosh from Chicago
How lucky can a master filmmaker get when the tide is against you smacking
you & your new movie deliberately in the face? Legendary director Francis
Ford Coppola certainly knows. This documentary, probably one of the most
fascinating & insightful examinations into the craft of filmmaking and the
creation of art, chronicles Coppola's three year odyssey filming the surreal
Vietnam War epic "Apocalypse Now". Directed & narrated by his wife Eleanor,
who accompanied her husband throughout the entire shooting of the film, this
is THE most splendid "making-of" documentary I've ever seen. The finished
version of "Apocalypse Now" that we've come to know is a strange, mystical
journey - which probably evolved out of Coppola's own bizarre experiences
while making the film.
Most of these strange occurrences on the set of "Apocalypse Now" served to
hinder the completion of the film. The fact that such a brilliant film was
even salvaged from the wreckage that was Coppola's life at the time is a
miracle, but the film also serves as a testament to the genius of Coppola
that was already established with the massive success of the first two
"Godfather" films. Plagued by constant typhoons, a mercurial Marlon Brando,
an unreliable Phillipine army, a cast of actors whacked out on drugs &
alcohol (especially the maniacal Dennis Hopper), endless financial woes, and
Coppola's own self-doubt & inner demons ("I don't have the movie yet!"),
there is no surprise in the eventual photo shown of an exhausted Coppola
standing on the set of his film in a damp raincoat, pointing a revolver at
his own head. This may be an experience other directors have experienced
(many David Lean films were logistical nightmares), but how many directors
can testify to enduring these types of repeated misadventures for three
years, and still manage to find the light at the end of the
tunnel?
The entire cast is interviewed (years afterward) about the making of the
film - except, of course, for Marlon Brando (Larry Fishburne doesn't get
much screen time in the documentary, but his character was relatively small
anyway). Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, and Frederic Forrest provide the most
insight. Sheen & Hopper seem particularly direct at disclosing the grim
nature of their excessive drinking at the time. Actors Robert Duvall, Sam
Bottoms, Albert Hall, co-screenwriter John Milius, and the Coppolas
themselves also reflect back on the construction of the film. The film is
loaded with deleted scenes, extended takes, and much behind-the-scenes
footage (Coppola angrily berates a stoned Dennis Hopper for forgetting his
lines). Eleanor Coppola must really love her husband, because it takes a
strong person to document - on film, nonetheless - three years worth of
strife & turmoil as you watch your spouse in their craft, fearful they are
creating the genesis of their own demise as an artist. A powerful,
absorbing documentary on the creation of one of the greatest films ever
made.
20 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Blew Me Away., 24 April 2004
Author:
Rob from United Kingdom
Never in my whole life have I ever watched a documentary that was so
detailed down to every last thing and has been so influential and haunting
at the same time. What Eleanor Coppola did was make a documentary that
showed filmmakers not what to and how to solve the things that go wrong and
also not to jump into something without realising it's outcome. What she
also did was collect moments on the set and off of the greatest film ever
made.
I have always made that known when reviewing a lot of films on IMDB how much
this film means to me and when you watch Heart of Darkness without
flickering an eyelid you kind of find out why. At the beginning of the
documentary you see Francis ford Coppola talking about Apocalypse Now at a
press conference and he says the famous line `The film wasn't about Vietnam,
it was Vietnam' and after hearing it you are thinking what the hell is this
guy on about and then you watch it and you think to yourself `Oh he was
probably right bless him' because no one apart from the cast and crew knew
what he really meant. Then you watch the documentary and you eat your words
because we see how much pressure he was under and Brando and Martin Sheen's
heart attack didn't help but he pulls through. It was like he made a pack
with the devil for his film to be an absolute nightmare to make but for the
final outcome to become a glorified Masterpiece which is what it
is.
To see what had happened when filming stopped in the jungle with the tribe
and the footage of the cow's and pigs being slaughtered to death was
extraordinary and disturbing that this really happens. In the scene where
the cow or bull (I don't know) gets hacked into pieces is well known for
being real but it was well constructed before Francis said `action' but on
the documentary you see a number of men just go up to the animal and do what
they have to do. It' really sinks in when looking at that part what kind of
film Apocalypse Now is. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of
Brando but I think it's good that we don't because it just like the film in
that respect that even in a documentary he continues to be secluded from the
rest and kept in the dark. Francis Ford Coppola was wasted after making
Apocalypse now. Never will Hollywood not even Peter Jackson ever see a
director like Francis because films like Apocalypse Now will probably never
be made again because of the financial side of the business but Coppola was
beyond a director, he was a master that had no hold on itself and without
his belief and madness we wouldn't be blessed with this outstanding film.
It's not a point that I am making it's a fact and it destroys me to think
there is nobody challenging the ways he did anymore, but in a way I like it
like that.
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
fascinating stuff, 24 August 2002
Author:
General_Cromwell from somewhere in england
Best documentary about the making of a film ever. This is fascinating stuff. Scary,funny,and always compelling, watching this you wonder how the film ever got finished. All the main actors contribute interviews for the film, (except Brando of course)and all are quite revealing. There's also contributions from George Lucas and John Milius. Some of Milius's anecdotes are highly amusing, and we get to hear excerpts from his original screenplay, a lot of which was never used, unfortunately. Some amazing footage shot by coppolla's wife include, Martin Sheen drunk and dangerous on set, Coppolla trying to get an obviously high Dennis Hopper to remember his lines, and poor Coppolla trying to shoot the ending with an uncooperative Brando selfishly wanting to do everything his way,and get paid millions for the privilege! If you are a fan of Apocalypse Now or even if you have an interest in cinema, this is a must see.
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
"We had access to too much money… too much equipment. And, little by little, we went insane.", 17 January 2007
Author:
ackstasis from Australia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
"My film is not a movie. My film is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam.
It's what it was really like. It was crazy. And the way we made it was
very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the
jungle. There were too many of us. We had access to too much money… too
much equipment. And, little by little, we went insane."
Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now' is one of the all-time great
triumphs, a film so mind-blowingly spectacular that we are immediately
aware that this is about as good as any film can get. However, behind
this epic piece of cinema lies a production story that is riddled with
as much drama and uncertainty as the plot of the movie it created.
Originally slated as a 16 week production, 'Apocalypse Now' took more
than double that to film, and Coppola invested millions of his own
dollars to ensure that the picture was completed. Eleanor Coppola, wife
of Francis, was asked to produce a video production diary of the film's
completion, and her footage – intercut with more recent interviews with
the cast and crew – became 'Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's
Apocalypse.'
Throughout her narration, Eleanor Coppola frequently compares the
plight of Captain Benjamin L. Willard (played by Martin Sheen in
'Apocalypse Now') with that of her own husband. Just like Willard is
simply unable to turn back down the river, as is Francis Ford Coppola.
Having invested so much into this big-budget war movie, he feels that
he must pursue it to the end. When asked if he ever considered
quitting, Coppola replies with, "How am I gonna quit from myself? Am I
gonna say "Francis, I quit?" I was financing the movie. How could I
quit?"
The production period was certainly a tumultuous one. Just one week
into filming, Coppola made the difficult (and very costly) decision to
replace his main actor, discarding Harvey Keitel in favour of Martin
Sheen. During the filming of the opening scene in a Saigon hotel room,
Sheen got into character by drinking himself into oblivion,
unintentionally smashing a mirror and threatening, at any moment, to
attack the crew members or Coppola himself. When Sheen suffered a very
serious heart attack, and almost lost his life, the following weeks
were restricted to filming distant pick-up shots, with Willard's back
to the camera while Sheen recovered.
Marlon Brando's somewhat uncooperative actions did not help production,
either. Having demanded $1 million a week for three weeks (including a
$1 million advance), Brando arrived on the set overweight and
unprepared, having completely neglected to read John Conrad's novel
'Hearts Of Darkness,' the distant source for the script. At one point
prior to this, Brando had reputedly even threatened to walk away from
the film (taking the $1 million dollar advance with him), if production
was delayed any further.
Even after watching this film, which documents the events of the
production in a detailed and compelling manner, I can still only
imagine the pressure that Francis Ford Coppola must have been under. In
several instances, during conversations that Eleanor Coppola secretly
recorded for future reference, Coppola contemplates suicide, absolutely
convinced that his film is going to be terrible.
This is documentary film-making at its most gripping. If you don't
emerge from this film with a newfound respect for Francis Ford Coppola
and 'Apocalypse Now,' or even just for filmmakers in general, then I
seriously doubt that you were even paying attention. For fans of the
film, or of film-making itself, this is a must-see.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
The most insightful (if not, one of the most) documentaries ever made, 17 February 2001
Author:
MisterWhiplash from United States
Francis Ford Coppolla made a undeniable masterpiece with Apocalypse Now and
became (for me at least) one of the greatest films ever made and the best
war picture ever. To have this documentary sitting about is like having a
documentary about success, failure and what life is, craziness. That is the
essence caught in this film.
The film follows the events of the making of Apocalypse Now, including some
moments of insight I almost couldn't believe (George Lucas might've been the
director, Harvey Keitel was the original Willard, Coppolla almost gave up on
the project, etc) and behind the camera footage I thought was ludicrous- in
a good way. For instance, being a long time fan of Marlon Brando, it was as
much cringe like as it was interesting to see deleted, improvised footage of
Brando spouting lines and such. But the centerpiece here is Coppolla
himself, as we see his descent into almost like what Kurtz went through, and
that might be the most extraordinary part of all (considering that he is one
of the best American directors of the last quarter century). One of the
best pictures of 1991. A+
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
A spectacular look inside the mind of Coppola..., 9 October 2000
Author:
Brandon Cranston from St. Louis, Missouri
This documentary provides a much deeper look inside Apocalypse now than anything else could. It contains deleted scenes from the film, a look inside the mind and character of Coppola, and the many, many, many problems that were encountered. While recommended for those familiar with Apocalypse Now, it is a great film to watch even if you are not familiar with the original film.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Maybe the best behind-the-scenes documentary ever made., 14 October 1999
Author:
mwprods from New York, USA
I agree with the most positive reviews of this film. It's probably THE best documentary about the making of a movie, about the emotions and tensions behind the scenes, about the psychic terror of a director/creator trying desperately to not merely hold on to his artistic dream, but to survive! A must-see for any cinemaphile, and every Coppola enthusiast.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A Fascinating Descant into Madness, 13 June 2004
Author:
padi1984 from USA
Hurricanes, Bickering Egos, heart ailments, and even war were all obstacles that Mr. Coppola had to overcome in making one of the most pivotal movies of the 1970's, and possibly the best film about the war, no, the experience in Vietnam, Apocalypse Now. Hearts of Darkness details the emotional distress and utter insanity of Francis Ford Coppola as he worked for three years to put the massive project on screen. Along the way, budgets spiraled, heat insued, and rumors of failure were abound, as Francis Ford Coppola tried to finish the nightmare that was Apocalypse Now. As the story begins, we see that Orsen Welles attempted the Heart of Darkness Story, and did not succeed, and how 30 years later, it turned into Apocalypse Now. The ambition of Francis turns to dread and near suicidal tendencies as the first film of his movie studio, American Zoetrope, is plagues with problems: typhoons wreck most of the sets, Martin Sheen has a Heart Attack, The film goes 15 million overbudget, Marlon Brando is unprepared, and a Phillilpino war against communism causes many shots to be ruined. Interviews and retrospectives give shed light on the hectic shoot that lasted 238 days.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Fantastic...a must-see 'making of'., 18 July 2003
Author:
(sydtech) from Washington State
This is a fantastic documentary on the making of 'Apocalypse Now'. Essential viewing for fans of that motion picture, or just film students in general. It's a real shame that (as of July 2003) this still hasn't been released on DVD; the VHS release is long out of print and getting increasingly difficult to find...
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