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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

1991
Documentary
1h 36m
Documentary that chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget, and casting problems--nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director. (imdb)

Directed by:

Eleanor Coppola, George Hickenlooper, Fax Bahr

Screenwriter:

George Hickenlooper, Fax Bahr

Starring:

Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Sam Bottoms, Colleen Camp, Orson Welles, Eleanor Coppola, John Milius, Tom Sternberg

Genre:

Documentary

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

1991
Documentary
1h 36m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 73.73% from 996 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

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billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 13 Jul 2011
80
77th
Coppola topless is the heart of darkness.
Rated 13 Jul 2011
juntakinte99juntakinte99
Rated 15 Apr 2021
88
79th
Abed from Community is right: this is way better than Apocalypse Now. This is a perfect selection as a mandatory screening for film students beginning their education. However, Coppola's comment on losing his sanity (due to access to equipment, time, and money) could be seen as less a cautionary warning and more as reinforcement that you must be crazy to be a director. Kudos to his wife for recording some amazing conversations, which help make one of the best documentaries on filmmaking ever.
Rated 15 Apr 2021
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 27 Aug 2018
9
90th
A great behind the scenes look at one of the most insane productions in cinema history. But dear God, can you imagine if Lucas had directed Apocalypse Now as was originally intended? Thousands of CGI helicopters would've been added to The Ride of the Valkyries sequence for its 20th anniversary re-release and the Blu-ray version would've replaced Brando with Jabba the Hutt. "Chone manya weesh asha beecho, Willard, ho ho ho!"
Rated 27 Aug 2018
von_kroghvon krogh
Rated 11 May 2013
75
62nd
Very good for a making-of film, but still just a making-of film. I'd probably appreciate it more if I didn't already know the best anecdotes it presents. Still an enlightening, coherent, funny and occasionally frightening crazy story about how a crazy movie was made. File with the similar, but superior Burden of Dreams.
Rated 11 May 2013
kasperlKasperL
Rated 03 Feb 2018
80
86th
I don't know that it's a great film, but the Eleanor Coppola's surreptitious recordings of her husband while he was unraveling during the difficult shoot of 'Apocalypse Now' are a scoop.
Rated 03 Feb 2018
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 23 Sep 2010
85
96th
Would have made an interesting documentary if the movie had been made under normal circumstances, but the events that unfolded make it a fascinating one.
Rated 23 Sep 2010
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 14 Jul 2009
9
93rd
A must see for any lover of film in general, especially anyone interested in Apocalypse Now or FFC. Watching this just makes you appreciate the genius of Apoc so much more.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
dorkovskyDorkovsky
Rated 02 Aug 2008
8
89th
It's amazing that the film that came out of this project was good at all, much less a masterpiece.
Rated 02 Aug 2008
karlsonkarlson
Rated 22 Feb 2021
75
60th
Highly recommended after seeing Apocalpyse Now.
Rated 22 Feb 2021
jacobclark12jacobclark12
Rated 13 Dec 2020
78
69th
Incredibly interesting behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite films. There are some parts I wished it dived more into (in particular the struggles the film faced with Brando's arrival on set), but it answers a lot of questions about why the film feels the way it does and perhaps even regarding the course of Coppola's career after this film's release.
Rated 13 Dec 2020
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 22 Aug 2020
82
83rd
Hard to fathom how such a project was ever undertaken, let alone realised.
Rated 22 Aug 2020
darklingDarkling
Rated 22 Jul 2020
75
82nd
A less inspired version of Burden of Dreams, the way Apocalypse Now is a poor man's Herzog film.
Rated 22 Jul 2020
amygoAmygo
Rated 05 Dec 2019
8
80th
Really great insight into the production of the film. I only wish the crew didn't think that the struggle to make a film is somewhat similar to the struggle of a man (even though fictional) fighting in a war -- an awkward comparison the people involved in the film constantly made. I guess such delusions of grandeur are a staple in Hollywood.
Rated 05 Dec 2019
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 08 Jun 2019
83
70th
seasnekSeaSnek
Rated 17 Sep 2017
97
90th
Better than the actual movie itself and displays the intended themes by not being constrained by holding up any illusion of fiction.
Rated 17 Sep 2017
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 08 Sep 2015
80
88th
What a great insight into moviemaking this movie is, is incredible to watch Francis put everything on the line for his craft and dragging a whole lot of people with him, also to watch his lack of self-confidence on the quality of his film, with this movie you can really appreciate the magic of movies and how much blood, sweat and tears (maybe drugs also) goes into a movie for us to enjoy (or not) for a couple of hours.
Rated 08 Sep 2015
the_pirateThe Pirate
Rated 05 Jun 2013
90
92nd
I'm gonna say that this documentary was just as good as "Apocalypse Now". This is a must-see film!
Rated 05 Jun 2013
disconnecteddisconnected
Rated 11 Mar 2013
74
62nd
A documentary about the making of Apocalype Now that I would have liked to have been as aggressive and confrontational as the movie itself but the very existence of it coupled with the fact that it actually happened should be enough in itself to outweigh almost anything negative there is to say about it.
Rated 11 Mar 2013
caimancaiman
Rated 26 Feb 2013
87
85th
An insightful, entertaining look at the making of Apocalypse Now. It's really hard to believe the film turned out as great as it did considering the clusterfuck that was the production. My favorite thing about making-of docs is seeing the actors going in and out of character, and this film has a ton of that. That Dennis Hopper acts EXACTLY like his character is really hilarious to me. Also "Eh... I swallowed a bug" made me laugh. A great documentary about one of the best movies ever made.
Rated 26 Feb 2013
forehead1forehead1
Rated 06 Feb 2013
90
99th
Quite possibly the best 'making of' doc out there - surpassing the likes of The Hamster Factor and Overnight - for what it is, Hearts of Darkness couldn't be much better. With plenty of archive footage and open, honest interviews and insight from everybody involved (bar Brando), it goes a long way to explaining why Apocalypse Now is as dodgy as it is. Much better than the film it covers, it's compelling viewing from start to finish.
Rated 06 Feb 2013
lumpnboylumpnboy
Rated 25 Jun 2012
65
75th
Better than the movie it is about.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
realmacgyverRealMacgyver
Rated 22 Apr 2012
80
79th
The fact that we ever saw the finished filmed is a bit of a miracle really. Method film making, by which I mean everyone had to go a bit nuts to make a film of a guy who's gone nuts. It's a good doc but didn't quite show the kind of things I was hoping for and a bit too much of the tortured artist aspect.
Rated 22 Apr 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Mar 2012
84
77th
Impressive to see such raw behind the scenes footage and marvel at how a great film made it out of all this. As illuminating as it is a view of the execution of one man's artistic vision it feels lacking as an exploration of the actual artistic vision in question. The way it's structured feels like the self congratulatory wailing of a masochist. Look at all the crazy shit I had to deal with and what a crazy asshole I became, and still my film won these awards. Great doc, but could have been more
Rated 12 Mar 2012
henrikHenrik
Rated 19 Oct 2011
85
90th
The King of 'Making of'-documentaries.
Rated 19 Oct 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 06 Jul 2011
90
85th
Yes, this is all very well and good, but when are they going to make the "Jack" documentary?
Rated 06 Jul 2011
inframanInframan
Rated 20 Feb 2011
80
30th
I have good luck: all the films that I find deeply flawed, overblown and really overrated like Gone With the Wind or Lord of the Rings have incredibly fascinating stories behind them that are worth your while to look. Apocalypse Now is no exception. FCC's last word is about the air of "professionalism" in film-making; this whole documentary puts forward notions about the sheer absurdity of making a movie even with stringent production procedures. Just how do you put together something coherent?
Rated 20 Feb 2011
ocelotOcelot
Rated 14 Jul 2009
75
81st
A good documentary about the greatest movie ever made.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
hellsditchhellsditch
Rated 02 Nov 2008
82
72nd
I am a sucker for movies about movies, so this one was a no-brainer...and it delievered the goods. Tons of really cool footage and stories about the making of what has to be one of the most ambitoius movies ever made. It was easy to see why the film ultimately ended up so chaotic and disjointed...these people were really coming apart at the seems. I only wish we got a scene with Harvey Keitel as Willard. To say that they shot with him and then not deliver any of that footage was pretty strange.
Rated 02 Nov 2008
supergloosupergloo
Rated 10 Jul 2007
9
76th
Better than the film it documents.
Rated 10 Jul 2007
scholar69420Scholar69420
Rated 24 Mar 2024
74
77th
The greatest making-of film about the most ambitious vietnam film. Eleanor Coppola shows her husband Francis as the true auteur he is. Essential viewing. Poignant last words apply to GenAI equally well.
Rated 24 Mar 2024
mrcinemaMr.Cinema
Rated 12 Jul 2023
67
77th
Coppola and his casts & crews didn't just make a movie, they lived it!!! (except Marlon!)
Rated 12 Jul 2023
adragon91ADragon91
Rated 30 May 2023
80
88th
A perfect example where the Making Of Documentary ends up being better than the actual movie. Interesting to watch and shows how much of a mess Apocalypse Now was during production and execution of it all.
Rated 30 May 2023
doyler29doyler29
Rated 25 Jan 2023
80
68th
I'll tell you what I think is most fascinating ... Coppola seems to have learned nothing from this experience. Most men would probably be more than a little chastened by this experience, but he went from this wild risk straight into the wild risk of "One from the Heart". I think that tells you a lot about who he is.
Rated 25 Jan 2023
icarusIcarus
Rated 14 Oct 2022
86
82nd
Is it wrong that I like this quite a bit more than Apocalypse Now?
Rated 14 Oct 2022
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 03 Apr 2022
80
79th
There are a few scenes in Heart of Darkness where you wonder where the film was going -- and judging from this "making of" documentary, it's actually surprising that there weren't more of them. How astonishing that any director would take a multi-million dollar production and just "wing it." The one disappointment was that, although we constantly see Coppola's "anguished artist" persona, we never quite hear the resolution; of course, we have the masterful end result.
Rated 03 Apr 2022
quintonjaminQuintonjamin
Rated 05 Sep 2021
70
66th
An interesting look at filmmaking and how everything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Rated 05 Sep 2021
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 08 Aug 2021
85
93rd
Just crazy stuff and an incredible documentary of all the troubles and insanity that I feel are reflected in the movie itself and might have not been the same without them. Martin Sheen smearing himself with his own blood, Brando improvising some weird gibberish, the natives hacking apart a water buffalo, it's all a fever dream that somehow came true.
Rated 08 Aug 2021
damildamil
Rated 10 Jan 2019
60
43rd
I don't think it's as good as the film itself, despite what some fans may say, but yeah, it was good. It's great just as a piece of filmmaking history - they don't make films like this anymore. There were all sorts of production troubles I didn't know about, and it's kinda insane that they even finished the film, let alone the fact that it became a masterpiece. Yeah, so, it didn't blow me away, but I'm glad I watched it.
Rated 10 Jan 2019
yiannosYiannos
Rated 15 Dec 2018
73
78th
(Viewed in 2014): The timing of this film was apt as it served as a reminder of both Coppola's decline and the general lack of ambition in contemporary Hollywood. Whether Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece or not is a matter of opinion. What's decidedly less subjective is that he was never the same director following its completion. As others have noted, there is an air of heroic masochism on display here, but it's a fascinating example of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Rated 15 Dec 2018
minttangleMintTangle
Rated 22 May 2018
75
38th
I was forced to watch this for a class after we read "Heart of Darkness," despite the fact that we never actually watched the movie this documentary covers. Despite that, I actually enjoyed this. It definitely made me want to watch "Apocalypse Now." I'll probably enjoy this documentary even more after that.
Rated 22 May 2018
kito1kito1
Rated 17 Jul 2017
50
24th
Seen it, forgot most about it.
Rated 17 Jul 2017
filliganFilligan
Rated 05 Jul 2013
78
37th
Worth a look for film lovers and making-of aficionados alike. It has to resonate with most aspiring artists how much Coppola doubted himself and his film even up until the very end, and yet persevered to present the world with the king of Vietnam war films, and one of the best films ever made.
Rated 05 Jul 2013
lexlex
Rated 04 Dec 2012
90
80th
A very insightful documentary about my favorite movie: what more could I ask?
Rated 04 Dec 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 09 Sep 2012
90
88th
How many movies can have a "making-of" documentary be so excellent? When making a movie on madness, how much madness must be created?
Rated 09 Sep 2012
redactedredacted
Rated 09 Jul 2012
86
86th
The perils of filmmaking are on show here, the immensity of the project versus the dwindling cognitive collective of the crew and cast. Hopper is a crazy fuck, choppers flying off mid flight and Sheen blowing his heart apart on alcohol and film. The documentary matched the film matched the book, they travelled to the end of the line. Damn it Brando.
Rated 09 Jul 2012
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 01 Apr 2012
84
94th
Apocalypse Now, while great, isn't as good as this doc about its making. What a crazy story, and well made to boot.
Rated 01 Apr 2012
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 25 Nov 2011
8
79th
"Hey can we film this scene?" "Nah sorry, our helicopters are off fighting rebels."
Rated 25 Nov 2011
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 23 Nov 2011
80
78th
Sometimes crazy shit happens when movies get made, and sometimes we are lucky enough to have documentary footage of that crazy shit. I'm actually not a huge fan of Apocalypse Now but I appreciate it more after seeing this documentary.
Rated 23 Nov 2011
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 26 Mar 2011
84
90th
Coppola almost killed his crew and himself while shooting Apocalypse Now. This Hearts of Darkness features impressive footage of this production, that was, as Francis says in the beginning of this doc, the Vietnam itself. It's also an essential register of the last years of the New Hollywood.
Rated 26 Mar 2011
hezarfenHezarfen
Rated 12 Oct 2010
70
68th
Interesting subject material, calmly presented, important. Good for those interested in film, and good for those interested in documentaries that aren't just talking heads and cut aways.
Rated 12 Oct 2010
nobletNoblet
Rated 25 Sep 2010
80
70th
Excellent documentary chronicling the troubled production of my favorite movie. You can see Coppola slowly going mad as the filming runs into problem after problem.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
neonmanNeonman
Rated 23 Sep 2010
85
81st
Clever comparison of the Vietnam war to the production of the film (intentional) and of the novel's antagonist, Kurtz, to the masterpiece's director, Francis Ford Coppola (unintentional). Hugely inspiring for any budding filmmaker/artist.
Rated 23 Sep 2010
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 27 May 2010
84
81st
A fascinating look at the production of Apocalypse Now, very well put together with some revealing moments and never lingering on any one aspect for too long. It's about as good as you can get for a behind-the-scenes documentary, especially with such a complicated and ambitious film as the setting. Still, not the kind of thing you're going to watch over and over.
Rated 27 May 2010
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 10 Feb 2010
90
84th
Coppola is a fascinating figure
Rated 10 Feb 2010
sveneriksvenerik
Rated 22 Oct 2009
80
64th
Even better than the real thing.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
pompousasspompousass
Rated 18 Jul 2009
60
85th
Those who admired the Coppola opus will be able to exclaim over the miracle that such a man could pull out such a movie from such a mire of disarray, diffusion, unwieldiness. Those who thought he did not pull it out therefrom will have ample opportunity to say I-told-you-so. And those who elected to forgo it altogether will not now be tempted to -- well, but why would they be tempted to attend this one either?
Rated 18 Jul 2009
obdurateObdurate
Rated 04 May 2009
75
54th
documentary about Apocalypse Now. It's informative and interesting. It's amazing that the movie got made at all but it's still fascinating to see how personal the movie was to FFC, how he embodied the movie's themes and concepts.
Rated 04 May 2009
mechatiggerMechatigger
Rated 05 Mar 2009
100
91st
A remarkable achievement, this is one of the very best documentaries ever made about the process and problems of filmmaking. During the _Apocalypse Now_ shoot, Coppola's wife, Eleanor, shot nearly 60 hours of film about the experience, about which she also wrote in her book, _Notes_. Her incredible footage has been assembled into this fascinating exploration of the making of Coppola's Vietnam War movie, which features insightful exchanges with Dennis Hopper, Brando, and her husband, among others
Rated 05 Mar 2009
irvinejumpirvinejump
Rated 19 Jan 2009
95
98th
Truly astonishing look at the behind the scenes of one of my fave films
Rated 19 Jan 2009
kmcneilKMcNeil
Rated 02 Jan 2009
8
84th
Amazing.
Rated 02 Jan 2009
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 08 Dec 2008
84
80th
A fantastically edited delving into the tumultuous production of a Great Movie; it'll leave you wondering how the film ever got put together at all. The information is staggering and a perfect means to analyze the joys, and horrors, of the filmmaking process.
Rated 08 Dec 2008
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 27 Oct 2008
77
57th
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls #5. Tendo sido dirigido pela Eleonor, imaginei que não haveria entrevista com a Melissa Mathison mesmo. Rá! BlurayRip no MakingOff
Rated 27 Oct 2008
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 15 Aug 2008
3
38th
A revealing and fascinating look at the production of Apocalypse Now, a nightmarish production from which emerged the greatest film I've ever seen. Forget a masterpiece - the fact that Apocalypse Now was so much as watchable is the real miracle of the production. Everything about it was a mess, right down to FFC himself, who was completely disorganized and from the looks of it, could barely form a coherent thought. That he was able to form this material into a film is amazing.
Rated 15 Aug 2008
eveeluneveelun
Rated 07 Jun 2008
80
78th
Interesting look at all the behind-the-scenes drama behind one of the most provocative features of the 70s. Although it's lost some of its punch now that a lot of the information has become public knowledge (e.g. Brando's late, crazy, and fat arrival), it's still pretty fascinating and knowing how close the film came to completely falling apart makes you appreciate it even more.
Rated 07 Jun 2008
torontodogtorontodog
Rated 12 May 2008
65
53rd
Pretty good stand-alone movie. Would have been the greatest special feature ever, if it was packaged with any DVD release of Apocalypse Now.
Rated 12 May 2008
djrossdjross
Rated 30 Apr 2008
70
78th
My memory is that it succeeded in demonstrating that Coppola's problem was that he was making it up as he went along.
Rated 30 Apr 2008
theallianceTheAlliance
Rated 07 Sep 2007
79
56th
I expected a bit more drama and stuff, not bad though.
Rated 07 Sep 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
82nd
Excellent documentary.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
stainStain
Rated 17 Jun 2007
60
47th
Should have been a lot stronger considering the material
Rated 17 Jun 2007

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