Heart of Darkness

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Audience Member Eccentric British director Nicholas Roeg's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness, was a somewhat accurate reflection of Conrad, but was in no means memorable nor enjoyable. I have seem few films that have made me seriously contemplate suicide- violent suicide- rather than watch the film for a second time. Roeg's cast choice was disappointing. Casting John Malkovich as Kurtz, a man who works for the company as a manager running a successful outpost in the Congo, was a huge slap to Conrad's vision, and mine. He failed to capture the true essence of Kurtz. Although Malkovich was a poor choice, Roeg did not completely disappoint with casting Tim Roth as Marlow, an ambitious sailor and employee of the British trading company. Roth delivered a captivating performance. He was relatable, but not overly dramatic, as Kurtz was in the movie. For example, Roeg added the scene where Kurtz mercilessly murdered a monkey, which was not in Conrad's work. That scene was indeed shocking and unnecessary. Conrad's novel conveyed a clear picture of his vision of Kurtz, an authoritative villain. In addition, Conrad's overall meaning to Heart of Darkness was overshadowed by Roeg's miserable interpretation. Kurtz was a character noted for his development as a monster driven to madness by disease and his hunger for power. Roeg conveyed Kurtz as a power-hungry man, but made no connection with the movie-viewers, nor did he provide enough insight to understand Kurtz's struggle. I strongly recommend not watching this film. Don't waster 100 minutes of your life. Pick up the book instead. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Its not bad! Its not as good as Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" given that its a tv movie. From A to F I would say its a High B movie! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Hurt by the limitations of TV, a short runtime and a miscast Malkovich, Roeg's adaptation of Conrad tale of madness is simply lacking in the ideas and tension that makes stories like these so compelling. Even with some impressive production values, a capable lead in Tim Roth, and a tense and atmospheric score from Stanley Myers, 'Heart' simply has none of just that. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member When I looked at the tomatometer it read 40% and only 4% liked it. This film is much better than that. It's not a milestone like Coppola's Apocalypse Now, but it's absolutely a watchable and enjoyable film. Cheers Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member The narrative is rather straight-forward (a bit unexpected considering it's directed by Nicolas Roeg). Despite being made for TV, production-wise the movie is not bad. Unfortunately the story falls flat, especially when Kurtz finally makes appearance, and it just becomes unconvincing and pointless at that point. John Malkovich's uninspired performance doesn't help, either. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member There's probably a reason why this has never made it to DVD. Joseph Conrad's original novel is a challenging, often ambiguous read, having much to do with contemporary Victorian society's uneasy relationship with the Third World. The film manages to convey some of the sweaty ambience of a steam boat journey up the Congo, but ultimately the budget production values and skeletal script do little to illuminate the essence of what Conrad was communicating to his audience. Tim Roth and John Malkovich do their best, but this is one is best left to fossilise on VHS. The horror! Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Heart of Darkness

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