Heart of Darkness

TV-14

Released Mar 13, 1994

1 hr. 35 min.

Adventure

List

50%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this adaptation of Joseph Conrad's classic novella, Marlow (Tim Roth) takes a job with a Belgian shipping company to captain a boat along the Congo River in Africa. He has been dispatched to locate Kurtz (John Malkovich), a former German general who had previously been one of the company's best suppliers. Lately, however, his actions have been erratic, and his shipments have stopped. As Marlow gets deeper within the jungle, he starts to realize that Kurtz has been completely transformed.

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william k

Good, but somewhat too literate adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel is nevertheless visually imaginative and features competent performances by Roth and Malkovich.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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 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 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 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 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 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Nicolas Roeg

Director

Tim Roth

Marlow

John Malkovich

Kurtz

Iman

Black Beauty

Isaach de Bankolé

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James Fox

Gosse

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The real star, however, is Nicolas Roeg, who makes the familiar story tactile and menacing; visually, the movie is powerfully absorbing without being show-offy.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It's a faithful and respectable version of Conrad's great classic, but not one that's memorable or exciting.

Rated: B

Feb 25, 2011

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 2/5

Oct 8, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 24, 2005

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Oct 21, 2002

Full Review

Dragan Antulov

rec.arts.movies.reviews

Rated: 5/10

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of Joseph Conrad's classic novella, Marlow (Tim Roth) takes a job with a Belgian shipping company to captain a boat along the Congo River in Africa. He has been dispatched to locate Kurtz (John Malkovich), a former German general who had previously been one of the company's best suppliers. Lately, however, his actions have been erratic, and his shipments have stopped. As Marlow gets deeper within the jungle, he starts to realize that Kurtz has been completely transformed.

Director: Nicolas Roeg
Screenwriter: Joseph Conrad, Benedict Fitzgerald
Distributor: Turner Network Television (TNT) [us], Europa Carat, Turner Home Video
Production Co: Turner Pictures, Chris/Rose Productions
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 1994, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jan 7, 2014
Sound Mix: Dolby SR