Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

R

Released Nov 27, 1991

1 hr. 36 min.

Documentary

List

100%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

94%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In the late 1970s, as renegade filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola struggles to complete an epic allegory of the Vietnam War, "Apocalypse Now," his wife, Eleanor, films his daily travails with a camera of her own. The documentary based on her footage details the difficulties of the large production -- from weather-related delays in the Philippines to star Martin Sheen's heart attack while filming -- and it provides unprecedented behind-the-scenes clips of one of Hollywood's most-acclaimed films.

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Critics Consensus

Chronicling the filming of Apocalypse Now through Eleanor Coppola's empathetic and frank point of view, Hearts of Darkness is a revelatory investigation of moviemaking and how creative obsession can impact an artist's family.

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Andy B

A riveting documentary that makes a great companion piece for the actual film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Rami A

The making of a film has never been presented more beautifully than in Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/24/23

Full Review

s r

1001 movies to see before you die. If you see Apocalypse Now and are not persuaded of its immensity, then watch this and you will then have it laid out for you. Coppola is so impressive in this and shows it through his reflections on the film being made, he truly is one of the best Directors ever. To take on the Philippines as a location to shoot made this epic. This documentary was well made. It was a STG DVD.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Magnificent photography, superb performances, memorable music, great dialogues, outstanding direction. Should I continue?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

dave s

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse follows the creation of Apocalypse Now from pre-production to finished product, documenting the immense difficulties experienced by Francis Ford Coppola in bringing his ambitious vision to fruition. Captured through the lens of Eleanor Coppola, Francis' wife, the film captures the string of disasters that slowed production, ranging from financing to the director's own self-doubt to natural disasters to the heart attack of Martin Sheen. Any fan of Apocalypse Now, which is mandatory viewing if planning to watch the documentary, will appreciate both the documentary footage as well as the interviews conducted with the cast and crew after the fact. On the downside, the film seems to skimp on certain details (Harvey Keitel being fired, Martin Sheen's recovery from a heart attack, etc…), but the movie remains a fascinating look at an American classic from the inside out.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Mario C

What a loser documentary.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/20/21

Full Review

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Fax Bahr

Director

Eleanor Coppola

Director

George Hickenlooper

Director

Sam Bottoms

Actor

Marlon Brando

Actor

Colleen Camp

Actor

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

A fascinating 1991 postmortem on the making of Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

Nov 19, 2007

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

At once anecdotal and revealing, this excellent film both illuminates the catastrophes that beset one particular project, and shows, by way of comparison, exactly what American film has foregone since the '70s.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Michael Clark

Epoch Times

If there ever was a true “tortured artist” it would be Mr. Coppola between the years of 1976 and 1979. His is one of the greatest filmmaking accomplishments in the history of cinema, and his wife’s tribute to him is equally as inspirational and uplifting.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 12, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The documentary isn't assembled with the steadiest of hands, but it's difficult not to be enthralled by what shaped one of the most remarkable of all war movies.

Rated: 6/10

Sep 14, 2020

Full Review

Luis Fernando Galván

En Filme

A fascinating, vivid and complex portrait of an obsessed artist. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Jul 28, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In the late 1970s, as renegade filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola struggles to complete an epic allegory of the Vietnam War, "Apocalypse Now," his wife, Eleanor, films his daily travails with a camera of her own. The documentary based on her footage details the difficulties of the large production -- from weather-related delays in the Philippines to star Martin Sheen's heart attack while filming -- and it provides unprecedented behind-the-scenes clips of one of Hollywood's most-acclaimed films.

Director: Fax Bahr, Eleanor Coppola, George Hickenlooper
Executive Producer: Doug Claybourne, Fred Roos
Screenwriter: Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper
Production Co: American Zoetrope
Rating: R
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 27, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2016
Sound Mix: Surround

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