Video Americain

Synopsis

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is a mesmerizing documentary on the making of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now was culled from over 60 hours of footage shot by Coppola's wife, Francis Ford Coppola, while on location in the Philippine jungle. The film follows Coppola and crew as they wend their way up river and almost enter the eerie world of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness themselves. Documented are all of the troubles which beset the film: Martin Sheen's near–fatal heart attack; sets being destroyed by tropical monsoons; and the delays caused when the Filipino Air Force helicopters being used as props would leave to engage in real combat with that country's Communist rebels. Coppola's quip to reporters at Cannes sums up the film best, "We had access to too much money, too much equipment and we slowly went insane."