Writer: Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper
Director: Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper, Eleanor Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Sam Bottoms, Colleen Camp, Eleanor Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Apocalypse Now has always been one of those must see movies. In a world with HD clarity, egomanical, gratuitous violence, Apocalypse Now still rates as a necessary classic from a time when movies were made differently. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse is a documentary that details the making of Apocalypse Now. I was not aware that this documentary had ever been made until it showed up on my desk to review, but I have to say it was incredible to watch. Just seeing the parallels of what happened then and what could never happen now is stunning. Francis Ford Coppola was driven by nothing less than insanity and it shows through everything that is done in this Documentary.
The best part of this film, at least for me, is to see the raw emotion, mixed with the controversial scenes that were shown in their entirety. There was no question that this was in unedited form as far as cutting out content. If they had cut anything out after what was left, I would have been hard pressed to wonder what hit the cutting room floor. However, after a little research I did find that Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse was perfectly intact.
Release Information:
For many, it was a disappointment to find something so special missing from Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier Set that was released last year. However, there were rights issues to be worked out, which is why we were unable to see Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse until now.
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse was released on November 20, 2007 by Paramount Studios. This DVD comes complete with various special features based on Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse and other bonus offerings. Those interested in buying the DVD can find it on Amazon for $19.99
The Hearts of Darkness Plot
When it comes down to it, films like Apocalypse Now just are not made anymore. While it is sad to think such things, watching this documentary gives you a chance to understand the toll it can take on some people. Hearts of Darkness is nothing short of a gripping documentary that offers a complete look at a classic. This documentary is a masterpiece in its own right. It becomes easy to see, while watching this, why so many people have been wanting this on DVD for so long. Not only does it complete the set to a perfect movie, but its stunning as a stand alone film, as well.
One of my favorite parts of Hearts of Darkness is the interviews with the cast and crew. The interviews are put together with the narration of Eleanor Coppola. There are also the segments that detail the production, which are amazing to watch. When you think of how much Francis Ford Coppola sacrificed for this movie, it’s no wonder that people say he was mad during this time. The original production of Apocalypse Now was to take sixteen weeks and cost about $13 million, which was a considerable amount of money in 1979 when the film was shot. However, it ended up taking three years to be shot and cost $30 million, most of which was ponied up by Coppola.
When Coppola opens up, whether aware of the audio and video on him, or not it leaves the watcher in awe. There are moments in his brutality to gain perfection that he imitates the consideration of suicide. The knowledge that all of this was real and had really happened was breathtaking to say the least.
At the end of the Documentary you will find (or at least I have) an even larger respect and appreciation for one of the greatest movies ever made. Seeing what it took to make this movie, the money, the emotional toll, and the heart wrenching, physical work made me respect Coppola and Apocalypse Now in ways that cannot be explained.As you take a look at the madness of a brillliant man you will understand what makes Hearts of Darkness a classic.
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Audio/Visual:
Made in the 90′s, from the looks of the video quality here, no remastering or touch ups have taken place. While the 90s offered a decent picture quality, it surely could have been better if there were some enhancements. As the initial documentary was not shot with a high quality camera, the enhancements could have added so much more to the quality. The specs here include full frame transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. So much more could have been done, but the quality is watchable.
While some of the colors are washed out and things never seem to appear sharp, I never had a problem getting the jist of things despite these visual flaws. Meanwhile, audio is handled courtesy of Dolby 2.0 stereo. The job is handled well for the most part. 2.0 offers decent audio. It’s not the best out there, but it works in this case.
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Bonus Features:
Special features on Hearts of Darkness include a candid commentary with Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola. The other big feature here is an hour long documentary, “Coda: Thirty Years Later.” This offering was created by Eleanor and it follows Coppola around as he films his newest offering, “Youth without Youth.” While this documentary attempts to make a connection to Apocalypse Now it is hard to see a compelling bond between Coppola’s older work and that of his newer projects. While the new projects are still good, they are unable to hold a candle to older items in his dossier.
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Bottom Line:
Like all movies and documentaries there are flaws in Hearts of Darkness. However, with the shocking content it is hard to hold those flaws against the movie. After all, the content is fabulous. The biggest problems here deal with video quality and an almost rushed feel, which I can’t help but feel, had to do with the hour long special feature promoting Coppola’s new movie.
In the end, Hearts of Darkness is an essential part of a documentary lover or an Apocalypse Now lover’s collection and for that reason this comes highly recommended.
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Technorati Tags: Hearts of Darkness, A Filmmakers Apocalypse, Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola, Documentary, DVD Review
