Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Derrick Gibbons An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

nickboldrini A revealing documentary about the trials of making the classic film, which is a fascinating story in its own right.

Michael_Elliott Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) **** (out of 4)Excellent documentary about the madness that Francis Ford Coppola put himself through trying to make the epic APOCALYPSE NOW.It turns out that Coppola's wife was shooting during the entire production of the movie so directors Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper took this footage, added new interviews with the cast and crew and turned it into a terrific example of what lengths certain people will go to in order to reach what vision they have. I think the film falls a tad bit short of BURDEN OF DREAMS but there's no question that this film is quite addicting.I think the greatest thing about this movie is that it gives you a great idea of what it takes in order to get what you want. Throughout the shooting of the film we see Coppola slowly losing his mind as all sorts of production troubles happen. There are typhoons, a war where the helicopters he's paying for are needed for battle, Martin Sheen has a heart attack and then there's Marlon Brando getting paid a million a week but refusing to shoot anything until he understands his character.It's fascinating to see the effect all of this has on Coppola and how he eventually begins to crack. My only complaint on the film is that it didn't run longer because I would have sat through another hour or so worth of material. The film also benefits from the terrific behind-the-scenes footage and especially the stuff with Brando. I've never been overly thrilled with the ending to APOCALYPSE NOW but after watching this it all makes sense.

MartinHafer "Hearts of Darkness" is a documentary chronicling the making of "Apocalypse Now". The title is a variation on the novel "Heart of Deakness" by Joseph Conrad--a book that was the basis for much of the film.This documentary gives extraordinary insight into the filming of "Apocalypse Now" because instead of making the documentary way after the fact like most 'making of' films, Coppola's wife was filming behind the scenes throughout the film shoot. It's surprising, then, that it took so long for this documentary to come to light. I think it is clearly a testament to the cult-like adoration of "Apocalypse Now" by some devoted fans.Some highlight of the film include: Laurence Fishburne's comments about 'how fun the war must have been'. These were incredibly stupid and naive, but you do need to remember that he was only 14--a little kid playing a man. So, to him it might have seemed that way when he made the film.Dennis Hopper was clearly 'hopped up' during the filming. His use of drugs is no bit surprise and here you get to see him in all his flaky splendor.Watching the documentary, it's amazing that the finished film was any good. Marlon Brando, despite receiving a MASSIVE salary to participate, wasn't the least bit prepared. Much of what they filmed with him was gibberish and it was all pieced together months later to try to make a coherent ending.You really cannot watch this documentary without first watching movie.My feeling about all this is that the film, though it has some interesting moments, is NOT a must-see film unless you absolutely adore the film. Otherwise, you'll probably be a bit bored by it after a while--which I was.

Scarecrow-88 I've never seen behind-the-scenes documentary filmmaking quite like this, except for something like Werner Herzog's Burden of Dreams, where a nightmarish series of events kept occurring, including a massive monsoon, military unease(the Filipino government for which he worked out a partnership, kept taking helicopters from him during key moments in his movie!), constant re-writes(Coppola was constantly "revamping" John Milius' script), casting issues(the lead had to be changed even though Harvel Keitel's name was printed on the poster advertising the movie!), cast and crew succumbing to numerous crises both physical(Martin Sheen has a heart attack, his role is so incredibly demanding!)and psychological(director Francis Ford Coppola nearly had a nervous breakdown and claims to almost go mad while going through the 200 day process of bringing APOCALYPSE NOW to the screen)and dealing with budgetary problems(Coppola had to put up his own money and house as collateral)as the movie's delay made the media rounds with much scrutiny(one headline read:APOCALYPSE WHEN?). Coppola's wife documented footage, pieced with interviews with the likes of Martin Sheen and Lawrence Fishburne(who was 14 or so when he starred in the movie). Coppola had audio interviews with his wife that she secretly kept for the documentary to elaborate the toll for which the movie was taking on her husband. The heart attack of Sheen really set back Coppola as did Marlon Brando's eccentricities(the way he needed constant discussion with Coppola of the character and script). The most eye-opening moments include the late Dennis Hopper, obviously in a bad state with drugs(his bouts with Coppola are fascinating as it pertains to asking Hopper to commit to a scene with Brando). This film truly shows a man suffering for his art, doing whatever it takes to get it made, even if there were plenty of times where he was more than a bit critical of the work that was being made. The scene where Coppola wants Sheen to reach down to the very lower depths to present a pain his character is going through, the darkness overtaking him and being spilled forth, is startling. Coppola truly gave all that he had for this film and it is presented for us--all the afflictions, wear and tear, that one is burdened with during the movie-making process is shown, honest and open for us to experience.