HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE

Special Features: New 4K Restoration

In March of 1976, Francis Ford Coppola flew to the Philippines to begin production on a Vietnam war epic. What was supposed to be a relatively simple four-month shoot descended into a hellish nightmare in which a monstrous typhoon destroyed numerous sets; the cast and crew engaged in rampant drug use; 36-year-old leading man Martin Sheen suffered a near-fatal heart attack; Marlon Brando arrived late into production overweight and unprepared for his key role; and other insane incidents tormented the film’s ambitious director, threatening not only his project but his very life. Amidst the chaos, like a fly on the wall, was Coppola’s wife Eleanor, 16mm camera in hand, documenting the trials and tribulations of what eventually became — after the fraught 238-day shoot ended in May of 1977 — one of the most revered films in American history. In 1990, the remarkable behind-the-scenes footage was turned over to filmmakers George Hickenlooper and Fax Bahr who then shot contemporary interviews with the original cast and crew to weave an illuminating documentary about one artist’s unyielding pursuit of a miracle within the darkest depths — now presented in a stunning new 4K restoration. DIR Eleanor Coppola; DIR/SCR Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper; PROD Les Mayfield, George Zaloom. U.S., 1991, color, 96 min. NOT RATED

In 1976, Eleanor Coppola shot behind-the-scenes footage of APOCALYPSE NOW on 16mm. For the first time, American Zoetrope decided to return to all original sources and scan elements in 4K for this new release. What everyone has seen over the last 30 years has been three to four generations removed from the source elements. Additionally, the 2019 4K restoration of APOCALYPSE NOW was utilized for this release, incorporating those elements into the documentary. Any clips pulled from APOCALYPSE NOW and used in the documentary maintained the original aspect ratio 2.40 instead of letterboxing it in a 4x3 frame. Lastly, the soundtrack was remastered, creating a new 5.1 mix. The film was restored at American Zoetrope and graded at Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank, California. The director, Fax Bahr, came in and approved the grade.

Run Time: 96 Minutes

Opening Date: Friday, August 08, 2025

Genre: Documentary

View Series Page