A must: Tuesday 19 August at 7pm. ‘Apocalypse Now’, Francis Ford Copolla’s Vietnam movie did what most of his other films did – it left a mark. A mark, and not just left on the audiences in each of the screens where it was shown across America and the rest of the world but also on all those others who were involved in the film’s creation. And also on the cast – both those who were still there at the end and the others who didn’t quite make it. But probably the greatest and deepest mark of all was left on the director himself – Francis Ford Copolla.
A ‘great’ film? Yes, certainly. But more than that it was a ‘Landmark’ film, one that did more than captivate, entrance and shock those watching in the cinemas of the world. It nearly destroyed the director, close to bankrupting him financially, spiritually, physically and psychologically. And probably much of that affected the cast and crew as well. But this (documentary) film delivers the intensity of the action and pure drama behind the camera. More than the film itself? Possibly.
‘Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse’ is THE story of that film. It is a restored, updated 4k re-release and it takes and uses footage of the behind the scenes, shot by (the late) Eleanor Copolla, Francis’ wife, who was an accomplished filmmaker in her own right. It captures the meltdowns and almost complete breakdown of Copolla and others, and – captures the real sense of almost complete chaos over the eight long months of filming in the Philippine jungle of what would eventually emerge as Francis Ford Copolla’s true masterpiece.
Actors, big top names were cast, and then cast aside (Harvey Keitel being the most notable). Martin Sheen, in probably his most memorable role even suffered a heart attack that could have blown a massive hole in the entire project. Marlon Brando, the enigma, who only appeared at the end of the film and hardly uttered even a single audible line was there for one million dollars for each of his three weeks on set (rumours abounded that he wanted to slow things down….).
‘Apocalypse Now’ was a film of a journey. An adaptation of – or inspired by – Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’, transported from the deepest and darkest jungle in the Congo to the deepest and darkest jungle in Vietnam.
It was ostensibly the journey of Martin Sheen’s character (Willard) to seek out (and kill) Kurtz, the legendary and mysterious Marlon Brando figure somewhere deep in the jungle. But it was a different journey, one that ventured towards the heart of the director, Francis Ford Copolla, and when taking several steps back to look and consider (further back the better), it can be seen as a film about the journey of America and its people across the period of Vietnam: questioning where was it going? What were the aims and values within American society and how were they changing? And many more deep and unanswerables. A period of transition, but to what and to where? Maybe now, well over thirty years since the original release some of this can be viewed through an entirely different lens.
This re-released documentary should reawaken much of that which surrounded the original film. Timely given what is happening in the world around us all at this point. And whilst it is due to be released on BluRay very soon, the power of the sensory overload of this now 4K film can only be experienced in an environment where the focus is singular – the screen ahead – and the sound sharp and intense – and that is in The Parade Cinema, on Tuesday 19 August at 7pm. Enjoy…….
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