Before that, lets looks a little at the film itself. Financed by Zoetrope Studios, the company Coppola established to create independent cinema, on the money he’d made from Godfather Part 1 and 2. The script was based on Joseph Conrad’s acclaimed ‘Heart of Darkness’ but transplanting the scene from Africa at beginning of colonial times to that of the height of the Vietnam war. To give the flavor of ‘Nam the writers had plundered a series of sources including Michel Herr’s ‘Dispatches’. The film concerns US soldier-assassin, Willard (Martin Sheen) who is sent up river to confront and kill rouge special forces officer Kurtz (Marlon Brando).

Film Facts: Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now became a production nightmare. It was filmed in the Philippines, as it best resembled Vietnam. There, the production suffered huge practical and artistic problems including the replacement of leading man, Martin Sheen being swapped for Harvey Keitel, The Philippine army who were supplying the helicopter were often called off to fight the rebels to the north, Martin Sheen having a hear attack halfway through filming, a typhoon destroying the sets and Brando refusing to work more than one week. The lesson is that whatever nightmare your film is facing, Coppola has faced worse and still won Oscars with the result. No! Seriously, filmmaking is a grueling process and often you can find yourself in the position where it all seems to be going wrong. Within this chaos you fill often find creativity, in the case of Apocalypse Now, they were often writing the film as they went along, but still they produced a fantastic film.

The second point worth considering about this film is in emotion. Many people remember the film for the dramatic helicopter scenes, where they attack a village to the sound of Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkeries’. Pass beyond this and in the climax of the film, existing in a dusty, humid twilight you’ll see thick emotion created with nothing more technical that lighting. I mean even some of the dialogue is borrowed from TS Eliot’s ‘The Hollow Men’. It shows the filmmaker, that how with minimal equipment and relying on the filmmakers art, emotion that carries directly into the mind of the audience can be created.

At the end of the documentary, ‘Heart of Darkness, A filmmaker’s Apocalypse’ which covered the making of the film, Coppola discusses his hope that technology will put everybody in the position of being filmmakers. Viewing what he has created and where technology is now, all I can say is, “Indeed!”

Apocalypse Now
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_Now
In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of Apocalypse Now as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made.

Heart of Darkness, A filmmaker’s Apocalypse
Directed by Eleanor Coppola

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearts_of_Darkness:_A_Filmmaker's_Apocalypse
A fascinating account of the making of a major movie, shot by the directors wife, Eleanor, this shows all the nasty bits, strung out actors, creative doldrums and moments when pure cinema was made. Totally absorbing.

Notes/on the making of Apocalypse Now
by Eleanor Coppola

http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Making-Apocalypse-Eleanor-Coppola/dp/0879101504
This account, in diary format records the observations of the directors wife, Eleanor, during the nightmare making of the film. It is an interesting insight into the pitfalls and creative fears of a great filmmaker.

The “Apocalypse Now” Book
by Peter Cowie

http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Now-Book-Peter-Cowie/dp/0306810468
From the synopsis of Amazon.co.uk, “Peter Cowie has been granted unprecedented access to Coppola's private archives of the production of "Apocalypse Now". This work reconstructs the extraordinary story.”

Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness
Often referred to as one of the greatest short stories ever written. This is an examination into the disintegration of society and the abuse of power, as well as a portrait of a time of colonial exploitation.

Collected Poems of TS Eliot

http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Poems-1909-1962-Centenary-Eliot/dp/0151189781
One of the finest poets of the 20th Century, who achieved note with his poem ‘The Wasteland’. Notes for it’s dramatic, fragmented style and liberal use of source material. Included here as in the film, the poem ‘The Hollow Men’ is read by Brando and sections of it are adapted into the speech of Dennis Hopper.