Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Hearts of Darkness is a monumental documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now. With this film, we get to see the making of this epic war film, and the chaos it took to create such a monumental cinematic achievement. With in depth behind the scenes footage, the film gives the… More
  Hearts of Darkness is a monumental documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now. With this film, we get to see the making of this epic war film, and the chaos it took to create such a monumental cinematic achievement. With in depth behind the scenes footage, the film gives the viewer the real story about this stunning work, and how hard it was for director Francis Ford Coppola. The film boasts interviews with everyone involved with the project. I feel that this is among the best documentaries ever made and it is a definite must see for fans of Apocalypse Now. Watching this film you get a sense of the dedication that Coppola had in making this ambitious film. Hearts of Darkness is an enthralling picture that is brilliant, fascinating and above all intense. This is a journey into a chaotic filmmaking experience that is brilliantly captured. Each person from the actors to the filmmakers gives their insight into the massive project. Coppola faced some serious obstacles in making Apocalypse Now, he financed the film with his own money, the project extended beyond the original shooting schedule and lead actor Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack on set. Coppola was faced with great doubt whether he was making a good picture or not. Throughout the shooting schedule, Coppola would go through great risk, almost to the point where his sanity was tested. The end result was not only a great film, but a standout piece of classic cinema. Hearts of Darkness is a terrific film that really plunges the viewer into the action of what it was like to make this cinematic classic. This is a documentary that is just as good as the film it documents. Another aspect of the film is that it shows the dedication that Coppola has to his craft, the dedication he has to make something unforgettable to watch. Apocalypse Now payed off for him and Hearts of Darkness is an exploration in how far filmmakers will go to convey his vision on celluloid.

• Anthony L

  
  Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is a great insight and document of one of the most notorious film shoots in the history of cinema. It exposes the madness and obsession throughout the history of the story from the people who wanted to make it, the crew that eventually… More
  Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse is a great insight and document of one of the most notorious film shoots in the history of cinema. It exposes the madness and obsession throughout the history of the story from the people who wanted to make it, the crew that eventually made it and the cast who went mad and nearly died making it. Some of it I found exaggerated. When all your money is in a project that is rapidly falling apart, the safest way to get a return is to make sure people see the film by making it 'notorious' and that is exactly what Coppola did. This film exposes him as a great marketing man but a bad director. You have to wonder if it is the big budgets and great actors alone that have made his career and not necessarily his 'Artist input'. I found him and his wife to be extremely annoying, naive and stupid throughout this documentary, Apocalypse Now is great film but it's a shame it couldn't of happened to a nicer man. This is essential viewing for anyone seeking a career in film making but as more of a how not to do it guide but then again, all you really need is a lot of luck and a lot of money, this film is proof of that. Fascinating watching all the same.

• Thomas B

  
  All the more amazing for the fact that it's real. Full review later.

• Ken S

  
  Best Making of Documentary Ever... I think I swallowed a bug

• Tim S

  
  Interesting, but a little self indulgent documentary about the filmmaking process. Francis Ford Coppola should be commended for being so honest about his own shortcomings that arise during the making of one of his landmark films and it's crazy to watch all of the overall bad luck… More
  Interesting, but a little self indulgent documentary about the filmmaking process. Francis Ford Coppola should be commended for being so honest about his own shortcomings that arise during the making of one of his landmark films and it's crazy to watch all of the overall bad luck that he encountered while shooting. The self indulgence makes it a little hard to swallow and makes it hard for me to feel anything for the actual actors. I can't imagine being a part of this crew during this shoot. I just kept feeling bad for the grips and production assistants who had to sit by and watch as these assholes had to make their epic. At least they got paid, but you wonder if they were paid overtime.

• Stella D

  
  i learned some interesting stuff including that heart of darkness was orson welles' first planned film project. he ended up making citizen kane instead. fascinating insight into the film making process... and it's a wonder brando got any work with his attitude :p

• Conner R

  
  A powerful story of one man's journey to make the most important/relevant war movie of the time. Francis Ford Coppola poured his heart and soul into Apocalypse Now and it definitely shows that in this documentary. If you didn't respect the man before, you certainly would… More
  A powerful story of one man's journey to make the most important/relevant war movie of the time. Francis Ford Coppola poured his heart and soul into Apocalypse Now and it definitely shows that in this documentary. If you didn't respect the man before, you certainly would after seeing the documentary. To him it was more than just a movie that he was making and not about the money or fame.

• Jennifer X

  
  Weird that I like the behind-the-scenes documentary better than the actual movie. But Apocalypse Now is a polarizing movie. I like Coppola so much more as a person than as a director. He has a noncompromising idea of what he wants the movie to be and that's why it was finally… More
  Weird that I like the behind-the-scenes documentary better than the actual movie. But Apocalypse Now is a polarizing movie. I like Coppola so much more as a person than as a director. He has a noncompromising idea of what he wants the movie to be and that's why it was finally made after all that tortuous junk. From what I saw that movie didn't seem all that great given certain scenes but the overlay of narration and music and crosscutting gave it the unique feel if you watch it now. Tropic Thunder was definitely parodying this.

• Michael S

  
  Intense Documentary.

• Tim S

  
  A fascinating glimpse into the making of a masterpiece.

• Michael G

  
  If you're a fan of the film Apocalypse Now you need to see this.

• John B

  
  Perhaps as intriguing as Apocalypse Now itself. The coverage of Brando and the condition that he came to the Philippines in is extraordinary. One of the best documentaries on film making that I have seen.

• Mike T

  
  This is definitely one of the best documentary films I've ever seen, and one of my favorites. This is a brilliant portrait of the lengths a great artist will go to in order to fulfill his vision. Ontop of making me admire Apocalypse Now even more, it also gave me a greater… More
  This is definitely one of the best documentary films I've ever seen, and one of my favorites. This is a brilliant portrait of the lengths a great artist will go to in order to fulfill his vision. Ontop of making me admire Apocalypse Now even more, it also gave me a greater appreciation for Coppola as a storyteller in general. Essential viewing for fans of its subject.

• Alec B

  
  Watching this documentary proves that the mere fact that Apocalypse Now was even completed was a miracle, that it turned out to be one of the greatest movies ever made is something that is beyond comprehension. As with many documentaries on subjects like this, I wish there was more… More
  Watching this documentary proves that the mere fact that Apocalypse Now was even completed was a miracle, that it turned out to be one of the greatest movies ever made is something that is beyond comprehension. As with many documentaries on subjects like this, I wish there was more but the film is an interesting exploration of the environment that created the classic film. It suggests that the fact that things were so fucked up on set 24/7 for nearly four years is the reason the film is so great.

• Anoop K

  
  Often considered the greatest documentary on making of a film, Hearts of Darkness deserves the reputation it has. Mixing on-set footages and interviews done years later, the documentary looks back into one of the most elaborate and troubled productions in the history of cinema. The… More
  Often considered the greatest documentary on making of a film, Hearts of Darkness deserves the reputation it has. Mixing on-set footages and interviews done years later, the documentary looks back into one of the most elaborate and troubled productions in the history of cinema. The director and editor have done a fantastic job to convey the total chaos and the horror of a film production that threatens to spiral out of control any time. You got to watch it to see how much horror can a "200 days of filming" board with celebratory fireworks can convey. A must watch for anybody who is seriously interested in cinema.

• Christopher B

  
  Amazing doc chronicling the making of Apocalypse Now. What's so incredible is the viewer gets to see one of the toughest shoots to create one of the greatest films of all time. If you're an Apocalypse Now fan you must see this ASAP.

• Wu C

  
  Interesting inside look on the making of 'Apocalypse Now'.

Read all 17 featured audience ratings