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Peter Cowie has been granted unprecedented access to Coppola's private archives of the production of Apocalypse Now. This work reconstructs the extraordinary story.
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Francis Ford Coppola
69 books74 followersFrancis Ford Coppola is a five-time Academy Award-winning American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Coppola is also a vintner, magazine publisher, and hotelier. He is a graduate of Hofstra University where he studied theatre. He earned an M.F.A. in film directing from the UCLA Film School. He is most renowned for directing the highly-regarded Godfather trilogy, The Conversation, and the Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 12, 2016
Lots of good stuff in here. Walter Murch's input alone makes it worth a read. As I observed before, the title is dumb. There's an abundance of insight into the making of the film, and the development of the story and characters. My only major gripe is that it goes off on occasional tangents that don't go anywhere, and is a little stilted from time to time. I'm glad I read it, though, as Apocalypse Now is a film for the ages, and as a film I love, I want to immerse myself in it. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
November 21, 2012
Un libro muy interesante sobre la concepción y realización de Apocalypse Now. A manera de anécdotas, el autor relata cómo surgió la inquietud de un cineasta laureado por una cinta como El Padrino, de filmar una película como esta, con un guion basado en El Corazón de las Tinieblas de Joseph Conrad. Su finalidad era hacer una película de autor, sin quitarle la dote de espectacularidad y aventura, conservando una visión de la guerra y la condición humana en esta clase de situaciones. Una vez adentrado en la filmación, Coppola uso referencia de T.S. Elliot y Jessie L. Weston, James Frazer y Michael Herr, el cual termina añadiendo la narración en off de Martin Sheen y sobre todo inspirado en la leyenda artúrica del rey pescador. El final fue una cinta que es considerada de culto, una ópera cinematográfica, Michael Herr menciona en una entrevista: “Es muy expresionista, muy operística. Si piensas detenidamente en el argumento, no resiste a un examen muy riguroso. Es como leer el libreto de Il Trovatore: se te escapa la risa. Sin embargo, vas a escuchar la ópera y el drama te hace añicos. La película funciona a este nivel”.
December 3, 2022
There are certain films over time that have always existed in their own completely contained and unique cinematic universes – i.e. "The Wizard of Oz," "Citizen Kane," "The Searchers," "Psycho," "The Shining," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre;" yes, that one too; among others. Obviously, each of these films do exist in firmly established genres but have a style, a visual feel, a tangible experiential element that only happens when you watch it – no matter how many times you see it.
"Apocalypse Now" may be the Granddaddy of these classically unique film experiences. There have certainly been films created about the Vietnam War, set In Country and out. Some of them are were very good in their own right, some aren’t. But nothing comes close to the hallucinatory and nightmarishly immersive experience that is "Apocalypse Now." The last theatrical release, and final artistic statement regarding this rarefied piece of cinema, 2019’s "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut," was pre-COVID and I was lucky enough to experience it with a good crowd, on a HUGE screen, and it provided this somewhat seasoned film buff with a truly transcendent big-screen experience.
It was the sixth time I had seen the film, including it’s different iterations over the years, all of which still create that unique cinematic space that is all it’s own. The re-insertion of the extended dream-like decaying French plantation scene, IMHO, added another layer of greatness to the film, and I’m still perplexed after all these years why Coppola cut the section from the original in the first place.
But this is a book review, not a film review (well, maybe a little bit of both). The book is a fascinating behind-the scenes, in-the-Heart-of-Darkness, account of the making of the film, the mental and physical collapses, the horrendous weather challenges, the technical limitations and issues with late-70’s film technology (and I do mean film), as well as the arrogant whims of the then long-time Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the use of his military hardware (i.e. helicopters/soldiers) while the corrupt autocrat was actually fighting his own rebel insurgency.
Francis Ford Coppola, while still in his mid-30’s when United Artists green lit the project, was smart enough to retain control of the film as producer through his Zoetrope studio. That not only allowed him to retain control with “final cut,” of the film, but he has also banked the massive worldwide profits generated over the 42 years since its public release. However, did he almost lose all of his millions, as well as his sanity, while making the film? That is a resounding yes.
The book has some very interesting, illuminating, and little-know tidbits about the making of the film, including:
In 1975, John Milius submitted his first draft screenplay and was paid $25,000, plus 12.5% of the net profits should the picture be produced under his “direct supervision.” No way in hell was THAT ever going to happen.
Steve McQueen was the first choice in the casting of Willard. Can you imagine how different that film would have been? Other initial considerations for the role were Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, James Caan, and there was even some talk about Clint Eastwood.
The real-life “Playmates” in the film were Linda Carpenter, Linda Hoflich, and Cyndi Wood and they were all paid scale ($604 a week). Wood was later replaced by Colleen Camp. Also, real-life rock impresario Bill Graham played their manager in the USO scene. He earned $1,000 a week on location, with a further $500 a week in expenses.
An unrecognizable, and VERY young Laurence Fishburne was cast as part of the boat’s crew as private Clean. He lied about his age and was only fourteen years old!
Coppola had zero participation or approval from the US military (BIG surprise there), so he utilized the helicopters and soldiers from the Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ private army.
Finding a sufficient amount of Americans to play extras on-location resulted in all the Coppola boys (Gian-Carlo, & Roman) and the Sheen boys (Charlie, Emilio, & Ramon) being “drafted” as uniformed soldiers in several scenes.
Hot up-and-coming actor Harvey Keitel was finally cast as Willard. However, after about a month of shooting, Coppola realized he had made a mistake. Years later, FFC said, “Harvey Keitel is a fine actor, and I did not replace him because of his acting talent, which he has more than made evident over the years. I never was 100% sure that he was right for the role. Another thing was that Harvey was incredibly uncomfortable in the jungle, among weird creatures and boats. So I had to make a grown-up decision, and recognize that I’d made a mistake. It’s always hard to fire an actor.”
Many interesting facts about the beginning legendary solo nude scene with Martin Sheen holed up in his hotel room in Saigon awaiting his orders: Sheen recalls: “I had been drinking all day. I’d lived in that room for a couple of days. Day and night. I had no business being on screen. Francis didn’t want me to do it, but I insisted. I was in front of the mirror. I made a chop. I was too close. I hit it and cut myself and Francis yelled ‘Cut!’ And I said, “no, keep rolling.” And he said, ‘No, you’re bleeding,’ and I said, “Yes, I know, let’s go on. I’m not hurt, I want to explore this.” Everyone in that film, at some juncture, faced their own personal Heart of Darkness, which almost drove some into madness.
The famous tiger scene with Frederic Forrest and Martin Sheen in the jungle was a mind-fucker. The tiger, named Gambi, had not been fed for a week. A stuntman dragged a live pig on a line of cord to serve as bait alongside the actors. “To me,” said Forrest, “that was the essence of the whole film in Vietnam – that look in the tiger’s eyes, the madness; it didn’t matter what you wanted, there was no reality any more – if that tiger wanted you, you were his.”
I had always been under the impression that the “shit-your-pants” tiger scene had been the cause of Martin Sheen’s heart attack while filming. He actually collapsed on the morning of March 5, 1977 while jogging. He had been living a jungle lifestyle mixed with copious amounts of liquor, cigarettes, and Jungle Madness. He almost died and was given his last rites. “I call it fragmentation,” said Sheen later when asked what caused the event. “There was a lot of responsibility on me that I was unable to carry. I was divided spiritually. I was almost non-existent, not in touch with my spirit at all. I was not in command of my own life.”
On May 19, 1976, the worst hurricane in forty years struck the Asian archipelago of the Philippines. Dubbed Typhoon Didang, or “Olga,” the tropical storm caused havoc throughout the islands, killing 140 Filipinos and leaving thousands more homeless. By early June, the production had been officially closed down, and most of the cast and crew were aboard planes taking them home to Europe and the US. By that time, the film was six weeks behind schedule and $2 million dollars over budget. But the many bouts of multiple individuals facing their own “Hearts of Darkness” to complete the film, still lay ahead.
However, the completed masterpiece went on to win the 1979 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has grossed well north of $100 million dollars worldwide, and has entered movie history as one of the greatest statements on the folly of war.
To learn more fascinating anecdotes and voluminous behind-the-scenes details and juicy gossip about the production, I strongly recommend this book. Not only for admirers of the film itself, but for cinema lovers of all stripes.
"Apocalypse Now" may be the Granddaddy of these classically unique film experiences. There have certainly been films created about the Vietnam War, set In Country and out. Some of them are were very good in their own right, some aren’t. But nothing comes close to the hallucinatory and nightmarishly immersive experience that is "Apocalypse Now." The last theatrical release, and final artistic statement regarding this rarefied piece of cinema, 2019’s "Apocalypse Now: Final Cut," was pre-COVID and I was lucky enough to experience it with a good crowd, on a HUGE screen, and it provided this somewhat seasoned film buff with a truly transcendent big-screen experience.
It was the sixth time I had seen the film, including it’s different iterations over the years, all of which still create that unique cinematic space that is all it’s own. The re-insertion of the extended dream-like decaying French plantation scene, IMHO, added another layer of greatness to the film, and I’m still perplexed after all these years why Coppola cut the section from the original in the first place.
But this is a book review, not a film review (well, maybe a little bit of both). The book is a fascinating behind-the scenes, in-the-Heart-of-Darkness, account of the making of the film, the mental and physical collapses, the horrendous weather challenges, the technical limitations and issues with late-70’s film technology (and I do mean film), as well as the arrogant whims of the then long-time Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the use of his military hardware (i.e. helicopters/soldiers) while the corrupt autocrat was actually fighting his own rebel insurgency.
Francis Ford Coppola, while still in his mid-30’s when United Artists green lit the project, was smart enough to retain control of the film as producer through his Zoetrope studio. That not only allowed him to retain control with “final cut,” of the film, but he has also banked the massive worldwide profits generated over the 42 years since its public release. However, did he almost lose all of his millions, as well as his sanity, while making the film? That is a resounding yes.
The book has some very interesting, illuminating, and little-know tidbits about the making of the film, including:
In 1975, John Milius submitted his first draft screenplay and was paid $25,000, plus 12.5% of the net profits should the picture be produced under his “direct supervision.” No way in hell was THAT ever going to happen.
Steve McQueen was the first choice in the casting of Willard. Can you imagine how different that film would have been? Other initial considerations for the role were Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, James Caan, and there was even some talk about Clint Eastwood.
The real-life “Playmates” in the film were Linda Carpenter, Linda Hoflich, and Cyndi Wood and they were all paid scale ($604 a week). Wood was later replaced by Colleen Camp. Also, real-life rock impresario Bill Graham played their manager in the USO scene. He earned $1,000 a week on location, with a further $500 a week in expenses.
An unrecognizable, and VERY young Laurence Fishburne was cast as part of the boat’s crew as private Clean. He lied about his age and was only fourteen years old!
Coppola had zero participation or approval from the US military (BIG surprise there), so he utilized the helicopters and soldiers from the Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ private army.
Finding a sufficient amount of Americans to play extras on-location resulted in all the Coppola boys (Gian-Carlo, & Roman) and the Sheen boys (Charlie, Emilio, & Ramon) being “drafted” as uniformed soldiers in several scenes.
Hot up-and-coming actor Harvey Keitel was finally cast as Willard. However, after about a month of shooting, Coppola realized he had made a mistake. Years later, FFC said, “Harvey Keitel is a fine actor, and I did not replace him because of his acting talent, which he has more than made evident over the years. I never was 100% sure that he was right for the role. Another thing was that Harvey was incredibly uncomfortable in the jungle, among weird creatures and boats. So I had to make a grown-up decision, and recognize that I’d made a mistake. It’s always hard to fire an actor.”
Many interesting facts about the beginning legendary solo nude scene with Martin Sheen holed up in his hotel room in Saigon awaiting his orders: Sheen recalls: “I had been drinking all day. I’d lived in that room for a couple of days. Day and night. I had no business being on screen. Francis didn’t want me to do it, but I insisted. I was in front of the mirror. I made a chop. I was too close. I hit it and cut myself and Francis yelled ‘Cut!’ And I said, “no, keep rolling.” And he said, ‘No, you’re bleeding,’ and I said, “Yes, I know, let’s go on. I’m not hurt, I want to explore this.” Everyone in that film, at some juncture, faced their own personal Heart of Darkness, which almost drove some into madness.
The famous tiger scene with Frederic Forrest and Martin Sheen in the jungle was a mind-fucker. The tiger, named Gambi, had not been fed for a week. A stuntman dragged a live pig on a line of cord to serve as bait alongside the actors. “To me,” said Forrest, “that was the essence of the whole film in Vietnam – that look in the tiger’s eyes, the madness; it didn’t matter what you wanted, there was no reality any more – if that tiger wanted you, you were his.”
I had always been under the impression that the “shit-your-pants” tiger scene had been the cause of Martin Sheen’s heart attack while filming. He actually collapsed on the morning of March 5, 1977 while jogging. He had been living a jungle lifestyle mixed with copious amounts of liquor, cigarettes, and Jungle Madness. He almost died and was given his last rites. “I call it fragmentation,” said Sheen later when asked what caused the event. “There was a lot of responsibility on me that I was unable to carry. I was divided spiritually. I was almost non-existent, not in touch with my spirit at all. I was not in command of my own life.”
On May 19, 1976, the worst hurricane in forty years struck the Asian archipelago of the Philippines. Dubbed Typhoon Didang, or “Olga,” the tropical storm caused havoc throughout the islands, killing 140 Filipinos and leaving thousands more homeless. By early June, the production had been officially closed down, and most of the cast and crew were aboard planes taking them home to Europe and the US. By that time, the film was six weeks behind schedule and $2 million dollars over budget. But the many bouts of multiple individuals facing their own “Hearts of Darkness” to complete the film, still lay ahead.
However, the completed masterpiece went on to win the 1979 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has grossed well north of $100 million dollars worldwide, and has entered movie history as one of the greatest statements on the folly of war.
To learn more fascinating anecdotes and voluminous behind-the-scenes details and juicy gossip about the production, I strongly recommend this book. Not only for admirers of the film itself, but for cinema lovers of all stripes.
Want to read
May 14, 2018Ryt (2018.05.15) eisiu žiūrėti kine. Pamatyt dideliame ekrane bus labai įdomu. Pirmą kartą žiūrėjau pačioje sovietinės videoeros pradžioje kokiais 1982 m tarybinio spalvoto televizoriaus ekrane. Neprabego nė 40 metų ir sulaukiau didelio vaizdo ir gero garso :)
September 20, 2011
This is a great book for fans of Apocalypse Now. It covers the film and all of its troubles from pre-production right up to its theatrical release. You get rare photos of Harvey Keitel as Willard before Martin Sheen took over and a chapter on the over 5 hour workprint of the film. They're are some things not covered here like the Redux version for example but in the end this is a good indepth look at one of my favorite films.
April 7, 2024
This (unfortunately titled) book contains every detail on the production of (and inspiration for) Apocalypse Now.
Of particular interest is a transcript of a lengthy conversation between Marlon Brando and Coppola developing the character of Kurtz. A real treat.
It also contains lots of great B&W photos.
Of particular interest is a transcript of a lengthy conversation between Marlon Brando and Coppola developing the character of Kurtz. A real treat.
It also contains lots of great B&W photos.
May 2, 2019
This is an interesting and detailed look at the making of "Apocalypse Now," a movie I thoroughly hated, but I read the book because I had read Viet Thanh Nguyen's book, "The Sympathizer," and I'd seen Nguyen speak and knew what he thought of the movie. Nguyen's book is the real deal; this book is an homage to Francis Ford Coppola. I got pretty sick of the constant raves for the movie -- everyone involved seemed ridiculously self-absorbed and incredibly well pleased with themselves. I was shocked to learn that they expected a "G" rating for the movie and that Coppola said it wasn't gory. Huh? Has he SEEN the damn thing?
But really, my most important objection was the very one that Nguyen helped me see: Coppola and his team paid zero attention to the Vietnamese people. They were nothing more than props to surround the true heroes, aka the Americans. About the only saving grace of the movie is that they didn't (couldn't) film it in Vietnam.
The book provides copious details, so anyone fascinated by the movie and/or Coppola will enjoy it. I did not.
But really, my most important objection was the very one that Nguyen helped me see: Coppola and his team paid zero attention to the Vietnamese people. They were nothing more than props to surround the true heroes, aka the Americans. About the only saving grace of the movie is that they didn't (couldn't) film it in Vietnam.
The book provides copious details, so anyone fascinated by the movie and/or Coppola will enjoy it. I did not.
June 25, 2023
There's a segment in the book where the author relays, in some detail, scenes that the audience has been deprived of, but they seem to be scenes from the Redux cut (which I think the book's release coincided with). So, unless I've missed something, that info feels a bit redundant. Otherwise, this is an easy read and a good companion to one of the greatest films ever made, from a seed once in the hands of George Lucas, to a chaotic tree consuming every inch of space in the Coppola garden. There's a bit of historical context laid out towards the end of the book, as well as a comparison with Conrad's Heart of Darkness and a short character analysis. A good number of quotes and interview excerpts from various folk involved, some newly conducted by the author. I've already seen the film 3 times in the last year, but now want to watch it all over again.
Read
October 24, 2021Best for general film fans as opposed to cinephiles or fellow filmmakers; it doesn't go too deep. Interesting anecdotes include Francis Coppola telling Marlon Brando that some day in the future he won't need him -- actors will be able to be generated by computer files -- and Eleanor Coppola noting that the midpoint of a tarot card deck (the middle of one's life) reflects the midpoint of archetypal stories, i.e. the moment when the protagonist realizes everything they see in their antagonists also exists within themselves.
May 17, 2020
Haphazardly pulled together a lot of information about making of the movie but wasn’t well structured and included misquotes from Heart of Darkness that worries me about authenticity in the entire book.
October 30, 2025
As informative as his book on the godfather, this is a book that brings unfiltered views together. From arguable the most famous war films with a production to match I really enjoyed reading all the production views.
Worth ready if you enjoyed Notes by Eleanor Coppola.
Worth ready if you enjoyed Notes by Eleanor Coppola.
February 20, 2018
Lots of incidents mentioned detailing the problems faced during principal the photography. Helped finish an essay on the reasons for budgetary overruns, talking points aplenty.
Well categorised
Well categorised
September 1, 2019
I know that the French Plantation scene won't live up to the hype, and yet, I must see it.
Want to read
May 13, 2013Talk about bad timing. After years waiting for a good Apocalypse Now book, Peter Cowie's comes out, right around the same time as "Apocalypse Now Redux." The irony being that Cowie wrote the book in 2000, a full year before Coppola unveiled his reworked masterpiece. This means that, due to how long the publishing process takes, the book has hardly any information about Redux, which is a shame. As Cowie's interview with Coppola took place in 1999, there are no quotes or thoughts from the director about what lead him to create Redux.
That being said, the rest of the book is very informative, in some cases too informative. The background, pre-production detail is nearly staggering. I would have liked to have learned more about screenwriter John Milius' original script idea, "The Psychedelic Soldier," which, after he was inspired by the idea to do a modern tribute to Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," became Apocalypse Now. Cowie, however, does do a great job of mentioning many of the early drafts of the script, even quoting from the rarely-seen first draft, in which the VC speak in goofy subtitles, and Colonel Kilgore is known as Colonel Kharnage.
The level of research Cowie has performed leaves me wondering over many glaring omissions. For example, the highlight of the book is a chapter titled "Buried Treasure," in which Cowie goes over the 5 ½ hour work print. Though he gives detailed descriptions of the major scenes that are in the work print, but were not included in the original version (or the Redux), there's no mention of the Photojournalist's death scene, which is a major revelation of the work print. Likewise, Cowie doesn't mention how deadly Martin Sheen's Willard is in the work print; for example, in it he kills a child in the climax.
That being said, the rest of the book is very informative, in some cases too informative. The background, pre-production detail is nearly staggering. I would have liked to have learned more about screenwriter John Milius' original script idea, "The Psychedelic Soldier," which, after he was inspired by the idea to do a modern tribute to Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," became Apocalypse Now. Cowie, however, does do a great job of mentioning many of the early drafts of the script, even quoting from the rarely-seen first draft, in which the VC speak in goofy subtitles, and Colonel Kilgore is known as Colonel Kharnage.
The level of research Cowie has performed leaves me wondering over many glaring omissions. For example, the highlight of the book is a chapter titled "Buried Treasure," in which Cowie goes over the 5 ½ hour work print. Though he gives detailed descriptions of the major scenes that are in the work print, but were not included in the original version (or the Redux), there's no mention of the Photojournalist's death scene, which is a major revelation of the work print. Likewise, Cowie doesn't mention how deadly Martin Sheen's Willard is in the work print; for example, in it he kills a child in the climax.
May 23, 2014
A masterpiece about war
The insanity of war , the insanity of power , through the eyes of man in his journey through what seems to be the hell in earth during the vitnamese war
A tough devastating journey to assasin a colonel that 'gone insane'
But to witness the insanity as such in the souls that pass away , in the eyes of both soldiers and civilians
And the insanity that power give to its holders
To witness ,
The Horror , The Horror
The insanity of war , the insanity of power , through the eyes of man in his journey through what seems to be the hell in earth during the vitnamese war
A tough devastating journey to assasin a colonel that 'gone insane'
But to witness the insanity as such in the souls that pass away , in the eyes of both soldiers and civilians
And the insanity that power give to its holders
To witness ,
The Horror , The Horror
January 12, 2013
The definitive story. The complete screenplay with all the deleted scenes inserted. Some loose ends that are seen in the original film are tied up in this screenplay, as well as the new version of the movie.
Read
September 25, 2007گولتون زدم
DVDشو ديدم!
كتابشو نخوندم...اما به شدت دنبالشم!
خوشم اومد!
DVDشو ديدم!
كتابشو نخوندم...اما به شدت دنبالشم!
خوشم اومد!
May 24, 2012
Although I already knew a lot of the information in this book, there was enough new stuff, and it was written so well, that I enjoyed it immensely.
November 7, 2012
Good stuff, companion to Hearts of Darkness.
Read
August 10, 2013:)
May 20, 2015
Plenty of fascinating insights into one of the greatest movies ever
February 11, 2020
This is a pretty good war story.
Read
August 10, 2013:)
September 9, 2014
Excellent in depth examination and analysis if Coppola's master work.
Read
August 9, 2018An inside view of how Hollywood works to make a spectacular movie. This book was more about how the movie was made than particularly about Vietnam. It was amazing to me where the material came from and who was involved. Especially interesting was the financing. It is a wonder the movie made any money. The movie was loosely based on Joseph Conrad's book "Heart of Darkness, It led me to read "Heart of Darkness."
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews