DVD Corner

Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse 4K UHD Review

“Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse” is one of the best films about moviemaking.

We all know “Apocalypse Now” went on to become one of the great war films and one of Francis Ford Coppola’s greatest works. The making of “Apocalypse Now,” however, was a wild journey. Using documentary footage directed by Francis Ford Coppola’s wife Eleanor Coppola (who also narrates), directors Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper directed a 1991 documentary feature about the making of “Apocalypse Now” titled “Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.”

Composed of archival interviews, set footage, set interviews, photos, and “Apocalypse Now” footage, ‘Hearts Of Darkness’ delves into the 238 day film shoot that took place in 1976 in the Philippines. Much of the story is dedicated to Francis Ford Coppola’s own journey in trying to make the film which is loosely based on the classic novel “Heart Of Darkness” (hence the title of the documentary). Through recordings and interviews, we get a sense of Coppola’s fears, doubts, anguish, artistic struggles, and downright exhaustion in making the project a reality. He’s even using his own money to create his cinematic art. The documentary also delves into the history of attempts at adapting the source material along with the many problems that occurred during projection such as casting issues, a Civil War in the Philippines, the growing budget, the shoot going well over schedule, a typhoon destroying sets, and mental health struggles (for Martin Sheen especially). Truth be told, the chaotic production (and the story of the film’s making) is just as fascinating as “Apocalypse Now” itself. You’re even left wanting to know more about the production as there were undoubtedly more fascinating stories left on the cutting room floor. 

Perhaps the film’s greatest irony is that a film about the chaos of war turned out to be a chaotic production. Even stranger, that film turned out to be an influential classic. It just goes to show you that magic can happen even in dire circumstances and that great art can spring out of unexpected and challenging journeys. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 2160p. How does it look? The “Apocalypse Now” scenes look superb, but some of the documentary footage contains imperfections such as lines. Still, this is easily the best the film has looked.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Similarly, the “Apocalypse Now” footage sounds top notch here while the audio quality varies in terms of the behind-the-scenes footage.

Extras include a Digital copy and the 37 minute “The Making Of Hearts Of Darkness.” 

January 3, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Apocalypse Now, documentary, Francis Ford Coppola, Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse 4K UHD Review