Apocalypse Now: Production Hell
During the 1970’s the landscape of Hollywood shifted dramatically. Gone were the days of the old studio system, and in its place was a new wave of auteur filmmakers set on challenging the conventions of what cinema could be. At the forefront of what would become known as the New Hollywood movement was a young Italian-American director: Francis Ford Coppola.
Coppola emerged from the famed UCLA Film School before working his way into the industry by starting from the ground up. Having worked as an assistant for numerous productions throughout the 1960’s, alongside directing a couple of his own low-budget feature-length films, Francis received his big break when he was tasked by Paramount to adapt Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather for the big screen. Whilst the production was difficult due to the studio’s relentless interference, Coppola managed to maintain his vision for the film, with The Godfather released to widespread critical and commercial acclaim.
Francis had now become one of the most sought after directors almost overnight, with his next two films, The Conversation and The Godfather Part II, continuing his unprecedented success. With the backing of the studio and near creative freedom, the stage was set for his next picture, Apocalypse Now. Adapted from Joseph Conrad’s novel Hearts of Darkness, the script had originally been written by John Milius, with George Lucas set to direct, but after years of failed attempts to get the film made, it remained in production limbo. With Lucas off directing his own film, Star Wars, Coppola decided to take the burden upon himself and bring his own vision of Apocalypse Now to life.
To capture an authentic interpretation of Vietnam, Francis planned for a four-month shoot to take place in the Philippines. Due to this arduous production, casting for the picture proved to be a real issue with many notable actors including Steve McQueen, Al Pacino, and Jack Nicholson all turning the renowned director down. Eventually, Harvey Keitel was cast in the lead role of Willard, but after a week of shooting Coppola decided that he wasn’t right for the part and replaced him with Martin Sheen. 3 months into principal photography, the production was devastated by a Typhoon, with the majority of the sets and equipment destroyed. Already 6 weeks behind schedule and $2 million over budget, Francis and the crew pushed on.
Aside from the challenging weather conditions of the Philippines, the location also brought with it multiple other issues. The standard health and safety checks which would ordinarily take place on an American film production were often ignored. This led to controversial scenarios such as a water buffalo being slaughtered on-camera by an indigenous tribe, as well as real human corpses being brought to the set by a local man, shortly before the police intervened. The on-set chaos would continue when Martin Sheen, only 36 at the time, suffered an unsuspecting heart attack, once again sending the production into disarray. Fearing that the studio would pull the rug out from underneath them if word got back about his condition, Sheen decided to lie and claim that the incident was caused by heart stroke rather than expose the truth. Unlike Sheen, some of the other cast members were not so selfless.
The casting of Marlon Brando in the role of Colonel Kurtz was a major factor in getting Apocalypse Now green-lit by the studio. Despite his damaged reputation, Brando was still a major draw in the film industry, and having worked with him on The Godfather, Coppola believed he could get the best out of the actor once again. However, when Brando arrived on set in the Philippines he was overweight, underprepared, and intoxicated. Alongside this, Marlon would feud with fellow cast member Dennis Hopper during their small time filming together. Francis persisted with the award-winning actor, working around his numerous limitations in order to maintain the mystic of Kurtz within the final film. After 238 days, having shot nearly 1.5 million feet of film and with the budget now over $25 million, shooting wrapped on Apocalypse Now. The mammoth task of cutting the film was entrusted by Coppola to four editors, with the process taking over a year to complete.
Ultimately, all the trials and tribulations would eventually pay off. Upon debuting at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979, a three-hour unfinished cut of Apocalypse Now would receive a standing ovation, whilst also earning the top prize: the coveted Palme d’Or. At the subsequent press conference, Coppola would say “We had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane…My film is not about Vietnam, it is Vietnam”.
