hyped garbage

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Francis Ford Coppola is a distinguished director and a man of letters, and I'd be interested to see if The Sympathizer, the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Viet Thanh Nguyen, features prominently on his bookshelf. The book, published in 2015, was a reposte to Apocalypse Now, which in itself is an impressive movie in many respects.Anyone who said that history is written by the victors has never watched Apocalypse Now or any other movie in the "Vietnam" genre from our great shores. Funny that no WWI movies pumped out from the USA are called "Germany" movies.I like watching behind-the-scenes documentaries of movies, and Hearts of Darkness is one of the best. We empathize with Francis Ford Coppola on his enduring attempt to bring his vision to screen. He said at a press conference (featured at the beginning of the documentary) that "Apocalypse Now is Vietnam". That's kind of an insult to the millions of Vietnamese who suffered at the hands of the Americans in the War.

Watching "Hearts of Darkness", it's hard to believe Francis Coppola was able to rein in such chaos emerge with the film that he did. Usually, you just have to worry about the rumor mill back in Hollywood when your production is troubled. But making "Apocalypse Now" brought every conceivable hurdle: a civil war, Brando's weight gain and lack of professionalism, a set-destroying typhoon, Sheen's close-call heart attack, Hopper high as a kite, trouble keeping the narrative of the film . . .This guy was under unbelievable pressure, and it speaks to his force of will that he was able to come out the other side with such a celebrated piece of film. This is fascinating stuff.7/10

A likely classic since it's based on one of the best films ever. Films like these sometimes don't always stand the test of time. But this one def does. This film seems to get better with age. Especially when taking into account the massive film he was shooting. Watching Coppola stew in frustration as the Philippine army abandons him during the filming of complicated sequences is revealing and fascinating. Very few who make their living in cinema would open themselves up to such ruthless dissection. But just as the making of the movie was compellingly unique, so was Coppola's defined approach, which is luckily taped unrelentingly in personal recordings. Make sure to watch.

"Hearts of Darkness" is a documentary chronicling the making of "Apocalypse Now". The title is a variation on the novel "Heart of Deakness" by Joseph Conrad--a book that was the basis for much of the film.This documentary gives extraordinary insight into the filming of "Apocalypse Now" because instead of making the documentary way after the fact like most 'making of' films, Coppola's wife was filming behind the scenes throughout the film shoot. It's surprising, then, that it took so long for this documentary to come to light. I think it is clearly a testament to the cult-like adoration of "Apocalypse Now" by some devoted fans.Some highlight of the film include: Laurence Fishburne's comments about 'how fun the war must have been'. These were incredibly stupid and naive, but you do need to remember that he was only 14--a little kid playing a man. So, to him it might have seemed that way when he made the film.Dennis Hopper was clearly 'hopped up' during the filming. His use of drugs is no bit surprise and here you get to see him in all his flaky splendor.Watching the documentary, it's amazing that the finished film was any good. Marlon Brando, despite receiving a MASSIVE salary to participate, wasn't the least bit prepared. Much of what they filmed with him was gibberish and it was all pieced together months later to try to make a coherent ending.You really cannot watch this documentary without first watching movie.My feeling about all this is that the film, though it has some interesting moments, is NOT a must-see film unless you absolutely adore the film. Otherwise, you'll probably be a bit bored by it after a while--which I was.