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* OnlySaneMan: Eleanor Coppola is calm and supportive of Francis throughout the film. Eleanor also even does not seem to care if they were to lose the lifestyle that they have.
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* {{Foreshadowing}}: George Lucas is the OnlySaneMan as he warned Coppola that the longer he was in the jungle the more likely he was to be absorbed by the swamp and driven mad.
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* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The original film that was to be directed by George Lucas in Vietnam is discussed. John Milius bemusedly says that if they actually had done so they would have made the film just as the Tet Offensive would have happened.
** The original film's more conventional action ending as envisioned by Milius is read. The film had Kurtz have something of a FaceHeelDoorSlam of dying against the Vietnamese, though obviously utterly mad as he does so, and Willard ultimately revealing he is a sadist.
** The original film that was to be directed by George Lucas in Vietnam is discussed. John Milius bemusedly says that if they actually had done so they would have made the film just as the Tet Offensive would have happened.
** The original film's more conventional action ending as envisioned by Milius is read. The film had Kurtz have something of a FaceHeelDoorSlam of dying against the Vietnamese, though obviously utterly mad as he does so, and Willard ultimately revealing he is a sadist.
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* YoungFutureFamousPerson: Sofia Coppola appears and adorably describes the Filipino jungles reminding her of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise.
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* YoungFutureFamousPerson: YoungFutureFamousPeople: Sofia Coppola appears and adorably describes the Filipino jungles reminding her of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise.
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* YoungFutureFamousPerson: Sofia Coppola appears and adorably describes the Filipino jungles reminding her of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise.
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* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during production. [[invoked]]
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* TheDeterminator: Coppola simply refuses to give up on the film and making it the way he envisioned, no matter what he's faced with. Budget issues, natural disasters, studio executives, his leading man nearly dying in his first scene, civil war in the Phillipinnes and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Marlon Brando's notorious difficulty.]]. It nearly destroys him many times over but he perseveres all the same.
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* EarnYourHappyEnding: Despite the utterly hellish production, the film is a critical and commercial hit, earning eight Oscar nominations and two wins, and is now revered as Coppola's masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made.
to:
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Despite the utterly hellish production, production and the agony everyone involved endures, particularly Coppola, the film is a critical and commercial hit, earning eight Oscar nominations and two wins, and is now revered as Coppola's masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made.
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* EarnYourHappyEnding: Despite the utterly hellish production, the film is a critical and commercial hit, earning eight Oscar nominations and two wins, and is now revered as Coppola's masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made.
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->''"The way we made [the film] was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane."''
to:
->''"The way we made [the film] was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane. After a while, I was a little frightened, because I was getting deeper in debt and no longer recognized the movie I was making. The film was making itself, or the jungle was making it for me."''
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* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]] In fact, they wound up using his own brother.
to:
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]] In fact, they wound up using his own brother.brother, Joe Estevez.
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* FatalMethodActing: Almost. Due to the stress of the production (and probably other issues with alcohol and drugs, which would be related) Martin Sheen had a heart attack while near the set, and it took far longer than it should have to get him medical attention. For what that's worth, the slowed production while he was getting treatment helped them get back on track and he came back to set feeling healthy and invigorated.
to:
* FatalMethodActing: [[invoked]] Almost. Due to the stress of the production (and probably other issues with alcohol and drugs, which would be related) Martin Sheen had a heart attack while near the set, and it took far longer than it should have to get him medical attention. For what that's worth, the slowed production while he was getting treatment helped them get back on track and he came back to set feeling healthy and invigorated.
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The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interviews by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration.
to:
The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interviews by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration. As renowned as ''Apocalypse Now'' is, this documentary is often considered its equal.
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* ClusterFBomb: Coppola rants about news of Martin Sheen's heart attack spreading beyond the production team (Coppola's worried that the gossip will lead to production being shut down, screwing him over financially), dropping several F-bombs in the process.
to:
* ClusterFBomb: Coppola rants about news of Martin Sheen's heart attack spreading beyond the production team (Coppola's worried that the gossip will lead to production being would be shut down, screwing him over financially), financially and likely destroying his career), dropping several F-bombs in the process.
* FatalMethodActing: Almost. Due to the stress of the production (and probably other issues with alcohol and drugs, which would be related) Martin Sheen had a heart attack while near the set, and it took far longer than it should have to get him medical attention. For what that's worth, the slowed production while he was getting treatment helped them get back on track and he came back to set feeling healthy and invigorated.
* ThrowItIn: [[invoked]] The scene of the water buffalo being ritualistically sacrificed by the natives was inspired by what the actual native extras were doing in between filming. That water buffalo was NOT a prop.
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* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production. [[invoked]]
to:
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. He is shown in his office using sheets of paper with scenes and sequences he was conceiving of while filming and putting them in a particular order wondering if it would work. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production. [[invoked]]
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* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]] In fact, they would up using his own brother.
to:
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]] In fact, they would wound up using his own brother.
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->''"The way we made [the film] was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle. There were too many of us. We had access to too much money, too much equipment. And little by little we went insane."''
to:
->''"The way we made [the film] was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle. There jungle, there were too many of us. We us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment. And equipment, and little by little we went insane."''
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->''"The way we made [the film] was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle. There were too many of us. We had access to too much money, too much equipment. And little by little we went insane."''
-->-- '''Creator/FrancisFordCoppola'''
-->-- '''Creator/FrancisFordCoppola'''
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[[quoteright:261:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hearts_of_darkness_a_filmmakers_apocalypse_poster.jpeg]]
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[[quoteright:261:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hearts_of_darkness_a_filmmakers_apocalypse_poster.jpeg]]
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* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]]
to:
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]][[invoked]] In fact, they would up using his own brother.
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The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interview s by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration.
to:
The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interview s interviews by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration.
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''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the career of the director, but also threatened both the mental and physical health and even lives of not only himself, but also members of the cast and the crew.
to:
''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it not only nearly destroyed not only the career of the director, but also threatened both the mental and physical health and even lives of not only himself, but also members of the cast and the crew.
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''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the careers of the director along with several of the actors, and members of the crew, but also threatened their mental health and even lives.
to:
''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the careers career of the director along with several of the actors, and members of the crew, director, but also threatened their both the mental and physical health and even lives.
lives of not only himself, but also members of the cast and the crew.
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Typo.
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''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the careers of te director along with several of the actors, and members of the crew, but also threatened their mental health and even lives.
to:
''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the careers of te the director along with several of the actors, and members of the crew, but also threatened their mental health and even lives.
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* DriveToSuicide: Coppola was playing with the thought of suicide several times when the production was at its most stressful, and even attempted it once.
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* DriveToSuicide: DrivenToSuicide: Coppola was playing with the thought of suicide several times when the production was at its most stressful, and even attempted it once.
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* DriveToSuicide: Coppola was playing with the thought of suicide several times when the production was at its most stressful, and even attempted it once.
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''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
to:
''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.''Film/ApocalypseNow'', and how it nearly destroyed not only the careers of te director along with several of the actors, and members of the crew, but also threatened their mental health and even lives.
The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interview s by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration.
The film was put together from various behind-the-scenes footage and interview s by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper, along with Coppola's wife, Eleanor Coppola, who also provided the narration.
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* AuteurLicense: Coppola notes that since he basically financed the production with his own money, he was his own boss. On the flip side, this meant that he'd be screwed if the movie didn't turn a profit and thus couldn't quit--when asked if he ever considered quitting, Coppola replied "How am I going to quit from myself? Am I going to say, 'Francis, I quit'? [...] I was financing the movie. How could I quit?"
to:
* AuteurLicense: Coppola notes that since he basically financed the production with his own money, he was his own boss. On the flip side, this meant that he'd be screwed if the movie didn't turn a profit and thus couldn't quit--when quit -- when asked if he ever considered quitting, Coppola replied "How am I going to quit from myself? Am I going to say, 'Francis, I quit'? [...] I was financing the movie. How could I quit?"
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Since this is a making-of documentary, YMMV and trivia entries about the documentary's subject (Apocalypse Now) are so-to-speak in-universe examples when talking about the documentary.
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* BackedByThePentagon: ''Apocalypse Now'' was backed by the Philippine Armed Forces. The drawback of this was that they were also fighting an insurgency at the time, which meant that (1) they sometimes took some of the helicopters away to fight the guerrillas, leaving the production with fewer helicopters than they were planning to use for filming, and (2) the production couldn't count on having the same pilots from day to day, meaning that the pilots who flew the helicopters during filming hadn't been present when they rehearsed the scenes.
to:
* BackedByThePentagon: ''Apocalypse Now'' was backed by the Philippine Armed Forces. The drawback of this was that they were also fighting an insurgency at the time, which meant that (1) they sometimes took some of the helicopters away to fight the guerrillas, leaving the production with fewer helicopters than they were planning to use for filming, and (2) the production couldn't count on having the same pilots from day to day, meaning that the pilots who flew the helicopters during filming hadn't been present when they rehearsed the scenes. [[invoked]]
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* CreatorBreakdown: Coppola mentions being under so much pressure during production of ''Apocalypse Now'' that he started to think of ways to get out of finishing it, including intentionally having a 30-foot fall.
to:
* CreatorBreakdown: Coppola mentions being under so much pressure during production of ''Apocalypse Now'' that he started to think of ways to get out of finishing it, including intentionally having a 30-foot fall. [[invoked]]
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* DevelopmentHell: It's mentioned that Creator/OrsonWelles planned to adapt ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' in 1939, but it was abandoned in pre-production (Welles made ''Film/CitizenKane'' instead). Coppola started planning ''Apocalypse Now'' in 1969, the idea being to film it in Vietnam. Unsurprisingly, the studio thought it was too dangerous, what with UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar still going on at the time. The plans were revived in 1975 following Coppola's successes ''Film/TheGodfather'' and ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''. The movie was released in 1979, ten years after Coppola conceived of it and forty years after Welles' initial plans to adapt the novel.
to:
* DevelopmentHell: It's mentioned that Creator/OrsonWelles planned to adapt ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' in 1939, but it was abandoned in pre-production (Welles made ''Film/CitizenKane'' instead). Coppola started planning ''Apocalypse Now'' in 1969, the idea being to film it in Vietnam. Unsurprisingly, the studio thought it was too dangerous, what with UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar still going on at the time. The plans were revived in 1975 following Coppola's successes ''Film/TheGodfather'' and ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''. The movie was released in 1979, ten years after Coppola conceived of it and forty years after Welles' initial plans to adapt the novel. [[invoked]]
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* LifeImitatesArt: The documentary points out several parallels between the events of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and its production, including the DescentIntoMadness.
to:
* LifeImitatesArt: The documentary points out several parallels between the events of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and its production, including the DescentIntoMadness. [[invoked]]
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* TheOtherMarty: Creator/HarveyKeitel was initially cast as Willard, but was soon replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Considering how the production turned out, Keitel really dodged a bullet.
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* TheOtherMarty: Creator/HarveyKeitel was initially cast as Willard, but was soon replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Considering how the production turned out, Keitel really dodged a bullet. [[invoked]]
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** Coppola, frustrated with the TroubledProduction of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', refers to the film as ''The Idiodyssey''.
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** Coppola, frustrated with the TroubledProduction of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', refers to the film as ''The Idiodyssey''. [[invoked]]
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* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return.
to:
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return. [[invoked]]
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* TroubledProduction: ''Film/ApocalypseNow'''s is the subject of the documentary.
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during production.
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production.
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during production.
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production.
to:
* TroubledProduction: ''Film/ApocalypseNow'''s is the subject of the documentary.
documentary. [[invoked]]
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) duringproduction.
production. [[invoked]]
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production. [[invoked]]
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production. [[invoked]]
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Added DiffLines:
''Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse'' is a 1991 documentary chronicling the TroubledProduction of Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
----
!!Provides examples of:
* AuteurLicense: Coppola notes that since he basically financed the production with his own money, he was his own boss. On the flip side, this meant that he'd be screwed if the movie didn't turn a profit and thus couldn't quit--when asked if he ever considered quitting, Coppola replied "How am I going to quit from myself? Am I going to say, 'Francis, I quit'? [...] I was financing the movie. How could I quit?"
* BackedByThePentagon: ''Apocalypse Now'' was backed by the Philippine Armed Forces. The drawback of this was that they were also fighting an insurgency at the time, which meant that (1) they sometimes took some of the helicopters away to fight the guerrillas, leaving the production with fewer helicopters than they were planning to use for filming, and (2) the production couldn't count on having the same pilots from day to day, meaning that the pilots who flew the helicopters during filming hadn't been present when they rehearsed the scenes.
* ClusterFBomb: Coppola rants about news of Martin Sheen's heart attack spreading beyond the production team (Coppola's worried that the gossip will lead to production being shut down, screwing him over financially), dropping several F-bombs in the process.
* CreatorBreakdown: Coppola mentions being under so much pressure during production of ''Apocalypse Now'' that he started to think of ways to get out of finishing it, including intentionally having a 30-foot fall.
* DescentIntoMadness: To quote Coppola himself:
-->"There were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane."
* DevelopmentHell: It's mentioned that Creator/OrsonWelles planned to adapt ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' in 1939, but it was abandoned in pre-production (Welles made ''Film/CitizenKane'' instead). Coppola started planning ''Apocalypse Now'' in 1969, the idea being to film it in Vietnam. Unsurprisingly, the studio thought it was too dangerous, what with UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar still going on at the time. The plans were revived in 1975 following Coppola's successes ''Film/TheGodfather'' and ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''. The movie was released in 1979, ten years after Coppola conceived of it and forty years after Welles' initial plans to adapt the novel.
* DramaticIrony: On the first day of production, Coppola insists on a ritual that he says will bring the production luck. The audience already knows that luck will decidedly not be on the cast and crew's side.
* HowWeGotHere: The documentary opens with director Creator/FrancisFordCoppola presenting ''Apocalypse Now'' at Cannes. After that, we get the story of the movie's production.
* IAmTheNoun: Says Coppola when presenting ''Apocalypse Now'' at Cannes:
-->"My film is not about Vietnam. It ''is'' Vietnam."
* LifeImitatesArt: The documentary points out several parallels between the events of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and its production, including the DescentIntoMadness.
* {{Narrator}}: Eleanor Coppola narrates by reading excerpts from her diary in voiceover.
* NewspaperBackstory: Headlines from when ''Apocalypse Now'' was in production are used to show public perception of the TroubledProduction. Two of them read "Apocalypse When?" and "Apocalypse Forever", respectively, referring to the constant delays.
* TheOtherMarty: Creator/HarveyKeitel was initially cast as Willard, but was soon replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Considering how the production turned out, Keitel really dodged a bullet.
* SceneryGorn: The documentary shows some of the movie sets that had been destroyed by a typhoon.
* SelfDeprecation: Francis Ford Coppola was not optimistic about the quality of the finished product; when his wife Eleanor compared it to getting a B when you were hoping for an A+, he replied he was going to get an F. He also referred to the movie as ''The Idiodyssey''.
* ShoutOut: Twice to ''Literature/TheOdyssey'':
** Screenwriter Creator/JohnMilius explicitly compares ''Apocalypse Now'' to ''The Odyssey'' (noting that it is not ''only'' a loose adaptation of ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness''), likening Kilgore to the Cyclops and the playboy bunnies to the Sirens.
** Coppola, frustrated with the TroubledProduction of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', refers to the film as ''The Idiodyssey''.
* StockFootage: Well, stock ''audio'' – excerpts from Creator/OrsonWelles' radio broadcast of Creator/JosephConrad's ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' (on which ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' was based and from where the documentary obviously takes its title) are used to provide context.
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return.
* TalkingHeads: The making-of footage is intercut with interviews from the cast and crew, shot years later.
* TroubledProduction: ''Film/ApocalypseNow'''s is the subject of the documentary.
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during production.
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production.
----
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!!Provides examples of:
* AuteurLicense: Coppola notes that since he basically financed the production with his own money, he was his own boss. On the flip side, this meant that he'd be screwed if the movie didn't turn a profit and thus couldn't quit--when asked if he ever considered quitting, Coppola replied "How am I going to quit from myself? Am I going to say, 'Francis, I quit'? [...] I was financing the movie. How could I quit?"
* BackedByThePentagon: ''Apocalypse Now'' was backed by the Philippine Armed Forces. The drawback of this was that they were also fighting an insurgency at the time, which meant that (1) they sometimes took some of the helicopters away to fight the guerrillas, leaving the production with fewer helicopters than they were planning to use for filming, and (2) the production couldn't count on having the same pilots from day to day, meaning that the pilots who flew the helicopters during filming hadn't been present when they rehearsed the scenes.
* ClusterFBomb: Coppola rants about news of Martin Sheen's heart attack spreading beyond the production team (Coppola's worried that the gossip will lead to production being shut down, screwing him over financially), dropping several F-bombs in the process.
* CreatorBreakdown: Coppola mentions being under so much pressure during production of ''Apocalypse Now'' that he started to think of ways to get out of finishing it, including intentionally having a 30-foot fall.
* DescentIntoMadness: To quote Coppola himself:
-->"There were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane."
* DevelopmentHell: It's mentioned that Creator/OrsonWelles planned to adapt ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' in 1939, but it was abandoned in pre-production (Welles made ''Film/CitizenKane'' instead). Coppola started planning ''Apocalypse Now'' in 1969, the idea being to film it in Vietnam. Unsurprisingly, the studio thought it was too dangerous, what with UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar still going on at the time. The plans were revived in 1975 following Coppola's successes ''Film/TheGodfather'' and ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''. The movie was released in 1979, ten years after Coppola conceived of it and forty years after Welles' initial plans to adapt the novel.
* DramaticIrony: On the first day of production, Coppola insists on a ritual that he says will bring the production luck. The audience already knows that luck will decidedly not be on the cast and crew's side.
* HowWeGotHere: The documentary opens with director Creator/FrancisFordCoppola presenting ''Apocalypse Now'' at Cannes. After that, we get the story of the movie's production.
* IAmTheNoun: Says Coppola when presenting ''Apocalypse Now'' at Cannes:
-->"My film is not about Vietnam. It ''is'' Vietnam."
* LifeImitatesArt: The documentary points out several parallels between the events of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and its production, including the DescentIntoMadness.
* {{Narrator}}: Eleanor Coppola narrates by reading excerpts from her diary in voiceover.
* NewspaperBackstory: Headlines from when ''Apocalypse Now'' was in production are used to show public perception of the TroubledProduction. Two of them read "Apocalypse When?" and "Apocalypse Forever", respectively, referring to the constant delays.
* TheOtherMarty: Creator/HarveyKeitel was initially cast as Willard, but was soon replaced by Creator/MartinSheen. Considering how the production turned out, Keitel really dodged a bullet.
* SceneryGorn: The documentary shows some of the movie sets that had been destroyed by a typhoon.
* SelfDeprecation: Francis Ford Coppola was not optimistic about the quality of the finished product; when his wife Eleanor compared it to getting a B when you were hoping for an A+, he replied he was going to get an F. He also referred to the movie as ''The Idiodyssey''.
* ShoutOut: Twice to ''Literature/TheOdyssey'':
** Screenwriter Creator/JohnMilius explicitly compares ''Apocalypse Now'' to ''The Odyssey'' (noting that it is not ''only'' a loose adaptation of ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness''), likening Kilgore to the Cyclops and the playboy bunnies to the Sirens.
** Coppola, frustrated with the TroubledProduction of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', refers to the film as ''The Idiodyssey''.
* StockFootage: Well, stock ''audio'' – excerpts from Creator/OrsonWelles' radio broadcast of Creator/JosephConrad's ''Literature/HeartOfDarkness'' (on which ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' was based and from where the documentary obviously takes its title) are used to provide context.
* StuntDouble: Creator/MartinSheen needed a double to do all his shots for a few weeks after he had a heart attack. Rather than shut down production until he recovered, the crew elected to film as much as possible with a double standing in for Sheen (the double having his back turned to the camera) and then doing the close-ups after Sheen was well enough to return.
* TalkingHeads: The making-of footage is intercut with interviews from the cast and crew, shot years later.
* TroubledProduction: ''Film/ApocalypseNow'''s is the subject of the documentary.
* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: {{Averted|Trope}}. It's noted that Creator/MartinSheen was very intoxicated when shooting the scene in Willard's hotel room, and Creator/SamBottoms freely admits to using cannabis and speed (among other drugs) during production.
* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: Coppola started shooting the film without being satisfied with the ending in the script, and throughout the production tried to come up with one to replace it--which he eventually did, though not with much time to spare. The massacre of the people on the boat Chef searches was also something the actors came up with during production.
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