apocalypse now

apocalypse now News
Credits: Far Out / United Artists
Genre
War, drama, psychological
Release Date
August 15th, 1979
Directed By
Francis Ford Coppola
Written By
John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Herr (narration)
Produced By
Francis Ford Coppola, Fred Roos, Gray Frederickson, Tom Sternberg
Starring
Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms
Length
147 minutes
Budget
Approximately $31.5 million
Box Office
Approximately $150 million
Awards
Academy Award for 'Best Cinematography', Academy Award for 'Best Sound', Palme d'Or (shared) at the Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award nomination for 'Best Picture', Academy Award nomination for 'Best Director'
Location
Vietnam and Cambodia (fictional setting), filmed primarily in the Philippines
Fiction
Yes
Summary
During the Vietnam War, Captain Benjamin L. Willard is tasked with travelling deep into Cambodia to eliminate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a highly decorated US Army officer who has abandoned military command and established himself as the leader of a remote tribal community. As Willard journeys upriver with a small patrol boat crew, he encounters increasingly surreal and horrifying episodes that expose the chaos and moral collapse of war. Reaching Kurtz's compound, Willard confronts a man who has descended into philosophical extremism, forcing him to grapple with the darkness within both himself and the conflict.
Fun Facts
The production became one of the most infamous in film history. Filming in the Philippines lasted more than a year, during which Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack, Marlon Brando arrived overweight and unprepared, and Typhoon Olga destroyed many of the sets. The iconic "Ride of the Valkyries" helicopter attack sequence remains one of the most celebrated scenes in cinema history, pairing Richard Wagner's music with an unforgettable depiction of aerial warfare. Francis Ford Coppola famously declared at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival: "My film is not about Vietnam. My film is Vietnam," reflecting the chaotic and all-consuming nature of the production.
Related Movies
'The Deer Hunter', 'Platoon', 'Full Metal Jacket', 'The Thin Red Line', 'Saving Private Ryan'

‘Apocalypse Now’ is a 1979 American epic psychological war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and inspired by Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella ‘Heart of Darkness’.

Set during the Vietnam War, the film stars Martin Sheen as Captain Benjamin L. Willard, who is sent on a secret mission to assassinate the rogue Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, portrayed by Marlon Brando. Blending surreal imagery, philosophical themes and the brutal realities of war, ‘Apocalypse Now’ explores madness, morality and the corrupting nature of power.

Despite a notoriously troubled production, the film is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in cinema and a defining work of the New Hollywood era.

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More About apocalypse now

'Apocalypse Now' follows Captain Benjamin L. Willard as he journeys into the Cambodian jungle during the Vietnam War to assassinate the rogue Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, confronting the psychological horrors of war along the way.
No. The film is loosely based on Joseph Conrad's novella 'Heart of Darkness', transplanting its central narrative from colonial Africa to the Vietnam War.
'Apocalypse Now' is celebrated for its ambitious direction, unforgettable performances, groundbreaking cinematography, philosophical depth and uncompromising depiction of war, making it one of the defining films of the New Hollywood era.
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