4K Ultra HD Critique – Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)

      **Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, 1991.**

      **Directed by:** Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper.

      **Featuring:** Eleanor Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, George Lucas, John Milius, and Martin Sheen.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      If you haven’t yet experienced *Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse*, you're in for an incredible experience. The production of Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic *Apocalypse Now* faced numerous challenges that posed significant risks to the director's career, finances, and mental health. Nevertheless, Coppola and his team prevailed against all odds, creating a film that remains significant even after 46 years. Remarkably, all this was documented not just on film but also through audio recordings made secretly by Coppola’s wife, Eleanor. It comes highly recommended.

      Considering the poor quality of the archival footage in this documentary, one might wonder if Bahr and Hickenlooper's *Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse* warranted a 4K Ultra HD release. Having only seen it on DVD previously, I cannot comment on the differences from its Blu-ray version, but if you're considering a home video copy, the 4K Ultra HD edition might be the way to go.

      It's important to note that this release is different from the Collector’s Edition offered by Studio Canal last summer, which included additional extras, two Blu-ray discs with the same content as the 4K version plus more bonus features, along with a couple of posters and two booklets. While the 4K disc is region-free, like all 4Ks, the Blu-ray discs are locked to Region B. Perhaps that edition will eventually be available in North America.

      In the meantime, this disc should suffice. If you’re like me and have been a film enthusiast for decades, you’re likely aware of the turbulent production of *Apocalypse Now* and how *Hearts of Darkness* brilliantly encapsulates it all—through behind-the-scenes footage and the candid rants of director Francis Ford Coppola, recorded by his wife, Eleanor.

      Bahr and Hickenlooper juxtapose those intense moments with interviews conducted with the main participants 15 years later, allowing them to reflect on their experiences. The production faced a multitude of issues that delayed the timeline and led to cost overruns, which threatened Coppola’s financial and professional stability. I find it amusing that Eleanor viewed all that chaos with a levelheadedness, suggesting, “If we ended up broke, it may not have been so bad, as having a lot of money complicated our lives anyway.”

      If you haven't seen *Hearts of Darkness*, inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella *Heart of Darkness*, which served as a loose foundation for *Apocalypse Now*, I highly recommend watching it, even if you’re not a fan of the film. Personally, I adore *Apocalypse Now*, and I see *Hearts of Darkness* as a compelling journey through turmoil, akin to the film's narrative. I believe it truly captures the madness of the Vietnam War, though I acknowledge I did not live through it.

      While this new 4K Ultra HD release lacks numerous extras, it includes a 37-minute making-of documentary. (Cue the jokes about making a documentary about the making of a documentary.) This new production features interviews with Coppola, his children Sofia and Roman, as well as Bahr, providing insight into several inquiries surrounding *Hearts of Darkness*, including the absence of Marlon Brando and Harvey Keitel, whom Coppola had initially cast as Willard before replacing him a few weeks into filming.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★**

      **Brad Cook**