46 Years of Apocalypse Now: 6 Fascinating facts about the war epic
Apocalypse Now remains one of the best films ever made, but did you know the film had one of Hollywood's infamous troubled productions? As the epic celebrates its 46th anniversary, let's take a look at some lesser-known facts about the film.
46 Years of Apocalypse Now: 6 Fascinating facts about the war epic
Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now hit theatres in 1979 and remains one of the most celebrated movies ever made despite its chaotic production. On its 46th anniversary, here are some little-known facts that reveal just how monumental and turbulent the making of this Vietnam War masterpiece was.
The production lasted over a year
The film’s originally planned 16-week shooting schedule ballooned to more than a year due to weather issues, illness, and constant rewrites. This delay is one reason why its production remains infamous in Hollywood history.
Marlon Brando showed up overweight
Brando arrived on set overweight and without having read Heart of Darkness, the novel the film was based on. Coppola had to adjust the script and lighting to hide his physical appearance.
Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack
In the middle of production, Sheen suffered a near-fatal heart attack at just 36 years old. Coppola, fearing that the studio might shut down the already troubled production, downplayed the incident and continued shooting.
Coppola invested millions of his own money
When the budget spiralled out of control, Coppola mortgaged his house and poured over $30 million of his own money into the production.
The ending was improvised
Due to constant script changes, Coppola encouraged improvisation, and much of the finale was made up on the spot by Brando during filming.
It won the Palme d’Or despite being unfinished
Apocalypse Now premiered at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival with an unfinished cut, yet still walked away with the Palme d’Or, cementing its place in cinematic history.
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