Apocalypse Now – Obsessed with Perfection

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now went down in history as early as during its complicated production phase, which quickly and drastically consumed not only the director’s creative capacity but also the considerable amount of money he had managed to accumulate thanks to the great success of both Godfathers. What also played its role were unpredictable tropical weather conditions, logistic challenges in the jungle, constant script edits and troubles with leading actors. And although the film won the 1979 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or (ex aequo), his theatrical release generated mixed reactions and it was only after several years that all of the debts had been paid off. Today, this controversial work ranks among the most compelling war films and the strange circumstances under which it was made still attract as much attention as the movie itself. In this talk, we will look back at one legendary festival screening, outline the overall Hollywood and global context and mention Coppola’s relentless pursuit of following his own way.