Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American Vietnam War epic film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness.

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It follows Captain Willard on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz in Cambodia.

What it is

The plot centres on U.S. Army Captain Benjamin Willard, who travels upriver from South Vietnam into Cambodia to kill Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a Special Forces officer who has gone rogue. The film is a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, relocated from colonial Africa to the Vietnam War.

Why it matters

Widely regarded as a major work of late-20th-century cinema, the film is considered one of the defining American war films of its era. Its later recut, Apocalypse Now Redux (2001), added 49 minutes and reflects ongoing interest in the work.

Key details

The production was notoriously difficult, with budget overruns and delays in Southeast Asia. The cast includes Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, and Harrison Ford. The film’s literary source—Heart of Darkness—is central to its meaning.