Apocalypse Now, the acclaimed Vietnam War film directed by
Francis Ford Coppola, opened in theaters around the United
States on August 15, 1979.
The film, inspired in part by Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella
Heart of Darkness, among other sources, told the story of
an Army captain (played by Martin Sheen) and crew of men
who are sent into the Cambodian jungle to kill a U.S. Special
Forces colonel (Marlon Brando) who has gone AWOL and is
thought to be crazy.
Apocalypse Now, which co-starred Robert Duvall and Dennis
Hopper, became notorious for its long, difficult production,
which included budget problems, shooting delays due to bad
weather on the Philippines set, a heart attack for Sheen and
a nervous breakdown for Coppola.
Despite the production hurdles, the film became a commercial
success and won two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography
and Best Sound); it received six other Oscar nominations,
including Best Director, Best Picture and Best Supporting
Actor (Duvall). The film included the memorable line “I
love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
Francis Ford Coppola (86)
Martin Sheen (85)
Robert Duvall (94)
Harrison Ford (83)
