is a psychological epic war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola , loosely adapted from Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella Heart of Darkness . The story follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret mission during the Vietnam War to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a decorated officer who has gone rogue and established himself as a godlike figure in the Cambodian jungle. Production History

: The shoot, originally planned for five months, lasted over a year, and the budget ballooned from $12 million to over $30 million . Coppola famously stated at the Cannes Film Festival , "My film is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam". Thematic Exploration Apocalypse Now (1979) - IMDb

: Lead actor Martin Sheen suffered a near-fatal heart attack during production, while Marlon Brando arrived significantly overweight and unprepared for the script.

The film's production is legendary for its extreme difficulties, which are chronicled in the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse .

: Filming took place in the Philippines , where Typhoon Olga destroyed several expensive sets, and the Philippine government occasionally reclaimed helicopters used for filming to fight real-life insurgents.