Notes: The Making of Apocalypse Now

I was in Napa with my dad and we were at the Coppola vineyard, touring the estate. This book was on display (the original hard back version), and my dad was very interested in it. He mentioned how this would be cool to read, as we could only look at it through glass. I made a note in my phone and bought it for him for Christmas. He was very happy.

A perfect companion piece to "Hearts of Darkness." All of the dirty secrets that Coppola kept hidden from that documentary are on full display here.

Eleanor Coppola’s recounting of the making of Apocalypse Now was interesting at best. She recounts the incredible challenge in making a movie that attempted an analogy to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Conrad only had to put on paper the journey up a jungle river. Coppola had to find a jungle, hire actors and extras to go there and to create special effects in the Philippines in terrible conditions. She details the financial overruns, the temperamental actors, her own personal family problems galore with great frankness. All in all, worth a read-a good cautionary tale for anyone wanting to go into cinema as I once did.

I'm baffled by the one-star review of this book and sorry it has to be the first thing you see. This is not Eleanor Coppola's attempt at a slam-bang all-the-dirt-you-could-want documentary of the making of Apocalypse Now. It's an account of what it felt like to be there at the time, with all the ambiguity and uncertainty inherent in a project that nearly outran the managerial and creative talents of its creator.The book is faithful to its mission. Whatever the original premise of her job on Apocalypse Now was, Eleanor Coppola is clear in this book that she's going to describe events as she experienced them. To do this, she remains front and center in the book much of the time, instead of moving her husband there, and I respect that. Much like the memoirs of Cynthia Lennon, this is not a book about what it was like to be the guy in the hot seat. It's about what it was like to be his companion. And what could be seen from that vantage point.There are many brilliant observations here, which ring all the more true for this faithful and honest point of view. I highly recommend this book. It's a smart, interesting experience.

I bought this as Apocalypse Now was a notoriously grueling film to make and I was interested to read all the horror stories. This however is a book about a bored rich lady trying to fill her time and journaling what an awful man her husband is.

Fairly interesting if you're a fan of Apocalypse Now but it merely provides background as opposed to insight. Eleanor Coppola is more interested in food, wealthy life styles, her husbands infidelity, decorating her houses, etc. No answers to some of the questions about some of the directors curious decisions, insights into the actors involved, local politics, you never have the sense of "you were there" that some authors can give you. Eleanor also makes some stunningly unconscious faux pas about her wealthy lifestyle which are quite grating. This is fluff, not serious stuff. Actually it fails on the fluff-o-meter, too. It's not even good fluff............

Perhaps a better title for this book would have been Meaningless Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now. The author, who was charged with making a behind the scenes documentary of how the film was made, wastes the reader's time on disjointed anecdotes about her family life during the three plus years it took to complete this film. While the book jacket teases the reader with suggestions of her invaluable insights, the actual text is much more heavily devoted to Ms. Coppola's observations of her children, her husband's (in)fidelity, and what various dinner guests were served while visiting with the Coppola family. We learn much more about how four year old Sofia Coppola spent her days than how Martin Sheen's heart attack impacted the production. Why was Sheen hired to replace Harvey Keitel?...... What about those rumors of animosity between Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper?...... Why did director Francis Ford Coppola choose to ignore weather experts and watch as the sets were des! troyed by a typhoon? Unfortunately you won't get any answers to those questions in this book. You will however learn in great detail how each of the Copppla clan spend their individual birthdays and how the Phillipines can't compare to California when it comes to health food shops and clothing boutiques. Duh!!! If you are truly interested in learning more about this historic film, I suggest you use your browser in a search of magazine and newspaper archives for appropriate material. Your time will be better spent surfing the net than waiting for Ms. Coppola to tell you why Robert Duvall's character was so hung up on having his Air Cav troopers surf "Charlie's Point."

Fascinating view of the making of Apocalypse Now by the film's diarist and director's wife, now a fine documentary maker in her own right. A great addition to the collection of the film, studio cut and director's cut and the documentary of the making. How this film ever got finished always astonishes me.

Fascinating behind the scenes look at Apocalypse Now, if you like the film you'll like this.

Interesting episodic account of life on the road or should I say jungle/beach/paddy fields. Having recently watched the extended version of the film my son sent me this book and it was a timely read. No idea how the Coppola family survived this adventure but I’m glad they did. The closing sections dwelled a bit on what we British might sometimes see as self analysis but the making of this brilliant film clearly took its toll on the people most closely involved.

I was thinking more along the lines of storyboards, camera settings, production notes, pre and post. The book is still an interesting account of the making of the film with many great stories, but honestly I was a little dissapointed.

If you love the film - this diary is a fascinating insight into the filmmaker’s lives during the production of an epic movie. You will not be disappointed.