'Hearts of Darkness: The Art of Eleanor Coppola' 4K UHD Review
- Connor Petrey
- May 30
- 4 min read
Physical Media Release Date: 05/19/26.
Label: Lionsgate Limited.
Form of Release: 4K UHD Collector's Edition.
The Verdict: A Must-Buy
The magic and madness of making 'Apocalypse Now'
Witness the magic and madness behind the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 visionary Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando. Now available on 4K with a special-edition art book, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse chronicles the chaos and turbulence — from disastrous inclement weather to actors’ health crises to local political upheaval — that plagued the marathon production. Filmed by Coppola’s wife, filmmaker-screenwriter Eleanor Coppola, using her own crew, this extraordinary documentary features unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with cast and crew, and secretly taped conversations with the tormented Coppola as he grappled with every imaginable (and unimaginable) obstacle. As Eleanor’s keen artistic eye gives unflinching and raw insight into the making of an iconic film, her documentary becomes its own masterpiece.
Technical Review + Personal Opinion:
Let’s start off with the immaculate Lionsgate Limited packaging for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, newly retitled as Hearts of Darkness: The Art of Eleanor Coppola. This new release is absolutely stunning with a slick book aesthetic that unfolds with three discs holding one of the greatest documentaries ever put to film and a bonus selection of Coppola’s photographs during their time on set.
Accompanied by a commentary from Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola and filled to the brim with shorts and documentaries; it immediately catches the eye and for those unfamiliar with the documentary, but an admirer of the film it’s based around, this will be a fantastic talking point for any cinephile’s collection.
Most of Hearts of Darkness was shot on 16mm film (specifically Eastman 100T 7247) by Eleanor Coppola using an Aaton camera with spherical lenses. A variety of archival sources were also employed to complete the film, including new interviews shot on 16mm, footage from Apocalypse Now itself, and other material. For its release on Ultra HD, all of the original documentary footage was scanned in 4K.
One of the grand editions is the exchange of the classic Apocalypse Now footage for the 2019 4K remaster. And other material was upgraded to the best available source. The result was graded for high dynamic range (compatible with both Dolby Vision and HDR10). The resulting picture is phenomenal and a grand side to the feature film it surrounds. The 16mm source naturally means that photochemical grain is medium to strong throughout, but overall image detail is greatly improved over previous Blu-ray and DVD presentations, and the color and contrast are much enhanced as well. This certainly isn’t a reference quality image, but it’s not meant to be. This is, however, by far the best that Hearts of Darkness has ever looked, which makes it an even more engrossing experience than it was before.
The film’s English soundtrack is included in newly-remastered 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio format, as well as the original LPCM mono. The surround mix is subtle, but it draws you into the imagery and the story being told. The soundstage is medium wide up front, with the surrounds used almost exclusively for atmospheric immersion. Dialogue is clear and clean at all times. German LPCM mono is also included, along with optional subtitles in English SDH and German.
Few productions have managed to make as big of a disastrous splash as Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. While maintaining its status as a classic that embodies the madness of the Vietnam War, this 1991 documentary captures the crucial behind the scenes footage with the assistance of Eleanor Coppola, Fax Bahr, and George Hickenlooper. It encapsulates the brutal conditions the entire production had to wade through, creating tensions among those on and off set. Examples include the original star Harvey Keitel being fired mere weeks after filming began for not fitting the director’s vision, Martin Sheen replaces him only to suffer from a mental (and alcohol fueled) breakdown and later a near-fatal heart attack. Beyond the actors, the environment the film shot in was faced harsh political climates and resources for filmmaking at the time were scarce.
Special Features:
DISC 1: 4K UHD (Movie + Special Features)
Legacy Features
o The Making of Hearts of Darkness
o Eleanor & Francis Coppola Audio Commentary
Lionsgate Limited Extra
o Eleanor Coppola: Art Is All Around Us
DISC 2: BLU-RAY (Movie + Special Features)
Legacy Features
o The Making of Hearts of Darkness
o Eleanor & Francis Coppola Audio Commentary
Lionsgate Limited Extra
o Eleanor Coppola: Art Is All Around Us
DISC 3: BLU-RAY (SPECIAL FEATURES ONLY)
Legacy Feature
Original 1979 Apocalypse Now Trailer
Lionsgate Limited Extras
o Documentaries:
- A Visit to China’s Miao Country (1996)
- Circle of Memory
- Coda: Eleanor Coppola introduction
- Coda: Thirty Years Later (2007)
- Making of Marie Antoinette (2007)
- Francis Ford Coppola Directs The Rainmaker (2007)
- On the Set of CQ (2002)
- Making of The Virgin Suicides (1998)
o Shorts:
- Peeling a Potato Is a Work of Art (1976)
- Victorian House (1976)
- Joyce Goldstein (1976)
- Refrigerator (1976)
o Hearts of Darkness Trailer (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Tomatometer: 100% (as of 05/19/26)
Popcornmeter: 94% (as of 05/19/26)
Physical Release Specs & Other Details:
MPAA: Rated R
Runtime: 96 minutes
Original Release: 1991
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH
Discs
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD-100, 2 BD-50)
Digital
Included
Packaging
DigiBook
Physical Bonuses
An elegant photo book created in partnership with Joseph Logan Design, the design team behind Sofia Coppola’s Archive book
Photo book features archival photography from the Coppola family, new photography from Eleanor Coppola’s short films, and her own behind-the-scenes footage from Hearts of Darkness, The Virgin Suicides, and Marie Antoinette
Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
Positives and Negatives
+ Positive Critical and Audience Reception
+ Tons of Bonus Docs and Shorts
+ A Beautiful Collector's Edition of the 4K UHD
+ Restored 4K UHD Apocalypse Now Clips Replace the Old Footage
+ New 4K master produced by Second Sight Films
+ Original postproduction facility approved by director David Robert Mitchell
+ x02 Physical Bonuses
+ x20 Special Features
+ Audio Commentary
+ Digital Code Included
