The troubled production of Apocalypse Now is well-documented. It ran well over budget and behind schedule. Francis Ford Coppola (and others) went mad in the jungle after being given access to too much free time and illegal substances, while Martin Sheen almost died during filming after suffering a heart attack. Then there were the endless rewrites and storms that destroyed sets. Some speculated whether or not the film would ever be made and, if it was, whether it would be any good. Coppola stuck it to the doubters when he turned in one of the most uncompromising and intense war films of all time. It did good business at the box-office and was a hit with critics, too. Apocalypse Now was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two, for Best Cinematography and Best Sound, but it should have won a great deal more. As good as Best Picture winner Kramer Vs. Kramer is, was it really the best film that year? Are people still talking about that film like they are talking about Apocalypse Now? Did Robert Benton really do a better job of directing than Coppola did? It's not really debatable.
