Apocalypse Now
Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AICA sprawling, existential allegory about the Vietnam War experience, Apocalypse Now is one of film history's most hallucinatory epics. On paper, the picture's director-cinematographer pairing was a match made in heaven, teaming two of the film world's most flamboyant visionaries: Francis Ford Coppola and Vittorio Storaro. Once shooting in the Phillipines got underway, however, the production was famously plagued by bad weather, budget concerns, and bizarre occurrences on the set. What emerged from this chaos was a fascinating film filled with spectacular images, some of which were contributed by second-unit cameraman Stephen H. Burum, ASC. Following are excerpts from AC's May 1980 interview with Storaro:
Did director Francis Coppola ever tell you why he wanted you to shoot Apocalypse Now?
The first time I met him was when he visited the set of Last Tango in Paris. He was there to visit with [Bernardo] Bertolucci. Later, we met a second time while he was doing a film in Rome. We spoke for about two to three hours. I was surprised by how easily we communicated, even with my poor English. I felt very close to him, like a brother, in a very short time. Later, when he wanted me to do Apocalypse Now, he told me that he got the idea of asking me because he admired the work that I had done on The Conformist. When we talked, he made me feel that he respected my judgment and would give me the freedom to express myself. That is why I accepted the assignment.
What was the concept or the look that you were trying to achieve with Apocalypse Now?
The original idea was to document the impact of superimposing one culture on another. I was trying to show the conflict between technical and natural energy — for example, the dark, shadowy jungle, where natural energy reigns, compared to the American military base, where big, powerful generators and huge, probing lights provided the energy. There was a conflict between the technology and nature as well as between different cultures. I tried to use the lights and camera to suggest this. Mainly, we tried to use color and light to create the mood of conflict in subtle ways — the way that a red fire in a camp contrasted with a blue or black gun in the foreground; or the way that the color of a weapon stood out against a sunset; or how an American soldier with a blackened face was seen against the green jungle or blue sky.
You mention the use of light and color. How about the darkness that you employed in scenes involving Marlon Brando?
The role that Brando plays represents the dark side of civilization, the subconscious, or the truth that comes out of the darkness. He couldn't be here like us, sitting here and talking. He had to be like an idol. Black is like a magic color. You can reveal patterns and moods against a dark scene that aren't possible in other ways. When I saw this scene in my head before we shot it, I pictured Brando always in shadows or the dark side. Coppola gave me the freedom to express this idea.
You worked so long on this film [from February 1976 to May 1977], and so much good footage must have ended up on the cutting room floor. Does that bother you?
I don't worry about what is cut. Maybe the footage that was cut was important because it created a mood leading to something we shot that was used. You make a movie step by step. What counts in the end is what's on the screen.
© 1999 ASC