Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Page #5

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It is the fifth week of shooting.

It's getting hotter

as we move into summer.

Every day,

the project seems to get bigger.

Now, what I want is,

let's say, five helicopters, right?

Then you have a camera here,

a camera there.

I want two cameras at once.

We'll have a camera

with Enrico inside the Loach.

In the script,

a helicopter unit led by a brash

air cavalry colonel named Kilgore

leads an attack on a coastal village

in order to escort Willard's boat

into the river that will lead him to Kurtz.

This scene with all the extras

and special effects

is the most logistically complicated

of Francis' career.

Francis was always reminding me.

He says, "Vittorio, remember,

this is not just a documentary

"about the war in Vietnam.

"This is a main show in the sense

that wherever America goes,

"they make a big show on everything.

"They make a big event.

"They make a big show

about lights, music.

"Even the idea to put Wagner on

during the battle sequence,

"it's part of the show.

It's part of the opera.

"It's part of the major fantasy

that American people has. "

- Tell them to cut.

- Cutting.

- Very good.

- All cameras are cutting!

You know, just at the last scene,

the third trip,

when the Huey come,

they pass too high.

Okay. This is Coppola.

All aircraft, all Hornets,

all picture aircraft,

everyone land in the rice paddies.

We'll have a meeting.

Because of the civil war in the south,

everyday, the government

sends different pilots

who haven't participated

in the rehearsals,

wrecking tens of thousands

of dollars worth of shots.

All day today, a Philippine

air force general was on the set.

There were rumors that the rebels

were in the hills about 10 miles away.

The Filipino commanders were afraid

there could be an attack

on the helicopters we were using.

In the middle of a complicated shot,

the helicopters were called away

to fight the rebels.

So, what?

- They're taking away five.

- Five? They said two.

Wait a second. Stand by.

We just heard they're taking away

five of our helicopters.

Should we do it?

The H uey go away.

We'll do it next week.

There have been stories in the press

about production problems with the film.

Has the filming been delayed?

Well, we're behind,

but we have not stopped shooting at all.

I mean, it's just that

the film is enormous.

I would say it's twice the scope

in terms of the production

of any film I've done,

including the two Godfathers together.

And it's such an enormous film

with so many different aspects.

We're out here hacking inch by inch.

We are up against, everyday,

100 problems.

It's like a great war itself.

- Change!

- You mean right now, sir?

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