STRANGE STORIES from Making the Kurtz Compound | Ep21 | Making Apocalypse Now

Summary

This video script delves into the surreal and chaotic production tales behind 'Apocalypse Now', highlighting bizarre incidents like a revolt by an army of monkeys, the near arrest of the crew for using real dead bodies as set decor, and the creative challenges of realizing the Kurtz compound. It also pays tribute to Eleanor Coppola, whose diary provides an intimate look into the film's production, and discusses the intricate set design and cultural authenticity, all while navigating the blurred lines between art and reality.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The production of 'Apocalypse Now' was fraught with unusual incidents, including a revolt by an army of monkeys and a near-arrest for using real dead bodies on set.
• 📅 The timeline of the Kurtz compound scene was filmed in September 1976, several months before Martin Sheen's heart attack in March 1977.
• 🚢 Director Francis Ford Coppola drew inspiration from photos of a Borneo ceremony for the Kurtz compound scene, aiming to depict Willard's state of mind as newborn-like and confused.
• 🎨 The makeup process for the boatmen scene was extensive, taking six hours, and was ruined by an unexpected underwater explosion that sent the extras into the water to collect dead fish.
• 🐒 'Monkey Island' was the site of a revolt by the hired monkeys, who attacked the set dressers and escaped into the jungle, forcing the production to use human extras instead.
• 📽️ The documentary 'Aliens Expanded' is a deep dive into the making of 'Aliens', featuring interviews with the cast, crew, and James Cameron himself, set to release in June.
• 🔥 The Kurtz compound set was designed with surreal elements like fire coming from the water, adding to the film's expressionistic and psychedelic nature.
• 🏰 The construction of the Kurtz temple and compound was a massive undertaking, using primitive methods and local labor, and was intended to be realistic enough to be destroyed in the film's climax.
• 🗝️ Dean Tavoularis, the production designer, faced numerous challenges, including the confiscation of weapons and the controversy over the use of real cadavers for the set decoration.
• 🎭 The use of real people and objects, such as the Ifugao tribe and actual trash, contributed to the authenticity and surreal atmosphere of the film.
• 🚫 The Philippine military's investigation into the use of real cadavers and the grave-robbing supplier added another layer of real-life drama to the already troubled production.

Q & A

What was the unusual incident involving makeup and an underwater explosion during the filming of the Kurtz compound scene?

During the filming of the Kurtz compound scene, makeup artists had spent six hours applying white makeup to the boatmen extras. However, when a special effects technician set off an underwater explosion as a test, all the extras jumped into the water to collect dead fish, ruining their makeup and the day's shoot.

Why was the Kurtz compound set difficult to build?

The Kurtz compound set was difficult to build because it was constructed on location using three hundred pound adobe blocks made on-site without the aid of modern construction machines. The set also included intricate decorations and had to accommodate a large number of extras and equipment.

What was the 'Monkey Island' incident during the Apocalypse Now production?

The 'Monkey Island' incident occurred when the production team released thirty 'non-swimming' monkeys on an island to act as inhabitants. Instead of staying, the monkeys attacked the set dressers and then swam away into the jungle, escaping the island.

How did the production of Apocalypse Now affect Dean Tavoularis, the production designer?

Dean Tavoularis was deeply affected by the production of Apocalypse Now. Living at the Kurtz compound location, he slipped into a depression due to the surrounding atmosphere of death and the use of real cadavers during the set dressing.

What was the controversy surrounding the use of real bodies on the set?

A prop man had arranged for real bodies, supposedly sourced from a supplier who provided cadavers for medical schools. However, it was later discovered that the supplier was a grave robber, and the production was investigated for a week by the Philippine military to determine if they had any involvement in the deaths.

Why was the Kurtz compound designed the way it was?

The Kurtz compound was designed to signify Kurtz's 'descent into madness' and was inspired by the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. It was meant to appear overgrown and reclaimed by the jungle, part of a former civilization, and a fortress.

What was the significance of the Ifugao tribe in the production?

The Ifugao tribe was hired to play Kurtz's Montagnard army because they naturally fit the role and did not require daily wardrobe changes. They also helped in decorating the set by carving totems and building parts of it themselves.

How did the production handle the portrayal of violence and death in the Kurtz compound scene?

The production used a combination of real and fake elements to portray violence and death. They used real bones with rotting meat and maggots for authenticity, as well as fake blood, dummies, and rubber-made weapons for safety and practicality.

What challenges did the production face with the Kurtz temple set?

The Kurtz temple set faced challenges such as the need for manual construction without modern machinery, sourcing and transporting materials like bones for decoration, and maintaining authenticity amidst the harsh conditions and smell from the decaying organic matter.

What was the role of Eleanor Coppola's production diary in understanding the making of Apocalypse Now?

Eleanor Coppola's production diary, 'Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now,' provided an intimate and in-depth look into the production process, the challenges faced, and the personal experiences of those involved, offering a unique perspective on the creation of the film.

How did the production manage the use of real and fake elements in the Kurtz compound scene?

The production managed the use of real and fake elements by employing real actors for close-up shots and dummies for background decoration. They also used real bones for authenticity and fake blood and rubber weapons for safety and practical effects.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Apocalypse Now Production Mishaps

This paragraph delves into the unusual and challenging experiences during the production of Apocalypse Now. It narrates how the Kurtz compound set was decorated, leading to unexpected incidents such as a revolt by an army of monkeys and a near-arrest of the crew for using real dead bodies. The timeline is set in September 1976, prior to Martin Sheen's heart attack in 1977. Director Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Willard's arrival at Kurtz's compound is explored, with the patrol boat pushing through white-painted boatmen symbolizing birth. The makeup and preparation of the extras, the accidental underwater explosion, and its impact on the shoot are detailed, highlighting the improvisation and resilience required in filmmaking.

05:00

🐒 Monkey Island and Montagnard Army Insights

The narrative shifts to the peculiar story of 'Monkey Island,' where the plan to populate the island with monkeys went awry as they attacked the set dressers and escaped. The paragraph also discusses the casting of the Montagnard army in Kurtz's compound, utilizing an entire tribe from the Ifugao province of Luzon, who were natural fits for the roles without the need for costumes. The tribe's unique contract, which included provisions for food, salary, medical care, and animals for sacrificial purposes, is highlighted. Additionally, the Ifugao tribe's historical resilience and their contribution to the set decoration is noted, adding an authentic touch to the film's production.

10:03

🔥 Surreal Imagery and Set Construction Challenges

This section examines the surreal and psychedelic elements of Apocalypse Now, such as unexplained flames and fog, emphasizing the film's expressionistic approach over realism. The construction of Kurtz's compound is detailed, describing the use of adobe blocks and the challenges of building a massive set in a remote jungle location without modern machinery. The use of traditional construction methods, local labor, and the unfortunate accidents that led to the death of two workers are recounted. The set's design inspiration from the Angkor Wat temple and the meticulous planning that went into creating an immersive and realistic environment are also highlighted.

15:05

💀 Descent into Madness: Temple of Decay and Controversies

The final paragraph focuses on the decaying temple set designed to symbolize Kurtz's descent into madness. It describes the use of real bones, maggots, and trash to create an authentic atmosphere, despite the discomfort it caused the actors. The controversy surrounding the alleged use of real cadavers obtained by a grave robber is explored, along with the subsequent investigation by the Philippine military that nearly implicated the production team. Dean Tavoularis's personal experience living at the compound and the overall atmosphere of death that permeated the set are discussed, concluding with the denial by the movie's press office of using actual cadavers in the film.

Keywords

💡Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and is set during the Vietnam War. The film is known for its surreal and psychedelic portrayal of war, which is a central theme of the video script. The script discusses various behind-the-scenes stories from the production of the film, highlighting the challenges and eccentricities encountered during its making.

💡Kurtz Compound

The Kurtz Compound is a significant location in Apocalypse Now, representing the stronghold of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a rogue U.S. Army Special Forces officer who has gone AWOL. The script describes the elaborate production design and construction of the compound, which is integral to the film's narrative as it symbolizes Kurtz's descent into madness and his creation of a cult-like society.

💡Production Challenges

Production Challenges refers to the various difficulties encountered during the making of Apocalypse Now. The script provides numerous examples, such as the use of real cadavers for set decoration and the near-arrest of the crew for using actual dead bodies. These challenges underscore the chaotic and surreal nature of the film's production, which parallels the film's themes of disorder and the absurdity of war.

💡Expressionistic Approach

An expressionistic approach in film involves the use of distorted, exaggerated, or unrealistic imagery to evoke emotions and ideas. The script mentions that Apocalypse Now uses such an approach, with unexplained imagery like flames and fog, to convey the surreal and nightmarish nature of the war experience. This approach is evident in the film's set design and visual effects, which contribute to its overall impact.

💡Eleanor Coppola

Eleanor Coppola, the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, played a significant role in documenting the production of Apocalypse Now through her diary, 'Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now.' The script pays tribute to her contributions, highlighting her insights into the production process and the personal struggles faced by the crew. Her diary provides an intimate view of the challenges and the creative process behind the film.

💡Makeup and Prep

Makeup and Prep refers to the process of preparing actors and extras for their roles in a film, including applying makeup and costumes. The script describes the extensive makeup process for the boatmen extras in Apocalypse Now, which involved unique white paint designs and took six hours to complete. This detail illustrates the meticulous attention to detail in the film's production and the lengths the crew went to create authenticity.

💡Special Effects

Special Effects in film production involve the use of various techniques to create illusions or visual elements that cannot be achieved through regular filming. The script mentions the use of special effects in Apocalypse Now, such as the underwater explosion that scared the boatmen extras and the gas jet rigged to produce fire from the water. These effects are crucial in creating the film's surreal and intense atmosphere.

💡Montagnard Army

The Montagnard Army refers to the indigenous highland people of Vietnam, depicted in Apocalypse Now as part of Colonel Kurtz's private army. The script discusses the production's efforts to hire and incorporate an actual tribe from the Ifugao province of Luzon to play these roles, adding authenticity to the film's portrayal of Kurtz's compound and his unconventional military force.

💡Set Dressing

Set Dressing is the process of adding props, decorations, and other details to a film set to create a realistic environment. The script recounts the story of 'Monkey Island,' where set dressers constructed homes for monkeys that were intended to inhabit the island. The incident where the monkeys attacked the set dressers and escaped illustrates the unpredictability and challenges of set dressing in a film production.

💡Cadavers

Cadavers, in the context of the script, refer to the real dead bodies that were allegedly used during the production of Apocalypse Now for set decoration. The script describes a controversy surrounding the use of these bodies, which led to an investigation by the Philippine military and the temporary confiscation of the crew's passports. This incident highlights the extreme measures taken for realism in the film's production and the ethical questions they raised.

Highlights

The production of 'Apocalypse Now' encountered bizarre incidents, such as a revolt by an army of monkeys and the crew nearly being arrested for using real dead bodies as set decorations.

Coppola's idea to portray Willard's state of mind as a newborn baby upon arrival at Kurtz's compound, symbolizing a fresh perspective on the chaos he encounters.

The use of real boatmen from the Philippine island of Pagsanjan, who were sprayed with white makeup and had unique hand-painted designs on their faces, adding authenticity to the scene.

A humorous incident where a special effects test led to extras jumping into the water to collect dead fish, ruining hours of makeup and preparation.

The story of 'Monkey Island', where non-swimming monkeys attacked the set dressers and escaped, leading to the use of human extras instead.

Eleanor Coppola's detailed production diary, providing an intimate view of the challenges and creative process behind 'Apocalypse Now'.

The challenging construction of Kurtz's compound, built without modern machinery and using traditional methods, reflecting the film's themes of primitive power and madness.

The tragic deaths of two Filipino construction workers, highlighting the real-life risks and sacrifices made during the production.

The use of real bones and trash to create an authentic and disturbing atmosphere for the Kurtz compound, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

The controversy surrounding the alleged use of real cadavers as set decorations, which led to an investigation by the Philippine military.

The surreal and psychedelic imagery in the film, such as unexplained flames and fog, reflecting an expressionistic approach to storytelling.

The unique casting of a full tribe from the Ifugao province of Luzon to play Kurtz's Montagnard army, adding authenticity to the film's portrayal of indigenous people.

The innovative use of adobe blocks for the construction of the Kurtz temple, which were made on-site and embossed with designs to create a realistic and ancient look.

The film's connection to the Montagnard people, who were known for their resilience and warrior culture, mirroring Kurtz's own descent into a primitive state of power and control.

The meticulous attention to detail in the production design, including the creation of a large Buddha head sculpture modeled after a young Filipina maid.

Transcripts

The stories behind the Apocalypse Now production  just keep getting weirder and weirder,  

and while you’d think that simply decorating  the Kurtz compound wouldn’t be that bizarre,  

in this episode I’ll be telling you some  crazy stories including a revolt from an  

army of monkeys and the entire crew nearly  getting arrested for decorating the set  

with real dead bodies. But first, a story about  how these guys ruined a whole day of shooting.

Chef, keep moving. Lance, keep  your hands away from the guns.

The patrol boat finally arrives at  Kurtz’s compound and sees hundreds  

of people watching them with around  a hundred and twenty done up in white  

paint and standing on small boats  called bancas blocking their way.

To give you some sense of the timeline, this  shot was done in September of 1976 and Sheen’s  

heart attack we discussed in the previous  episode happened in early March of 1977.

Coppola got the idea from photos of boatmen  performing a ceremony in Borneo (Zeismer 266). He  

was trying to work out Willard’s state of mind  when he arrives, deciding to, instead of having  

Willard be angry, he would be like a newborn baby  (Zeismer 266, Hearts of Darkness). Throughout  

much of this sequence, we see Willard  on the edge of confusion or some kind  

of profound experience as he tries to  wrap his mind around what Kurtz has done.

In keeping with this newborn idea, Coppola  would have the patrol boat slowly push  

through the boatmen like a birth (Zeismer  266). The production had traveled all over  

the largest Philippine island looking for  people to play the boatmen with each being  

brought to Pagsanjan to be housed, fed, and  rehearse the scene (Zeismer 266-67). The  

makeup people filled paint sprayers with  white makeup to spray down their bodies,  

but their faces had to be done by hand and each  one had a unique design (Zeismer 266-67). It  

took six hours to get everyone made up  and ready to shoot (Zeismer 266-67).

At one point, it began to lightly rain and  the makeup people got into a huddle to figure  

out what to do if their six hours worth of  makeup started washing off (Coppola 136).

The boatmen paddled into position and got ready.  The camera was positioned on top of the patrol  

boat and as cinematographer Vittorio Storaro  got the camera ready, the boat was slowly pulled  

back to its starting position (Zeismer 267).  Special effects technician Jerry Endler radioed  

to Assistant Director Jerry Zeismer on top of the  boat asking if it would be alright if they tested  

the size of an underwater explosion (Zeismer 267).  Storaro wasn’t quite ready for the shot yet so  

Zeismer told Endler to go ahead and set off the  explosion (Zeismer 267). As soon as the explosive  

charge went off, all of the boatmen extras jumped  into the water and swam toward where the explosion  

went off–they wanted to collect all the dead fish  to sell at a local market (Zeismer 267). Six hours  

of makeup and prep was ruined in an instant.  Sheen turned to Zeismer and said, “It’s their  

first movie, Jer '' and laughed (Zeismer 267).  They ended up just filming reaction shots of Chef,  

Lance, and Willard on the boat and pushed the  shot of the boatmen to the next day (Zeismer 267).

I ain’t coming in there!  Them bastards attacked us!

The next story involves what was known as  ‘Monkey Island’. But first, you might remember  

when I partnered with the new documentary Aliens  Expanded to help them get funding for what will be  

the definitive documentary on the making of James  Cameron’s Aliens. Well, a year and a half later,  

the documentary is about to be released this June!  Aliens Expanded is from the makers of the super  

nostalgic In Search of Darkness and In Search of  Tomorrow, but now they are taking an extensive  

deep-dive into a single movie with interviews  from the cast and crew, writers of the comics  

and novelizations, and the man himself,  James Cameron. If you know this channel,  

you know I love taking the time to get into the  nitty gritty of a movie, so I’m super excited for  

this. They are taking pre-orders until May 5th  with tons of fun extras, but most importantly,  

your support here will allow them to keep  going with more deep-dives into single movies.

Click the link in the description to check  out the cool bonuses you can get and remember,  

the pre-order window closes on May 5th!

Now, to monkey island…

When the patrol boat pushes past the boatment, we  see stairs leading up from the water to the temple  

ruins. What’s interesting is the story behind  this little island to the left of the stairs.

The production called it “monkey island”  because the original plan was to have it  

inhabited by monkeys (Zeismer 270). The set  dressers had constructed little homes and  

perches on the island for thirty “non swimming”  monkeys they bought, caged, and boated to the  

little island (Zeismer 270). The set dressers  released the monkeys from the cages on the island,  

but before they could get back on the boat, the  monkeys revolted and attacked the set dressers,  

chasing them around the island, biting  and scratching them (Zeismer 270).

Watch out! Those goddamned  monkeys bite you, I’ll tell you!

The set dressers huddled together on  the island where they were screamed at  

by the little monsters and then these “non  swimming” monkeys jumped into the river,  

swam to the shore, and ran off  into the jungle (Zeismer 270).

They would end up dressing the  little island with people instead.

In her diary, Eleanor Coppola writes, “Yesterday  I was standing on the dock at the set,  

watching the second unit shoot. They were  placing Vietnamese extras on the steps of  

Monkey Island and pouring blood on them. There  were dummies floating in heaps in the water  

lilies. Special effects fires were burning, and  about 150 Ifugaos were placed along the far shore  

and among the sandbags along the wall behind  me. The shot was a point of view for the PBR  

as it approaches Kurtz Compound. The exhaust from  the engines was floating in a misty trail behind  

the boat. It was late afternoon and the light  and smoke looked theatrical. I began thinking  

that it was like being in a theater that was  a full 360 degrees around me” (Coppola 140).

I want to take a moment to acknowledge  that Eleanor Coppola passed away between  

the last episode and this one. Her  efforts on Hearts of Darkness and  

her production diary are the reason  that we are able to get so in-depth  

with what it was like creating one of the  greatest movies ever made. But beyond that,  

I highly recommend reading her production diary  ‘Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now’ because,  

while I’ve only talked about the aspects of the  diary that relate directly to the production,  

we get an intimate view inside the mind of such a  unique and interesting person finding herself in  

such unique and interesting circumstances. We get  to hear her thoughts on not just her struggles and  

fascination with navigating being the backbone  of a family on an adventure taking a huge risk,  

but her own thoughts on art and being an artist,  her fears, and her dreams. I don’t think I’ve  

ever felt such an empathetic connection to  a person through a book. Let’s continue…

The most jarring aspect of this scene is  a pansless man hanging over the water.

Stunt Coordinator Terry Leonard had a Filipino  stuntman hang from the tree and because it was  

so close to the where the patrol boat  docked, the stuntman wound up in most  

of the shots of that first conversation  with Dennis Hopper (Zeismer 270). So  

that stuntman had to hang like that for  hours while they filmed (Zeismer 270).

Here’s a pic of them getting  him into position. By the way,  

the speedboat was Coppola’s and named  Part II after the second Godfather movie.

Letterman: “The film one from the heart.  we have been led to believe maybe,  

we shouldn't be believing this, but it  looks like if this one doesn't work,  

there goes your house, there goes the speedboat,  there goes the vacation. There goes the studio.”

Coppola: “The Speed boat went on Apocalypse Now.  Oh, and, you know, and truly, the speedboat was  

called The Godfather Part two. I remember, and you  really, really was a speedboat but it’s gone now.”

Tavoularis visited a museum in Paris  where they had Montagnard clothes on  

display (Cowie 30). “Montagnard” was a term  used by the French Colonial government to  

refer to “mountain people” who lived in  the “Central Highlands of Vietnam” (UNCG).

Villages of the Highlands are inhabited by many  races, each with a tradition and a way of life  

distinctly its own. Known to the outside world by  the French term Montagnards or Mountain people,  

they are known to themselves by such tribal  names as Rhade and Hmong are vastly different  

from the light skinned islanders, whom the world  knows, as Viet Nam is believed to be the original  

inhabitants of the region before the arrival of  the Vietnamese is more than 2000 years ago, most  

of the mountain roads continue to live a Stone  age existence in the midst of the 20th century.

Tavoularis had to design tons of costumes  for Kurtz’s Montagnard army (Cowie 30).

To help fill out Kurtz’s Montagnard army, the  production hired a full tribe of natives from  

the Ifugao province of Luzon to make it easier  than attempting to individually hire actors to  

play all of the extras (Hearts of Darkness).  These people could also appear as is and didn’t  

need to be changed into wardrobe everyday because  this is what they actually wore (Coppola 116).

Fred Roos: “We sent one of our production  assistants, a girl named Éva Gárdos, who would be  

a film editor and director herself, we would send  her up to these villages in the mountains and she  

would make friends with the village and she would  bring back the right Humung for that sequence”

They would be bussed down from the north to  an area of the location where the production  

had cleared out coconut palms and built  bamboo huts (Zeismer 269, Coppola 116).

The Ifugao’s contract “[included] food,  salary, medical care and a number of chickens,  

pigs and carabao for sacrificial purposes'  (Coppola 116). We’ll talk more about that in  

a future episode on Kurtz’s death. They lived  at the location and created a little village,  

further blurring the lines between the  reality of the movie and the reality  

of production. Many of them went to  work helping Tavoularis decorate the  

location by carving totems and building  parts of the set themselves (Cowie 86).

What’s interesting is that the  Ifugao have never been conquered,  

even by the Japanese during World War II and  Zeismer was told by Eva that it “wasn’t too  

many years ago that the Ifugaos were  still headhunters” (Zeismer 272).

During this time, Coppola reflected on  Kurtz’s motivation for cutting ties with  

the South Vietnamese in favor of the North  Vietnamese writing, “Kurtz simply has no  

respect for these South Vietnamese, but he has  respect for the North Vietnamese and he does  

believe this kind of warrior/samurai code  in which you tell the truth . . . He uses  

his little montagnard kingdom as a metaphor,  which is essentially that, well, this is ours  

because we have the force to keep it, but we  have the strength to maintain it” (Cowie 86).

Kind of reminds you of the French  Plantation sequence, doesn’t it?

But here, we don’t lose. This piece of Earth,  we keep it. We will never lose that. Never!

Besides the pantsless man,  

another bizarre thing you’ll notice is this  fire inexplicably coming from the water.

Production designer Dean Tavoularis and his  team had asked the special effects team to  

rig a “gas jet under the water” and make it so  fire was coming out (Zeismer 270). Zeismer asked  

Tavoularis where the fire would be coming  from in the world of the story, but Tavoularis  

brushed him off (Zeismer 270). Cinematographer  Vittorio Storaro overheard and said to Zeismer,  

“Jerry, what is wrong with the fire? I like the  fire!” (Zeismer 270). Sheen said, “Maybe there’s  

something down there?” (Zeismer 270). Coppola  walked by asking what was up–they said that  

they were talking about the fire and Coppola said  that maybe it was a bit much and to turn it down,  

but Tavoularis left it as is, probably  in agreement with Storaro (Zeismer 270).

In Coppola’s 1975 rewrite of  the script a description reads,  

“Fire literally burns from out  of the ground” (Screenplay).

In this sequence, there is a lot of bizarre  unexplained imagery like flames, colored smoke,  

and fog seemingly coming from nowhere adding  to the surreal and psychedelic nature of the  

story. It shows the audience that the movie  isn’t too concerned with realism, instead,  

taking a more expressionistic approach, which  clues us in that nothing should be taken at  

face value. The themes and feelings that  exist underneath the surface of what you  

are seeing are more important than the  explicit story of Willard and Kurtz.

The production design of Kurtz’s  compound communicates this more  

than any other set and it was  the most difficult to build.

Apocalypse Now never filmed anything  on a soundstage, instead, taking on  

the difficult task of building sets “from  scratch” on location (Cowie 47). Perhaps  

the most intricate and massive set would be  the Kurtz temple and surrounding compound  

which was built using three hundred pound adobe  blocks that were made on-site (Coppola 116).

Production designer Dean Tavoularis said,  “'It wasn't just being able to build the  

set…You had to get the extras in  there, and be able to operate. We  

found the right spot with helicopters -  a little bend in the river” (Cowie 30).

It reminds me a lot of Bridge on the River Kwai,  where a massive piece of architecture was built  

in the middle of a jungle using extremely  difficult techniques from long ago. Kwai  

used elephants to transport materials  and Apocalypse used carabao (Cowie 30)

The Kurtz temple was built for real  and built without the aid of modern  

construction machines and vehicles. Eleanor  Coppola wrote, “Four men would shoulder a  

bamboo sling and carry a block to one  of the building sites. Bamboo hoists,  

with a long line of men pulling on thick ropes,  lifted the blocks into place. Barges ferried men  

and materials across the river to the work on  the other side. I was amazed at how primitive  

the construction methods were. John La Sandra  told me that manpower costs less than machine  

power here. He said it was more efficient to  explain what he wanted built and then let it  

be done in the local way. He told me that there  were nearly seven hundred laborers all together,  

with all the wood carvers, mold makers,  carpenters, etc.” (Coppola 116).

Tavoularis: “Hollywood or New York. If you want  another person, it's quite a big deal with the  

fringes and their salaries–thousands of dollars.  So for a dollar a day, or three dollars a day,  

I hope we weren't taking advantage of  people, but that's what they were paid.

Tragically, two of the Filipino  construction workers died–one was  

killed by a falling log and the  other died from rabies (Biskind).

According to Peter Biskind’s book, Easy Riders and  Raging Bulls, there was no doctor on set the crew  

were treated with pouring “diluted Clorox and  vodka on their cuts and sores” (Biskind). The  

worker who died of rabies was actually buried  “in his Apocalypse Now T-shirt” (Biskind).

Part of the reason the production built the  compound for real was because the script called  

for an airstrike to blow it up at the end of the  movie. Tavoularis said, “You can't put scaffolding  

up and clad it with skins or Styrofoam and then  blow it up. We experimented, and I said we have  

to build it up with blocks and it has to be  something that you can dynamite and that'll look  

realistic. We finally settled on a composition  of earth and cement, with a bit of straw - so  

this was a concoction from which we'd make blocks,  each one measuring 2 meters by 1 meter. Some were  

just smooth-sided and would sit on top of each  other, but most of them faced out- wards and  

had to be embossed with the design or decor. So  they needed to be modeled in clay. We constructed  

special molds, then the block would be poured into  these molds, and pulled out once dry” (Cowie 30).

Every time we see an interior of the temple,  it is the actual temple built at the location  

in the jungle. The production also built  a road from the highway a half a mile to  

the “edge of the compound” where they  had a base camp set up for equipment  

and everything (Zeismer 269). This allowed  the production to shoot on the massive set  

and point the camera in any direction without  seeing trucks or tents or anything like that.

Tavoularis even placed ruins and giant Buddha  heads over a square half mile of jungle, so that  

what you could see in the distance  would be decorated (Zeismer 269).

The Kurtz compound was described in John  Milius’ 1969 draft of the script as “A  

fortified encampment, built around the ruins of  a former Cambodian civilization. Stone lions,  

barbed wire, cracked pyramids and sandbags  mark the fort” (Cowie 38). In the margins,  

Coppola adds that it should be [quote]  “Overgrown, as though the jungle is  

trying to reclaim it - it is part jungle,  part ruin, part fortress” (Cowie 38).

Tavoularis decided to base  the design on the “Angkor  

Wat temple in northwest Cambodia” (Zeismer 269).

Before the production left for the Philippines,  Tavoularis got in touch with a sculptor to make  

a small model of the compound (Cowie 30).  At the production headquarters in Manila,  

they had a large studio where a sculptor and  several assistants carved the large buddha  

heads and temple decorations in clay (Coppola 23).

The large head sculpture that  closes the movie was modeled  

after a “beautiful young Filipina maid from a  nearby boardinghouse” in Manila (Coppola 23).

Building up the compound over the course  of the massively complex production made  

things even more difficult. Close to three  hundred fake marijuana plants were ordered,  

but “never picked up” and a large shipment of  weapons “was confiscated at customs in Manila”  

because three of the guns weren’t  on the declared list (Cowie 71).

Tavoularis designed the decaying temple to signify  Kurtz’s “descent into madness” (Phillips 156).  

Tavoularis said, “Where the steps come down to  the water, I wanted a big pile of bones (not  

forgetting some of the local snakes they called  nagas). So I told my assistants, contact all the  

restaurants and butcher houses you can, and start  collecting bones. Stack them here, the bigger the  

better — ribs, heads, whatever” (Cowie 85). A lot  of the bones had rotting meat on them and were  

full of maggots, which Tavoularis thought added  to the authenticity for the actors (Cowie 85).

They had also gotten garbage trucks from Manila to  

dump all of their trash on  the set (This Is Oklahoma).

It smelled so bad that Martin Sheen’s  wife called producer Gray Frederickson  

saying that Sheen wouldn’t work  with all of the maggots around,  

so Tavoularis dumped lime on the bones (Cowie  85, Neon 113). They hired a bunch of guys to  

come in and clean all of the trash (This Is  Oklahoma). But here’s where things get insane…

Gray Frederickson: “The prop guy  said to the production designer  

should we tell them about the bodies I said,  ‘woah woah woah, what bodies?’ ‘Never mind,  

never mind.’ They had found a guy in Manila who  said he could give them bodies that he would take  

he delivered bodies to medical schools for  cadavers he said i'll just bring them out for  

you guys so they took me into this tent and  there's like 15 oh this gray dead cadaver's  

laying we can't have dead bodies and and I said,  ‘Francis..’ and he says, ‘Oh I dunno.’ He knew.”

The crew got upset and the “cadavers were  gone the next day” (Zeismer 274). According  

to Eleanor Coppola, the prop man told her it  was a pile of burning bodies (Coppola 126).

I highly doubt that shots of actual bodies made  it into the movie because there isn’t a point  

in using cadavers without burning them given  how many extras they hired to play dead bodies  

and how difficult it was for the actors playing  the severed heads–which we’ll talk about later.

This is the only shot I could find that  could possibly have burning bodies,  

but I really don’t think there are any.

Then, if that wasn’t crazy enough, the  Philippine military showed up on set and  

said that the guy who supplied the cadavers  was actually a grave robber and they had him  

in custody (This Is Oklahoma). They took  everybody's passports while they spent a  

week investigating whether the production  had these people killed (This Is Oklahoma).

Tavoularis lived at the Kurtz compound location  

while he was working on it and eventually  slipped into a depression because of the  

general atmosphere of death all around (Phillips  156). Tavoularis described the whole production  

as a nightmare and of the use of real cadavers  he said, “It became such a low level in my life  

that somehow putting blood on staircases and  rolling heads down steps seemed natural to  

me” (Neon 113). The movie’s press office denied  that real cadavers were used (Phillips 156).

The fake blood cost thirty-five dollars a  gallon and they used a lot of it (Coppola 144).

There were lots of dummies made on location to  

decorate the set. Here we can  see them making hands and feet  

and then the heads. They also made machetes  and large guns out of rubber the same way.

For the bodies closer to the  camera, they used actors.

What’s interesting is that there is a bit  from Milius’s original script where a kid  

in the Kurtz compound is shown eating  a severed hand. We can see this in the  

behind the scenes footage, but I don’t  think it made it into the final film.

On the next episode, we meet a  crazy photojournalist played by  

Dennis Hopper. Again, fiction and reality  blur because crazy as the character seems,  

Hopper’s eccentricities would cause  another big problem for the production.