'Apocalypse Now' May Be a Masterpiece, But It Also Holds This Unfortunate Record

Before judging it from an artistic perspective, the cast and crew of Apocalypse Now deserve recognition for even finishing the film. Between inclement weather, the ailing health of the cast and crew, unruly stars, and a delayed shoot, Francis Ford Coppola’s ambition almost got the better of him. As we know, he ended up crafting one of the finest achievements in film history. If he could have it all back, one would assume that Coppola would not let his production run completely off the rails. However, the frenzy and chaos are powerfully captured on the screen, complementing Coppola’s nightmarish portrayal of a soldier’s odyssey into the underbelly of humanity. Due to the boatload of headaches and crises, the director had a lot on his plate, leaving room for sloppiness during shooting and in post-production. Data shows that, while its greatness can never be disputed, Apocalypse Now contains the most onscreen mistakes regarding continuity or technical errors of any film in history.