An unforgettable, epic vision of the disasters of war, Francis Ford Coppola set out to take audiences "through an unprecedented experience of war and have them react as much as those who had gone through the war."

Inspired by Joseph Conrad's 1899 story Heart of Darkness, Coppola's film follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) as he is sent up river on a mission to kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Robert Duvall's 'smell of napalm' loving Lieutenant Kilgore and Dennis Hopper's photojournalist leave indelible impressions as Coppola's vision of Vietnam is as turbulent as the storms that also affected the production. A soundtrack featuring Richard Wagner and The Doors adds to the monumental ambition of the film.