Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 26, 2026

Lionsgate hasn't been especially shy about releasing various editions of what is still one of Francis Ford Coppola's most widely admired achievements, with Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now Redux, Apocalypse Now: Triple Feature, Apocalypse Now 4K and Apocalypse Now 4K having been offered through the years. Lionsgate might now be providing the same sort of revisiting vis a vis a "subset" of the original film that was part of the so-called Full Disclosure Edition, namely Eleanor Coppola's devastating documentary Hearts of Darkness. In late 2025 Lionsgate offered fans Hearts of Darkness 4K in Region A with frankly not much bonus content. A Region B Hearts of Darkness 4K released by Studio Canal is much more in line with this new release coming from Lionsgate's etailer Lionsgate Limited, as it focuses more expressly on Eleanor and her achievements, specifically with regard to some of her art, but also her status of what she calls being the Coppola Family documentarian. Notably this release also includes a 1080 presentation of the main feature, unlike the Region A 4K release from Lionsgate.

Both of the above linked releases of Hearts of Darkness have additional information, as does my review of the Full Disclosure Edition of Apocalypse Now itself, also linked to above. Though evidently organized differently, the review of the Region B Studio Canal edition has additional information on the supplements, all of which are ported over here.

Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package. As mentioned above, Lionsgate's 2025 4K UHD release of this film did not include a 1080 disc.

Hearts of Darkness is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films and Lionsgate Limited with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer (mostly) in 1.33:1. There are some "baked in" deficiencies on tap here courtesy of some of the archival footage in particular, some of which can be littered with everything from scratches to bright blue lines running down the length of the frame to even what appear to be some vestigial tracking issues, but all of the "contemporary" footage caught by Eleanor Coppola looks great, though the 16mm source can lead to a bit of unavoidably fuzziness at times, with a rather pronounced grain field. Still, detail levels are frequently impressive, and a lot of the talking head material offers good, precise renderings of everything from facial features to the fabrics on clothes worn. The HDR / Dolby Vision grades frankly didn't strike me as adding a wealth of highlights, but there are some interesting nuances now to the backgrounds of several interview segments, and I'd argue that HDR may even help delineate the blacks and whites of a lot of the stills utilized.

Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hearts of Darkness features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that frankly may be strictly unneeded, given the narrated and/or talking head aspect of the documentary. That said, there is noticeable (if at times jarring) immersion at play when the actual sections of Apocalypse Now are utilized. Otherwise, the side and rear channels may frankly not offer a wealth of engagement, though there are certainly no issues in terms of the clarity of any of the spoken material. Optional English and French subtitles are available.

Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers' Apocalypse (UHD; 1:36:29)


• Eleanor Coppola: Art Is All Around Us (HD; 23:24) is a portrait (pun intended) of Eleanor Coppola, with both general biographical background and an emphasis on her artistic pursuits. Several members of the Coppola family are interviewed.


• Legacy Special Features

Eleanor & Francis Coppola Audio Commentary




The Making of Hearts of Darkness (HD; 37:35)

1080 Disc One

• Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers' Apocalypse (HD; 1:36:29)


• Eleanor Coppola: Art Is All Around Us (HD; 23:24)


• Legacy Special Features

Eleanor & Francis Coppola Audio Commentary




The Making of Hearts of Darkness (HD; 37:35)

1080 Disc Two

• Exclusive Lionsgate Limited Content

A Visit to China's Miao Country (1996) (HD; 36:29)




Circle of Memory (HD; 7:50)




Coda - Eleanor Coppola Introduction (HD; 1:43)




Coda: Thirty Years Later (2007) (HD; 1:03:00)




Making of Marie Antoinette (2007) (HD; 25:58)




Francis Ford Coppola Directs The Rainmaker (2007) (HD; 27:07)




On the Set of CQ (2002) (HD; 10:02)




Making of The Virgin Suicides (1998) (HD; 30:37)




Peeling a Potato is a Work of Art (1976) (HD; 00:33)




Victorian House (1976) (HD; 3:06)




Joyce Goldstein (1976) (HD; 1:03)




Refrigerator (1976) (HD; 00:32)




Hearts of Darkness Trailer (2025) (HD; 1:04)

• Legacy Special Features

Original 1979 Apocalypse Now Trailer (HD; 3:56)

This is a handsomely packaged release from Lionsgate Limited, in what amounts to a four fold DigiBook with a fabric cover which measures approximately 9" high by 6" wide by 1" deep. The first three interior panels each hold a disc (one 4K, two 1080), while the right side features a sewn in photo book created in partnership with Joseph Logan Design, the design team behind Sofia Coppola's Archive book. One niggling complaint some may have is because the book is attached, it's a little difficult to get the pages completely open without potentially damaging things. A digital copy is also included.

Hearts of Darkness 4K: The Art of Eleanor Coppola Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hearts of Darkness is uncomfortably revelatory in any number of ways, but that's one of the reasons why it's so incredibly visceral. For those who didn't pick up the initial Region A 4K release from Lionsgate, this is certainly probably a more worthwhile alternative, not only because it includes so many interesting special features, but also due to the 1080 presentation of the main feature and the handsome packaging and art book. Highly recommended.