Marlon Brando (playing Kurtz) arrived on set overweight, unprepared, and having not read the source material, forcing Coppola to rewrite and improvise much of the ending. Core Themes to Explore
The original lead (Harvey Keitel) was fired after a week, and his replacement, Martin Sheen, eventually suffered a heart attack on set. 7. Hearts of Darkness (1)
Marlow is a "frame narrator," meaning we hear his story second-hand, emphasizing that truth is often obscured by personal perspective and the "fascination of the abomination". Heart of Darkness Part 1, Section 1 Summary & Analysis Marlon Brando (playing Kurtz) arrived on set overweight,