In considering Francis Ford Coppola as an auteur you should analyse the production and text of Apocalypse Now and look at the following :
Coppola's roles during the film's production : director,co-writer, producer,financier,acting coach,co-editor
Coppola's power and influence over the financial and production elements of the film and his control of or by the studio. This will also link into the wider production contexts of the film industry of the time ( New Hollywood)
Coppola'/s style of directing : dictatorial and authoritarian or collaborative ? Does he allow creative input from others ?
Coppola's creative signature ( use of film form/stars/recurring themes in his work )
a personal video essay exploring Coppola as an auteur
OTHER FILMS BY COPPOLA
Coppola's creative signature ( use of film form/stars/recurring themes in his work )
Look at some of his other 1970s films. Consider elements such as use of set-piece large scale ensemble scenes., casting and use of character actors , new actors and stars, extreme use of lighting and shadow ,narrative themes of power and corruption, creative and extended use of sound effects and contemporary/classical music , use of montage editing and downbeat endings ( which links to New Hollywood methods)
THE GODFATHER ( 1972)
THE CONVERSATION ( 1974)
THE GODFATHER 2 ( 1974)
after Apocalypse Now Coppola retreated from big-budget large-scale filmmaking for several years....