Movies-TV

Spoils Of War

You can find an anti-war statement here without looking too hard; that layer is hackneyed. Or you can find a value neutral comment on the madness of war (stripped of "judgement"); that layer is completely uninteresting.Or you can watch this for the darn good entertainment value of Duvall's one-liners, but that's just a coating for commercial mastication.You can try to view this as a 'realistic' Vietnam war film, but ask any veteran and he'll swat down that notion -- most vets will say it stinks.Or view it as a 'will he or won't he' morality play -- nothing rich there, either.Where I found the value was in the superb self-reference. Coppola needed a container with great enough dimensions (the war) to fit the greatness of the skilled multi-dimensional actor playing 'a great man'.Brando the man was as much of a maverick as the Kurtz character. The studios were uncomfortable with his acting 'method', yet he always excelled and won accolades; the 'generals' are uncomfortable with Kurtz's 'unsound methods', in spite of his strategic genius.So Coppola makes a movie all about Brando's greatness. To hammer on the point, he places himself in the movie (as Hopper, a manic photojournalist laden with multiple cameras) to spout his praises. Brando himself is only seen in half-light and silhouettes -- brilliant cinematography by Storaro that only increases the actor's power. And he goes out like the sacrificial bull to complete the narrative equation. Oh, yes: "the horror..." Other pieces of interest: the great use of point of view camera perspectives, including 'being in the firefight' long before "Private Ryan"; the ground breaking use of sound, notably the ominous flanging sweeps and the sonic depiction of an acid trip.Don't get caught in the outer layers; the rich part you should despoil from this is the brilliant core of sound, vision and self-reference.

Greatest American Film ever made!!!

I was 18 when this film came out and "it really put the hook in me". No film has made such a lasting impression on me. Coppola achieved the essence of the American spirit, risk taking, deception, and egotistical nature we all have in our souls. But the real credit for the power of this film must go to the greatest civilization of all time; the Greeks. If this film's foundation is not rooted in classical Greek mythology I don't know what is. Many references have been made to Conrad's Heart of Darkness. But there were other great works in literature as well. See Frazer's THE GOLDEN BOUGH, and Weston's FROM RITUAL TO ROMANCE. Never underestimate the power of myth !!!

Wild Ride into the mysterious "war of the madmen",Vietnam

This...Masterpiece of cinamatic proportions will take some people to their furthest point and push them off the edge into a world of blood and fear...The Movie is powerful and compelling but scary and frantic. Death seems almost like a vacation in this horror...this war...this time...as a poet I see this movie as one of the best ever made.I recommend you fix your popcorn...turn off the light...press the play button..and take it all in...it will rip your soul from it's boundaries...show you and make you realize things that you are un-willing or un-able to handle or think about. Sanity becomes a mixed breed when watching this.

"Charlie didn't get much USO...he had only two ways home - death, or victory."

I first saw this film during its original release, at the Town Theatre in downtown Seattle, in 70mm. I was somewhat prejudiced by a review I had read previously, so I did not fully absorb what was going on. Over the next few months, I saw Apocalypse Now 25 times, in 70mm and 35mm, at various theatres. It became my all-time favorite movie.What is it that grips me so much about this film? I never served in Vietnam (too young by a couple of years), and other noted films about Vietnam (Deer Hunter, Platoon) did not affect me this way. I think the style and structure of the film got to me. Right from the opening montage set to "The End", Coppola uses all his film-making skill to draw the viewer into one man's waking nightmare. The trip up the river becomes a metaphor for Willard's journey into the mind of Kurtz. (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)The touches of absurdity, such as the Wagner during the helicopter attack, the water-skiing behind the boat, and the USO show only add to the feeling that this is all some sort of mad dream. After the encounter with the sampan, the screen goes dark momentarily. When the action resumes, at the Doh-Long bridge, we are completely drawn into "The Heart of Darkness".(END POSSIBLE SPOILERS)How one reacts to this movie will depend on one's attitudes towards war, and especially the Vietnam conflict. The film does a very good job of presenting a specific point of view, i.e., the only way to 'win' the war was to engage in the same type of ruthless guerilla fighting that the Viet Cong used. Kurtz did that, and paid a terrible price.

Absolutely Amazing

Definitely one of the best Vietnam war movies out there. It is more about the psychological trama of the Vienam war which I liked. It can seem a little out there from time to time but that's to get the viewer to understand it from the main character's point of view. This is definitely not for the younger kids out there and it is pretty intense. It is a must have for any DVD collection. It is one of those classic movies everyone has to see at least once. The acting is amazing. Just an overall great movie.

The best film with a setting of the Vietnam War, if not the best war film ever made

"Apocalypse Now" is the best film with a setting of the Vietnam War, if not the best war film ever made. Unlike "Full Metal Jacket" or "Platoon", what war is used for "Apocalypse Now" is merely coincidental. What matters is that it is a war and that it is insane. Everything about the original cut is brilliant. Its long but never boring, as only Kurosawa and Leone could also maintain such a quick pace over such a mammoth length. The film manages to hold you interest for nearly three hours. One memorable scene is followed by the next. Many have criticized the ending with Brando as being anti-climatic. I disagree. We await for a big battle all along yet we realize it would go against the initial message of the film. We are finally treated to a half hour of existentialist dread that explores the human soul as opposed to exploiting our violent tendencies. It is a perfect way to commence what has been a perfect film. This isn't a film about the Vietnam War. It is much more than just about a war. It is about man's primal nature.Make not that above I mentioned everything about the original cut being brilliant. "Redux", while still a great film, adds erroneous footage that hampers the film. The new 49 minutes are certainly well made in their own rights, but they were edited out of the original cut for a reason. They drag the pace down a lot and don't really add anything to the final message of the film. Its still a great film but is severely flawed. Watching this version you realize why it needed the trimming around the edges. I'd rate "Redux" a 7 out of 10, as opposed to my perfect ten score for the original cut. Still, see it in any version as the final message still gets through. (10/10)

Cinematic Art

Apocalypse Now is a movie bordering on a masterpiece, created using a canvas even the most legendary painter would be envious of. The striking elements of the film are the exceptional usage of colour, the clever manipulation of lighting and the start contrast of each and every frame. Marvel at the picture postcard presentation of the jungles of Vietnam, before suddenly all hell breaks lose and it becomes a torrent of machine gun fire and blood. Apocalypse Now aims for the gut and skewers the viewer, assaulting the senses with a masterful display of cinematography, lighting and direction. Unlike so many "Hollywood" productions of today, "Now" is a labour of love, each frame expertly crafted by a man at the very pinnacle of his film-making career. Very few films would be right at home next to a Monet or a Van Gogh, yet this is one of the few exceptions, displaying some of the most beautiful photography ever seen on the silver screen.While the look may impress, "Now" is rendered complete by its phenomenally powerful story, based on Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness". The full horror of war is explored to the depths, with the absurdities of war emphasised by the central plot of eliminating the enemy, not the Vietcong rebels, but an American Colonel with delusions of grandeur. The movie takes many unexpected twists and turns, always flirting with the bizarre and surreal, and always coming off as a fresh and invigorating slice of life behind enemy lines. Martin Sheen is superb as Captain Willard, a man who knows no other world, who lives and breathes war. Brando is suitably chilling as Kurtz, the object of his mission, and Dennis Hopper, as a hippy photojournalist, gives a typically neurotic turn, converted by Kurtz's seemingly infinite words of wisdom. And who could forget Robert Duvall, as the gung-ho Lieutenant Kilgore, lover of Wagner and napalm."Now" is a remarkable film, a breath of fresh air amidst PC modern day film-making. Even 26 years on, its impact is spellbinding and its message is timely. Coppola, as a filmmaker, should be applauded for having the courage to make a movie about the truth and not a fabricated Hollywood tale where the true horrors and inhumanities of war are neatly swept under the carpet. I doubt we'll see another war movie of its calibre for a very long time to come.

Oh, the horror...

This was one of the greatest war movies ever. The "Redux" version is way too long. It loses focus with the added scenes. I highly recommend the original compared to this.

A masterpiece

My youngest daughter met Martin Sheen today, which prompted me to file this review of one of Hollywood's greatest movies. Based on Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS, APOCALYPSE NOW follows Army captain Martin Sheen into the jungles of Southeast Asia as he searches for renegade colonel Marlon Brando, who has gone native and frankly stark raving mad. Sheen gets far more than he bargained for when he finally finds Brando. Along the way, Sheen encounters a real cowboy of a lieutenant colonel played by a young Robert Duvall, who utters the film's classic line, "How I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Sheen had a heart attack while filming this massive epic in the Philippines. Frederic Forrest, a great character actor perhaps best known as the crazy military goods store owner in FALLING DOWN, has a plum role as the doomed "Chef." The film is absolutely amazing and can never be duplicated or equaled. Brando was in his glory as a larger-than-life madman, and Sheen justifiably became one of Hollywood's biggest stars after this. A must-see, especially for those of you who, like my kid, only know Sheen from THE DEPARTED.

An incredible masterpiece

If you haven't watched this masterpiece yet, you missed one of the deepest experiences that a movie could provide. This movie is about war, about politics, about the beauty and the horror, about the human nature in itself. Many have written extensively about it, so I will rather comment on one certain issue:The Redux version:Whilst there exist almost only negative comments about it, I think it is even better then the original. The Redux version has been released many years after the original and contains 49 minutes of new footage (taken from the original materials). Coppola explained, he felt the necessity of making this version. Mainly for the fact, that the original version was cut in an atmosphere of extreme pressure and desperation (read about the making if you don't know why). They cut the huge amounts of material to some simple format, leaving out scene after scene in the desperate attempt to make sense of something that could not make one certain sense. The Redux version was meant to give the original some of the hectically cut out footage back.The new scenes contain nothing that would change the story or meaning of the old movie, instead they either continue the story parts in more details or open up completely new scenes. There is the continuation of the famous Playmate scene for example, showing the perversion and insanity that briefly shines through in the original when the soldiers are heading for the playmate stage. The logical continuation takes place when Captain Willard and company meet the playmates stranded further up the river, being delivered to their goodwill.Then there are some small additions, like a really intense close up of Marlon Brando, whose acting in this movie is legendary! You will hardly find anything to criticize about these small additions, you could perhaps argue about the changes in background music, but this is mainly a question of individual taste, since the spirit of the music did hardly change. Its still a psychedelic mix of synthesizer sounds and music by the doors.Now other things, like the rather infamous scene on the French plantation, leave more room for debates. This scene, which was completely left out from the original, opens up a new story part, taking place on a French plantation. In my opinion, this scene added much to the movie's atmosphere, fitting perfectly into its beautiful psychedelic style. Also it was making even clearer that this movie is not simply about war: "There are two of you, don't you see ? One that kills and one that loves." This is exactly general Kurtz's dilemma: being caught in a world of insane double morality, looking for a way to find a "true" way of acting, Kurtz finally decides to break out by choosing his role as murder, by abandoning the role of jurisdiction in his (a)moral world. At the same time this sentence points to an even deeper conflict inside human nature or the world itsself: The existence of unimaginable horror and beauty next to each other. The desperate situation everyone faces who gets to see both. Overall, the new scenes do not contain anything that would really change the old movie (whilst there was hardly anything removed from it), whilst in my opinion they add much to it. The movie is longer, it has an even more epic character and becomes an even more breath taking psychedelic trip trough the dark corners of human nature and morality. If you really hate the Redux version, ask yourself why exactly. I think it is pure perfection, as long as you don't judge it simply for the fact that it is a changed version of one of the best movies ever made. Enjoy.

An experience

Its a fairy-tale in hell!

How can such a movie exist, that combines a cinema experience and shocking atmosphere this good, and still be a war movie?

Its not malicious like Deer Hunter, our coarse like Platoon. It's balanced to perfection.

Genius

This film puts Marlon Brando as one of the greatest actors to ever be committed to film. His presence is great and powerful, not many actors have come close to what he achieves. If you don't get what I'm talking about then perhaps you do not empathise with his character thus missing the subtleties and power he brings to the role.

Not exceptionaly terrible

First off, yes the original is probably my favorite movie. But for one, this dvd is very poor quality. No real additional features.

I thought the original was a long movie....but now that i've seen redux i have a profound respect for the editor of the original. The scenes in this new version were cut for a reason. Some of them are good yeah, but they're not spectacular. The scene where sheen helps steal a surfboard, and then later killgore flys around in his copter demanding it back over the loudspeaker is just sort of well....silly. And lets face it, this is hardly a silly movie.

The scene where they meet up with the bunnies just dosnt make any sense to me....i've watched it several times and i have no clue what sort of message they're trying to get through; wonderful acting though.

The added scene with the french plantation is purley about politics. I could barely pay attention; i thought it was a well established idea in the film that we had no business being in vietnam. In this scene they go through in great detail all the reasons why we shouldnt be there. Who cares? This isnt a movie about politics, its THE movie about war.

And probably the most anticipated new scene is one with Brando. He simply reads a time magazine article bluntly. Its not a bad scene...but a far cry from the amazing performance in the original. I would of bought if it was in the original because in this scene he's quite matter-of-fact instead of his usually thoughtfull vagueness. It does a nice job of showing how his moods change is all. But the thing is, it does show Brando's entire body. I feel embarrased to say but i could see his "man breasts" even through his loose fitting robes. I'm sure this was the reason it was cut out in the first place.

But all in all, the new scenes are neat to watch, but come nowhere near to the original version. They add a lot of confusion on just who wilard is. In the original he was just about the only character that was well established: you knew exacly who he was and what he wanted to do. In this version....he does these random things that seem totally out of character.

Will it be available on DVD?

Apocalypse Now is Francis Ford Coppola's best film and I'm wondering why it hasn't been released on DVD yet...please let me know when it will be.

Mike

A marvelous bit of surrealist movie-making...

This film is arguably one of the most important cinematic achievements of the 20th century. Based on the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad this movie is a provocative display of the Vietnam War and the surreal, yet utterly human experiences of its combatants. In the story, Lieutenant Willard (Martin Sheen) travels down a river to seek and assassinate the crazed Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has isolated himself from U.S. forces in a remote outpost. As Willard gets closer and closer to his prey though, he finds himself idolizing and obsessing over the invisible, god-like figure of Kurtz rather than preparing to kill him. What sets this movie apart from other war movies is not its "hell no, we won't go," theme that appears in films such as Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket," nor its "no guts, no glory" theme that appears in movies such as "Patton." Instead, it is its dreamlike portrayal of war as an experience which brings out our most savage, yet undeniably, our most natural tendencies. Everything from the soundtrack, to the screenplay, to the acting furthers the notion that every person who spends time in a war begins to understand the most basic of human desires, and learns to eliminate their consciences. And this, evidently, is "the horror" that Willard refers to throughout the film. The sweeping scenes of the blazing jungle, and the incessant whir of helicopter blades, are mere supplements to the brilliant performances of Brando, Sheen, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper among others. This movie in itself is a dangerous odyssey, for it takes more than a clever film critic to truly understand its importance. The message is hidden deep in the jungle and takes a keen eye to divulge and appreciate. This is a movie about escape from civility, "the end of our elaborate plan," and a descent into chaos and madness, the only question is, are you ready for the Apocalypse?

An even better masterpiece on DVD

This has always been one of my favorite films, so it was a great experience watching it on DVD. The picture quality was excellent for such an old film, and listening to those helicopters dominate the room was loads of fun. A very creepy, thought provoking movie that sticks with you long after the closing credits. A must watch for anyone who cares about movies, especially films from the golden age of cinema, which for me are the 70's. Filmmakers felt they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to then, and movies like this were the result.

Great, but what was the point?

Marlon Brando is a legend. I loved him in all three movies I've seen that feature him (THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and of course this one). Brando steals the scene (hell, he steals the entire movie!) near the end, but what exactly was the point of this muddled quagmire that critics for some reason like to call a masterpiece?
As I understand it, the movie was filmed even before the final draft of the script was complete. And it shows - the movie is mostly episodic: Willard (Martin Sheen) learns of his assignment to "terminate" Kurtz, nuking of Vietnamese villagers, tiger attack, USO girls, trip down the river, and finally the confrontation with Kurtz and his minions. These scenes play a little like short subjects and are weakly linked by Willard's narration.
I watched this movie in order to prepare to write an analysis of its content and style and to judge whether it accurately adapted Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." The adaptation is only superficial. Conrad's novel was about imperialism and race relations in the jungles of Africa, while APOCALYPSE NOW was about patriotism and desertion in the jungles of Vietnam. Both the novel and the movie do explore the theme of an individual's morality versus that of the "civilized" world, but I don't think the theme comes across that way.
What exactly made Colonel Kurtz go insane? The horrors of war? Ethical qualms about killing innocent people? Agent Orange? The movie never fully explains the circumstances of his psychosis, though we do see that he has become disillusioned with America's supposedly good intentions in Vietnam. And why must Willard kill him? Sure, Kurtz went AWOL and violated military policy, but was he really a menace? Has he become a martyr to the cause of a greater morality that neither Willard nor anyone else can understand? Once again, the movie never explains that fully.
All that aside, the movie is soul-stirring and exhilirating. You can see Coppola's bitter attitude toward the Vietnam War coming out in every scene: the mock glorification of wartime butchery with the "Ride of the Valkyries" theme; the incompetence of the U.S. military, the powerful scene where Willard shoots a woman, having to choose between duty and morality - the scenes obviously show that the director had a lot he wanted to say.
And then there's Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando with stygian candor. His iron grip on his band of Cambodian guerrillas is intriguing in a frightening way, and I loved the penultimate scene (though I didn't exactly comprehend it), where Willard stabs Kurtz several times while the footage is intercut with the sight of a water buffalo being slaughtered.
As the movie ends, Willard and his one surviving partner leave Kurtz's jungle fortress, as Kurtz's last words ("The horror! The horror!") echo eerily in the distance. Willard has fulfilled his mission, but what has he really accomplished? Is civilization really safe once the Kurtzes of the world are gone? Or is there a greater evil, the one that drove Kurtz insane in the first place? The audience is left to determine this independently.
Despite its flaws, the film is memorable and captivating. The jungle imagery is both beautiful and forbidding, and Jim Morrison provides just the right touch by singing various haunting songs throughout the narrative.
APOCALYPSE NOW is an excellent movie. I just wish it wasn't so murky (in more ways than one!).

Photography is beautiful, Brando is spooky...

The helicopter scenes are amazingly shot, it comes together superbly. The eery music does it's job to a T, it creates an altogether synister image of Kurtz, epitomised in the sillouette photograph, we are left guessing what he has become, and why until the crescendo of the film.

Apocalypse Now touches on elements of this war which Platoon did not, and is an excellent abstractual depiction. Recommended!

Oh wow, this one blew me away...

An incredible masterpiece, quite simply. Stunning portrayal of Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'.

Heart of Darkness meets the Playboy Mansion

The original Apocalypse Now gave Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness a modern context. Redux added gratuitous female nudity, expanding the potential audience to include less literately endowed minds.