(As there are three different cuts for this film, I shall be reviewing the only one I prefer: The Redux Cut)
Set during the height of the Vietnam War, a young and troubled U. S. Army Captain who specializes in essentially off-the-books special operations for the CIA is given a 'real choice mission': to assassinate a respected Green Beret Colonel who has gone rogue with a small army of fanatically loyal soldiers into the depths of the Cambodian jungle. He is joined by a group of young soldiers on a small patrol boat on a trip up a river that can only be described accurately as a totally nightmarish descent into the deepest circles of Hell.
This movie is very much completely different from The Godfather Trilogy of films by renowned Director Francis Ford Coppola. Everything about it is different from the Godfather films, and that is great because it shows you how skilled Coppola really is. A lot of times with directors like Nolan, Snyder, del Toro, Shyamylan, even Spielberg, most certainly Kubrick, you can recognize cinematic styles throughout their films that set them apart from other directors. However, Apocalypse Now is quite different from the Godfather trilogy. Different composer, different camerawork, entirely different roster of actors (save for Duvall and Brando), this film is very different and I love that about it.
Acting-wise, this film has a lot of great actors giving great performances, both veteran and then-newbie actors. Martin Sheen, who I have grown up watching as the lovable and cool President Josiah Bartlett from Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, is at times frightening and grim as Willard. Brando, despite only being in about thirty to forty-five minutes of the film, magnificently dominates each scene as a man who has reached his breaking point yet has desperately tried to carry on as best as he can. His performance as Kurtz is just as good as Vito Corleone.
The crew of the boat are all notable as well. Laurence Fishburne, who I have enjoyed watching immensely in The Matrix Trilogy and Bryan Fuller's Hannibal series, is nearly unrecognizable as young Mister Clean. The guy who plays Chef really nails the performance of a high-strung man who is not suited for the horrors of traumatic combat, while the guy who plays Lance is both a tragic fool and a lovable kid who is trying to cope with the horrors he is seeing as best as he can, but not the best way.
Also, Dennis Hopper has a nice cameo as a Manson-like photojournalist but Scott Glenn is utterly wasted with his handful of scenes as Richard Colby. Harrison Ford's cameo was more interesting than Glenn's, and I wish that someday Coppola releases the full workprint cut of Apocalypse Now which reportedly greatly expands the character of Richard Colby.
Also, Robert Duvall's character brings up imagery of Coppola and screenwriter John Milius' screenwriting collaboration in the form of the biopic of George Patton. Duvall's Kilgore would probably get along with a fascist like Patton along with Tom Berenger's Barnes from Oliver Stone's Platoon.
The cinematography, like the Godfather Films, is gorgeous. Shooting the movie in the Philippines was an interesting choice for Coppola, though I heard it was not recommended by most. Also, Carmine Coppola's score for the Redux version was satisfying and mostly memorable, but what really makes the soundtrack incredibly unique is the use of Jim Morrison and The Doors' dark poem in song form known as 'The End'. Such a fine song to use for a Vietnam War film with so many layers.
I tried to watch the original theatrical cut, which I have heard in the past people say is better than Redux, but I just don't see it and couldn't finish it. Too much is edited out from the theatrical cut and the Final Cut that is important in the Redux Cut. However, that is only my opinion, please do not let it entirely influence your viewing positions on which cut to watch primarily.
So, all in all, this is a welcome change from the Godfather trilogy. I highly recommend this film, but a word of advice: See it through to the end or don't see it at all.
Set during the height of the Vietnam War, a young and troubled U. S. Army Captain who specializes in essentially off-the-books special operations for the CIA is given a 'real choice mission': to assassinate a respected Green Beret Colonel who has gone rogue with a small army of fanatically loyal soldiers into the depths of the Cambodian jungle. He is joined by a group of young soldiers on a small patrol boat on a trip up a river that can only be described accurately as a totally nightmarish descent into the deepest circles of Hell.
This movie is very much completely different from The Godfather Trilogy of films by renowned Director Francis Ford Coppola. Everything about it is different from the Godfather films, and that is great because it shows you how skilled Coppola really is. A lot of times with directors like Nolan, Snyder, del Toro, Shyamylan, even Spielberg, most certainly Kubrick, you can recognize cinematic styles throughout their films that set them apart from other directors. However, Apocalypse Now is quite different from the Godfather trilogy. Different composer, different camerawork, entirely different roster of actors (save for Duvall and Brando), this film is very different and I love that about it.
Acting-wise, this film has a lot of great actors giving great performances, both veteran and then-newbie actors. Martin Sheen, who I have grown up watching as the lovable and cool President Josiah Bartlett from Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, is at times frightening and grim as Willard. Brando, despite only being in about thirty to forty-five minutes of the film, magnificently dominates each scene as a man who has reached his breaking point yet has desperately tried to carry on as best as he can. His performance as Kurtz is just as good as Vito Corleone.
The crew of the boat are all notable as well. Laurence Fishburne, who I have enjoyed watching immensely in The Matrix Trilogy and Bryan Fuller's Hannibal series, is nearly unrecognizable as young Mister Clean. The guy who plays Chef really nails the performance of a high-strung man who is not suited for the horrors of traumatic combat, while the guy who plays Lance is both a tragic fool and a lovable kid who is trying to cope with the horrors he is seeing as best as he can, but not the best way.
Also, Dennis Hopper has a nice cameo as a Manson-like photojournalist but Scott Glenn is utterly wasted with his handful of scenes as Richard Colby. Harrison Ford's cameo was more interesting than Glenn's, and I wish that someday Coppola releases the full workprint cut of Apocalypse Now which reportedly greatly expands the character of Richard Colby.
Also, Robert Duvall's character brings up imagery of Coppola and screenwriter John Milius' screenwriting collaboration in the form of the biopic of George Patton. Duvall's Kilgore would probably get along with a fascist like Patton along with Tom Berenger's Barnes from Oliver Stone's Platoon.
The cinematography, like the Godfather Films, is gorgeous. Shooting the movie in the Philippines was an interesting choice for Coppola, though I heard it was not recommended by most. Also, Carmine Coppola's score for the Redux version was satisfying and mostly memorable, but what really makes the soundtrack incredibly unique is the use of Jim Morrison and The Doors' dark poem in song form known as 'The End'. Such a fine song to use for a Vietnam War film with so many layers.
I tried to watch the original theatrical cut, which I have heard in the past people say is better than Redux, but I just don't see it and couldn't finish it. Too much is edited out from the theatrical cut and the Final Cut that is important in the Redux Cut. However, that is only my opinion, please do not let it entirely influence your viewing positions on which cut to watch primarily.
So, all in all, this is a welcome change from the Godfather trilogy. I highly recommend this film, but a word of advice: See it through to the end or don't see it at all.