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“My film is not a movie. My film is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam. It’s what it was really like. It was crazy... And little by little, we went insane.“ - Francis Ford Coppola.
Apocalypse Now is one of my favourite films of all time. It is a stunning and beautifully shot visual epic meditating on what it truly means to be human, though it gives a very dark and bleak view of the human condition, exploring the darker side of the human condition and the meaning of true horror as well as the duality of man.
Apocalypse Now focuses on Captain Benjamin L. Willard (played by Martin Sheen), a tormented and broken man who is sent on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando), a rogue colonel who has reportedly gone insane. But the film is so much more than that. It is a dark and surreal exploration of the human condition and what it means to be human.
The film focuses heavily on the duality of man, and how every human being is capable of both good and evil. This is discussed heavily throughout the film, including in Willard’s meeting with his superior officers who send him on the film’s main mission where General Corman discusses the breaking point that Kurtz has supposedly reached, and how every person has their breaking point when facing the true horrors of war. This is even further explored in the French landowners scene in the equally brilliant Redux version, where a French woman tells Willard, “Don’t you see? There are two of you. One that kills, and one that loves.” This further establishes the film’s message of how every human is capable of good and evil, and how it’s up to us to choose between our inner conflicts and morality.
The film’s exploration of horror, represented by the Vietnam War, shows the darker side of human nature, with numerous atrocities being committed by American soldiers, and the insanity of the whole Vietnam War itself establishes the film’s surrealism, offering a scathing critique of American imperialism, jingoism and foreign interventionism. Horror as shown by the atrocious and insane nature of the Vietnam War brings out the inner human darkness and turmoil within the main characters, and perhaps all of us.
To me, the Heart of Darkness in the film represents the darkest abysses of the human soul, and the corruption that any of us can succumb to such mindless horrors. Kurtz is also worshipped as a God by his followers and reads religious poetry, adding a mythological nature to the film.
The film is a stunning exploration of war, horror, God, art, myth, violence, military imperialism, and above all, the darker side of the human condition. This film is truly a masterpiece on every level and is quite simply one of the greatest films ever made.
By @tvnerdaran
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Apocalypse Now is a war/drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in 1979. The film follows Benjamin Willard, a captain struggling with the trauma he has endured in Vietnam. When Willard is assigned a top secret mission and sent back into the field he and a small crew will be forced to undergo a perilous journey through the Vietnam jungle. Along the way they face the horrors of war and mankind, as they fight to retain both their sanity and humanity. I knew little to nothing about Apocalypse Now when I first watched the movie recently, and I was completely floored by it. While at a glance it may look like a standard war film, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Apocalypse Now is a genre bending masterpiece. The movie almost resembles more of a psychological horror movie set in Vietnam, than a straight up war film. I’ve never seen a movie quite like Apocalypse Now.
Apocalypse Now is one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve ever seen. This is due in large part to the film's unmatched setpieces, which are the greatest I’ve ever seen. The war torn Vietnam setting is perfectly crafted. Every enormous set is filled with a startling amount of realism and detail. Complete with real military helicopters and explosions that ravage the landscape. I was in awe at several points watching this film seeing these incredible battles and conflicts unfold on such a grand scale. More so that they were all filmed practically. This adds an insane level of realness to the film that makes it so much more impactful. On top of the incredible production the film has phenomenal cinematography. Each shot feels purposeful to the narrative being told, and features perfect framing. This works along with the colors and lighting to create a visually stimulating film like no other. The colors present help to create a very foreboding and mysterious atmosphere while also making the film look beautiful. The oranges, and yellows paint the jungle in a way that feels ominous and oppressive. Characters are at times shrouded in darkness and shadow which adds to the sense of uneasiness. These shadows also illustrate the way the characters are all slowly being consumed by war, their own darkness, and the jungle of Vietnam itself.
Working alongside the visuals is the score. It’s incredibly foreboding, ominous, and haunting, but is also very versatile. There are moments that fit more naturally with the incredible action, and some moments that more boldly service the horror elements of Apocalypse Now. But mostly the score does stick to a very present and distressing sound that you can’t get out of your head. It makes the terrifying subject matter and at times horrific story even more intense and impactful. It creates an incredible atmosphere made up of dread and tension that leaves you on edge. It fully showcases the jungle as something terrifying and oppressive and adds to the films’ greatness.
The story and structure of Apocalypse Now is another exceptional aspect of the movie. The simple premise sees the film divided into separate sections. The first part of the movie follows Willard and his crew as they’re caught up in a massive battle. This part of the film depicts a more typical war film, and delivers the most impressive action set pieces. Shortly after this the crew boards a small military boat to traverse the river to their destination. From this point on the movie becomes more similar to a psychological horror movie. The once eager and valiant crew becomes more troubled as they experience the horrors of Vietnam and see the worst humanity has to offer. This takes up the majority of the movie and perfectly illustrates the effect war has on its participants. This structure also shows the two sides of war often depicted in film. The spectacular action with massive battles filled with heroic characters “fighting the good fight.” And the more realistic and slow drama showing the toll war takes on all of its participants. The conflict becomes muddy as their mission and the war as a whole becomes more grey. The film also features narration from Martin Sheen who plays Captain Willard. This narration allows the audience to get in the head of Willard, and shows the conflict within him as he reflects on the events of the film. The narration works wonderfully by immersing the audience and hooking them on the story even more. This is due in large part to Martin Sheen’s spectacular performance.
The rest of the acting in the film is also great. As I previously mentioned Martin Sheen gives a spectacular performance as Willard. He does a great job selling the turmoil and trauma this character has endured and is still experiencing. He demonstrates this in both his physical performance and through his voice over. Willard is a very troubled character and that can be heard in the narration. Marlon Brando gives a haunting performance as Colonel Kurtz, and Laurence Fishburne and Robert Duvall have standout performances as well. Aside from them, every other role in the movie works perfectly. These performances add a lot to the great characters seen in Apocalypse Now. Willard is a compelling character and a great protagonist, and each member of his crew is also interesting in their own way. They each react and cope with war differently which leads to great emotional moments in the story. Each character in the film is very memorable and serves a purpose within the narrative.
Overall Apocalypse Now is an incredible, mind bending journey. This is a very complex film filled with interesting themes and concepts. The effect of war and the way people cope with it is explored in great depth throughout the film. The story is phenomenal and keeps the audience hooked at all times. The atmosphere in this movie is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and is nearly unrivaled. This sensory journey is aided by the spectacular cinematography and fantastic visuals. The score is magnificent and works in connection with the other elements of the film to create a completely unique and visceral experience. All of this working with the great acting from a star studded cast makes for one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Objective Score: 10/10
Personal Score: 10/10
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