Released in 1979 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather Trilogy), Apocalypse Now is a Vietnam War epic considered the greatest war film of all time by Roger Ebert. It tells the story of Captain Willard (martin Sheen) as he travels upriver through the jungles of Vietnam to terminate the U.S. Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has become a renegade and taken control of a group of natives in Cambodia. Other stars include Robert Duvall (The Godfather), Lawrence Fishburne (The Matrix), Dennis Hopper (Hoosiers), and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones). Personally, I have never seen better cinematography in a movie. The fading of the shots adds to the effect of the scenes, every one of which is amazing on its own. "The End" by The Doors is the perfect song, setting the tone for both the opening and ending scenes. All of the actors do a superb job, particularly Brando. Only Marlon Brando can put out such an emotional performance with less than 15 total minutes of screen time. Robert Duvall, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actor, brings the only comedy to the film as the insane Capt. Kilgore. Sheen does a terrific job as well, and is the center of the film. The most common misunderstanding is that this is a Vietnam War film. It uses Vietnam and Cambodia as a setting, but that is about as far as the connections go. Aside from one military battle, the story chooses to focus on the mental effects war has on soldiers. One common theme of Apocalypse Now is insanity, and by the time the credits roll don't be surprised if you don't feel the same. It is extravagant, and while the story may not be totally believable, it is brilliant. This movie is not for everyone, but I would put it in the top 5 of any of my movie rankings. Apocalypse Now is one of the most unique and engrossing movies that I have ever seen, and if you have not yet seen it then you are missing out. Bottom Line: See this movie! | My Rating: 5/5 |
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