Apocalypse Now
Year: 1979
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando & Martin Sheen
Runtime: 153 mins (Theatrical) 202 mins (Redux) 182 mins (Final Cut)
BBFC: 15
Published: 23/04/24
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando & Martin Sheen
Runtime: 153 mins (Theatrical) 202 mins (Redux) 182 mins (Final Cut)
BBFC: 15
Published: 23/04/24
Following my reviews of The Godfather trilogy which ranged from indifferent to disappointed I had plenty of discussions with friends about The Godfather, and Francis Ford Coppola’s filmography at large. One film that of course regularly came up was 1979’s Apocalypse Now, an infamously difficult film to make that has become of the most beloved war films of all time. I had seen the film once getting on for ten years ago now and hated it. However, it wasn’t until these recent conversations that I was really aware of the implications of the multiple different versions of the film. I had seen the ‘Redux’ version which included nearly fifty minutes of footage cut from the theatrical version, and this is apparently regarded as a terrible version of the film. I had been pondering whether to give Apocalypse Now another go for some time, and so with this new information I took the leap and checked out the theatrical version hoping for a more positive experience.
Set at the height of the Vietnam War, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a bunt out but highly decorated soldier is called upon by the U.S. military to assassinate one of his own, Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who is believed to have gone insane whilst still in command of a squad. Willard must travel with a Navy squad up the Nung River until they reach Cambodia. But along the way the horrors of war they find themselves exposed to might just be enough to turn any man insane.
Set at the height of the Vietnam War, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a bunt out but highly decorated soldier is called upon by the U.S. military to assassinate one of his own, Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who is believed to have gone insane whilst still in command of a squad. Willard must travel with a Navy squad up the Nung River until they reach Cambodia. But along the way the horrors of war they find themselves exposed to might just be enough to turn any man insane.
I don’t remember an awful lot about the Redux version of the film, but I do distinctly remember being bored stiff. Clocking in at a bum numbing three hours and twenty-two minutes, the film moved at a snail’s pace. There were long stretches of time where nothing was happening, and it became a test of endurance rather than something that justified its lengthy runtime.
I was hopeful that the theatrical cut would be a much more palatable experience. It’s still not exactly a speedy jaunt through the Vietnamese jungles, but at two hours and thirty-three minutes it’s definitely much brisker in its pace. In fact, the only part of the film I found myself actively checking my watch was the final thirty minutes or so. From the point where Willard finds Kurtz the pacing just stops dead, and it made me realise that the appeal of Apocalypse Now was not the destination but the horrific journey.
The story allows itself to get derailed on a regular basis by having Willard and the crew of the boat he’s on get caught up with some other military shenanigans, and these moments are by far more interesting than Willard’s actual pursuit of Kurtz. Firstly, they spend some time with a helicopter division who are supposed to act an armed escort to the mouth of the Nung, but instead their Lieutenant, Kilgore (Robert Duvall), is more interested in blowing up coastal villages and being generally deranged as he attempts to show off to one of the boats famous crewmen.
Then there’s the Playboy USO show the boat comes across which ends in disaster. There are other detours too, and all of these scenes paint such an excellent picture of just how out of control the U.S. military was in Vietnam, and just how much they underestimated their enemy.
When you compare any of these scenes to the time Willard spends with Kurtz at the end of the film and the ending just pales in comparison. A lot of this could be placed on the shoulders of Brando who infamously turned up to the production horrendously overweight and not having learned any of his lines. These setbacks meant that a lot of the ending needed to be re-written to cut around Brando’s limitations because they had him for such a short timeframe.
I was hopeful that the theatrical cut would be a much more palatable experience. It’s still not exactly a speedy jaunt through the Vietnamese jungles, but at two hours and thirty-three minutes it’s definitely much brisker in its pace. In fact, the only part of the film I found myself actively checking my watch was the final thirty minutes or so. From the point where Willard finds Kurtz the pacing just stops dead, and it made me realise that the appeal of Apocalypse Now was not the destination but the horrific journey.
The story allows itself to get derailed on a regular basis by having Willard and the crew of the boat he’s on get caught up with some other military shenanigans, and these moments are by far more interesting than Willard’s actual pursuit of Kurtz. Firstly, they spend some time with a helicopter division who are supposed to act an armed escort to the mouth of the Nung, but instead their Lieutenant, Kilgore (Robert Duvall), is more interested in blowing up coastal villages and being generally deranged as he attempts to show off to one of the boats famous crewmen.
Then there’s the Playboy USO show the boat comes across which ends in disaster. There are other detours too, and all of these scenes paint such an excellent picture of just how out of control the U.S. military was in Vietnam, and just how much they underestimated their enemy.
When you compare any of these scenes to the time Willard spends with Kurtz at the end of the film and the ending just pales in comparison. A lot of this could be placed on the shoulders of Brando who infamously turned up to the production horrendously overweight and not having learned any of his lines. These setbacks meant that a lot of the ending needed to be re-written to cut around Brando’s limitations because they had him for such a short timeframe.
It's also widely reported that the entire shoot was just a complete disaster, with Coppola famously remarking that the film wasn’t about Vietnam, it was Vietnam. Shot predominantly in the Philippines, the shoot was plagued by awful weather conditions that destroyed large portions of the set. The film had also secured assistance from the Filipino military with many of the larger scale encounters, such as the previously mentioned helicopter division; but these sequences often proved a nightmare to film because the military would frequently be called away leaving the filmmakers with no military hardware or operators.
Then of course there was the previously mentioned Brando situation, but even Sheen suffered a heart attack and needed to be replaced by stand-ins for some of the shoot. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle that the film even got made, and it was close to twenty million dollars over-budget by the time it was completed. Just knowing makes it admirable that it even exists and isn’t a total disaster, but it’s when the film really shines in its presentation that elevates the film to a whole other level.
Apocalypse Now is a really beautiful film to look at. Considering how difficult the shoot was it is mind blowing that so many of the shots that made it into the film look this incredible. The lighting is just perfect, and the ways that cinematographer Vittorio Storaro moves the camera around the environment are mesmerising. The sound design is stellar as well, the jungle echoes and creeks, the guns pack an almighty roar, and the whole thing is complimented by some great uses of licensed music from artists like The Doors and The Rolling Stones.
I don’t think it’s a masterpiece and that might enrage some who consider this to be the epitome of cinema. But credit where its due, Apocalypse Now really didn’t have any right being as good as it is considering how wrong every single aspect of production went. This is definitely a film that’s held together in the edit because watching anything other than the theatrical version it just all falls apart. If you like war films then this definitely should be on your list, but just ensure you’re watching the theatrical version or you’re in for a real snoozefest.
Then of course there was the previously mentioned Brando situation, but even Sheen suffered a heart attack and needed to be replaced by stand-ins for some of the shoot. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle that the film even got made, and it was close to twenty million dollars over-budget by the time it was completed. Just knowing makes it admirable that it even exists and isn’t a total disaster, but it’s when the film really shines in its presentation that elevates the film to a whole other level.
Apocalypse Now is a really beautiful film to look at. Considering how difficult the shoot was it is mind blowing that so many of the shots that made it into the film look this incredible. The lighting is just perfect, and the ways that cinematographer Vittorio Storaro moves the camera around the environment are mesmerising. The sound design is stellar as well, the jungle echoes and creeks, the guns pack an almighty roar, and the whole thing is complimented by some great uses of licensed music from artists like The Doors and The Rolling Stones.
I don’t think it’s a masterpiece and that might enrage some who consider this to be the epitome of cinema. But credit where its due, Apocalypse Now really didn’t have any right being as good as it is considering how wrong every single aspect of production went. This is definitely a film that’s held together in the edit because watching anything other than the theatrical version it just all falls apart. If you like war films then this definitely should be on your list, but just ensure you’re watching the theatrical version or you’re in for a real snoozefest.