Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest...
Review: Screenwriter John Milius, borrowing a plot-line from Joseph Conrad's novella "Heart of Darkness," crafts an insanely vivid story of Vietnam. It follows an army captain (Sheen) who is assigned to travel up a river into Cambodia to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Brando), a Special Forces officer gone mad. Along the way, Vietnam opens its doors and reveals itself. American soldiers killing innocent people, the countless bodies and skeletons left by Kurtz, and the madness afflicting everyone. It is a harrowing experience to watch this movie. The Kurtz compound scenes are a nightmare of still death, long maligned by critics as an unsatisfying denouement to an otherwise dazzling piece of epic film making. But what is not understood is that Marlon Brando, as self-indulgent and wallowing as his sequences might be, is a living embodiment of the wicked decadence and moral confusion of Conrad's figure of Kurtz. What's hard to believe, looking back at this two-decade old movie, is its fresh, modern appearance. This movie is seamlessly dateless. Coppola hasn't infused any timetable in which to judge the movie from. It happens during the Vietnam War and not from some twisted, revisionist history viewpoint that plagues almost all war movies. Coppola's homage to Vietnam is very much his masterpiece. Its importance and substance outweighs his Godfather series. As for the DVD, this is the cleanest copy of the movie I've seen including theatrical screenings. A few flaws were detectable as you'd expect, but all things considered quality is excellent and it is widescreen enhanced. The film is remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and they did a good job. The rear speakers aren't used alot but you do get the obligatory chopper flyovers, etc. Some good booms as you would expect. Unfortunately, there are not many extras, but what's there is interesting. The movie was originally released without credits and instead a program was handed out at the door. Excerpts from that program are on the DVD. Also, the alternate ending which Coppola says isn't an alternate ending is present. You can view it with Coppola's commentary to get the story.
Rating: 
Summary: So grotesquely bizzare it gets interesting
Review: This movie does show man's descent to madness. It drives you mad and leaves you wondering "what the hell was that?". In terms of sheer madness and weirdness, I guess it conveys it well. But beyond that it's empty! Dark and ridiculous like Dracula, another Coppola flick.
Rating: 
Summary: : )
Review: The horror! Horror! Not talking of war's terrors: Brando's bulging gut
Rating:
Summary: A great retelling of "Heart of Darkness"
Review: This movie, set in a vietnam jungle, is an adaption of the timeless "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. It is by no means a war movie, but more a comment on man's corruptability. For 1979 it is a great movie, and though many of the combat scenes were unrealistic, and a lot of content was dark and indecipherable, Apocalypse Now brought about a lot of newer war movies, and brings about the message that Conrad attempted to convey much earlier.
Rating: 
Summary: Absurd!
Review: This movie is one of the most common kind of Vietnam movies. It has nothing to do with anything real. It is a bazaar tale that couldn't have happened and mis-represents the war in every way. It includes all the Vietnam war movie formula components: drugs, murder, criminal Americans, noble enemy, etc. This was one of the first to kick off the style that has gone so far to mis-inform the public as to what the Vietnam war was like. Hogwash!
Rating:
Summary: Haunting Film, Semi-Dissapointing Disc
Review: The first time I saw Apocalypse Now for my 9th grade Vietnam War project I knew I had seen something special, but was left saying "huh?" Upon furthur viewing and reading the book it was based on It's becoming a little less hazy, but it's a film I'll be watching over and over again just to get underneath all those layers of the story. The film is topped with great performances my Martin Sheen and Robert Duvall. The other actors in the film are also great. The cinematography is excellent and the great transfer does not dissapoint. The sound is pretty good, but it could've used a little more bass. Overall the sound and video are great, but it's the lack of extras that dissapointed me. Although you do get the napalming of Kurtz's compound with or without commentary, that's about it for extras. A Francis Ford Coppola commentary for the film might've been nice. Oh well. Overall it's a disc well worth purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I loved Apocalypse Now.It was about Captain Willard,a soldier in Vietnam who travels upriver to assasinate Colonel Kurtz,a renegade who is operarating on his own.I thought the film was very eerie as was the musical score,which was great.Martin Sheen did a fine job as Cpt.Willard,although I think Robert Duvall stole the show as an air cav Lt.Colonel.Marlon Brando did a good job,too,as Col.Kurtz,although he was only in the film for a short time and was always shown in the dark.The cinematography is excellent.Although the film doesn't show a lot of combat,it is my personal favorite about Vietnam.
Rating:
Summary: Dissappointing Ending
Review: Apocolypse Now starts off as a very promising movie. It gets into the pysche of soldiers very well. the disturbed feelings, confusion as to what they are fighting for etc. Having read many books about the conflict in Vietnam and feeling very strongly about it i could feel the pyschological tensions throughout the movie and could feel it build as it builds in the charachters as they go deeper into the jungle. However once they reach their destination i felt that the movie got lost in it's attempt to be an existential movie and got caught up in the bizarness of the camp to the point of making it freakish. the first two thirds of the movie are excellent in terms of acting and cinematography but the ending is very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: In Every Way,It's Still A Masterpiece
Review: I recently rented this, not really remembering much about it. The last time I remember watching it was as a child with my cousins when it was first released for video rental. Although I remember some of the scenes distrubing me as a child, I in no way thought that they would still affect me in the same manner. The movie, however, did just what I thought it could not. The images and sound or better yet the overall feeling of the film hit me at almost every level. The confusion and utter inability to find order or purpose comes through as each character tries to grapple with an anarchy they feel they can not escape. A nightmare that they can't pinch themselves to get out of. The movie has so many haunting images, so many surreal moments packed into a momentum that somehow keeps the movie in a state of constant build up, until the final scenes unfold. The really great thing about this movie is how subtle it can be. While watching, I started thinking about friends of mine who have always held it as such an in-your-face movie, but I found many of its most affecting moments to be those that quietly filled the screen. I can honestly say that this movie is truly one of the greats. If you haven't seen it in awhile, maybe you should check it out again. Just as a side note rent this and the rent the documentary of the filming called Hearts of Darkness. I suggest watching it after the movie to see how actually crazy they all went.
Rating:
Summary: Totally bad!!!!
Review: First off this movie is a struggle to watch. The dialouge is inane and the movie has enough filler for a 90 min. sequel. The movie starts well and gets the viewer interested and then brings your hopes to rock bottom. I found this to be an insult of viewing time so if you want a good war movie with good appeal, see Platoon or Full Metal Jacket and leave this where you saw it.
|
