Rating: Summary: One of my personal Top Ten movies of all time Review: I like this movie for several reasons. Starting with pure aesthetics, the cinematography and sound are both absolutely stunning. The combination is brilliant. The audio and visual segues are daring genius. The editing is taut and masterfully timed. The juxtapositions are shattering. Taking this movie completely out of any intellectual or literary context, it is simply a lush, indulgent, visceral tour-de-force. The opening sequence is worth the price of the movie all by itself.Then there are the literary, intellectual, and philosophical aspects. I have spent decades pondering this movie. Five stars is not enough.
Rating: Summary: Dark, Haunting, And Powerful. Review: Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is one of the best films ever made based on the Vietnam. Sure, it's not as effective as Oliver Stone's "Platoon," but it's still stunning. This film goes deep into the demons in one man's mind. This serves more as a study of madness, of the darkness in man's heart and how war can awaken that all too savage darkness. "Apocalypse Now" is also visually stunning, with some great cinematography and camera work. I actually liked this film more than Coppola's other well-known masterpiece, "The Godfather." "Apocalypse Now" is intense, chilling, and incredibly well-written by John Milius (director of "Conan The Barbarian"). But what I liked the most was Marlon Brando's powerful performance as a crazed general. This is a masterpiece in filmmaking.
Rating: Summary: I must be missing something... Review: I think I'm being generous. I really don't see what is so incredible about this movie. Sure, it has an incredible style and is definately a groundbreaking picture, but what about story? What about the characters, other than Mr. Sheen's lead and Mr. Brando's col. Kurtz? There are so many other important characters in this movie that seemed to be looked over. It's also a bit long, considering the subject matter. I think I must be missing something, because this movie really doesn't strike me as being all that great. It's got great style, but needs more substance.
Rating: Summary: Awesome movie but where's Hearts of Darkness??? Review: We all know how important Apocalypse Now is to the history of film, a true masterpiece...But what's the scoop on this DVD? How can you release this classic on DVD and not include one of the greatest documentaries ever made, Hearts of Darkness? While this is movie is great, I think I'll wait for a future DVD that doesn't omit the making of documentary...It's just too valuable a piece not to be included!
Rating: Summary: Overblown, but Important Review: A good, but not great film. Certainly one that should be seen by all who truly care about film. It could have been a masterpiece with a lot more editing and a lot less Martin Sheen, but ultimately too long, murky and scattershot for its own good. Haunting images remain long afterward, but not much more other than queasiness and feeling of something tremendous that simply got away from all involved.
Rating: Summary: The Greatest Film Ever Made Review: Many miss the point of this film. This film is not about the Vietnam War or any war for that matter. This film is a brilliantly artistic adaptation of The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Metaphors abound. The Vietnam war setting is merely a vehicle to show the journey of a man's descent into the abyss and his rebirth. Accute awareness of the animalistic instincts that lurk inside him and the insanity surrounding him. What is good and not good? Why does the protagonist make the choices he does? Like others have said, read the book, watch the movie, and learn something...maybe even about yourself. Also I highly recommend you see the film about making Apocalypse Now called "Hearts Of Darkness." Equally gripping. This film changed the way I think.
Rating: Summary: a thinking man's war film Review: you can call this the 2001 of war films.this film is not to be missed
Rating: Summary: One of the best films ever made. Review: Wow! I didn't expect anything this good! There are some films that are somehow special, like Star Wars, L.A. Confidential, Leon (aka. The Professional), and The Usual Suspects, and this definitely makes it into that select group of movies. It can be divided into 3 sections, all great. The first hour is a shocking war film, but with some relaxed bits, and even some humor (Colonel Kilgore standing unflinchingly while others dive for cover). The second hour is an even more shocking war film, with no trase whatsoever of the first hour`s momentary lightheartedness, and no humor at all. The final 30 minutes are a strange, bleak experience, with some really weird stuff going on(rumour has it that Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando were actually smoking dope during the shooting of these scenes!) So, the best war movie ever? I haven`t seen too many, but judging by the ones I have seen this is a very likely candidate. In other words, brilliant. The horror, the horror...
Rating: Summary: A real life horror movie Review: This is a classic movie which Martin Sheen actually had a nervous break down while filming ...great flick.
Rating: Summary: Vivid, Visceral and Cerebral Review: This is one of my ten favorite movies of all time. To be in this catagory a movie has to transform my world-view. I was drained for several days after seeing this movie. The non-stop juxtapositions of the vulgar and the sublime are simply overwheming. As the movie opens the screen is filled with horizonal bands of lush subtle colors: azure sky, verdant jungle, beige sand, and emerald sea as the opening notes of the Doors "The End" tinkle in. When Jim Morrison sings, "The is the end..." the treeline erupts in lurid napalm beauty. This is just the first of an almost non-stop barrage of images that pervade this masterpiece.
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