Apocalypse Now - Final Cut

I've taken a couple weeks off new reviews due to work and personal trips, work being busy, and also the simple fact that there's nothing really "must-see" in theaters right now. And I've been wanting to make time for a couple Retro Reviews, with this one in particular. 

Apocalypse Now is yet another bad stain on my classic film resume that I've never seen before. The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece has intrigued me ever since I dove into his Godfather films (and loved them) and with last year's Final Cut - 40th Anniversary edition, I actually almost went out to theaters to check it out. But alas, the stars did not align, so this weekend I rented it on Prime Video and dedicated a few hours to it. 

What immediately intrigued me about this film was researching a little bit more about it's actual production once I was done. It looked crazy expensive since it was on location and given all the cuts that have been released through the years, I wondered if there were disputes on set regarding what should be filmed, how, when, etc. I also connected this back to Tropic Thunder as a direct spoof of the over-budget and over-schedule filming this movie went through. 

In the end, it seemingly all worked out. I watched the Final Cut - and don't really intend on visiting others - because it was available in HD and it sounds like the changes that were made benefited the film. The loose adaptation of "Heart of Darkness" is often referred to as an American classic, so I was eager to check it out. 

I soon realized that there's a lot to process here and it's likely my lasting opinion of the film won't be finalized for several days or weeks. It's a massive piece of art, with lots of components, that all mostly work to build a cohesive, but trippy experience. It's certainly an epic in every sense of the word and the descent in madness is calculated, slow, and effective. 

Highly impressive practical effects during the entirety of the film

I was immediately surprised at how straight forward the film's plot was. For some reason or another I believed it would be an overly complicated film, but it can be boiled down to a soldier (Martin Sheen) tasked with going deep into the jungle to assassinate an American Colonel gone mad (Marlon Brando). With the Final Cut being at just over 3 hours long, I was intrigued to see how the story would play out with such a simple mission. The long and short of it is that it never really becomes much more complicated than that. There's not too many detours and the film is the journey itself from start of the mission through the end. I appreciated this simplicity with a movie trying to convey several different messages as it allows more breathing room to be artistic, and drive home it's points more effectively. 

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning!"
You, sir, need help!

Much like Coppola's Godfather films, Apocalypse Now ages incredibly well. Many people ask me: "Do you like watching and reviewing older films?" I often answer with the same response: "Sometimes!" And that's because I find that movies today - the really good ones - have perfected some of the finer details like cinematography, editing, sound editing, and special effects. It's these little intricacies that have evolved over time and sometimes when I go back to older films, the lack of development in these areas takes me out of the movie more than a bad script or acting ever could. I've learned to be more forgiving with it, but it's also a testament to films like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now that Coppola and his crew were doing this stuff really well all the way back in the 1970s. It was a non-issue for me in this film and especially with the HD conversion on this cut, it legitimately looks like a film that could have come out this year. The cinematography is grand, colorful and often favors wide shots with lots of things going on in the background (highly effective during war shots with lots of helicopters, soldiers, flamethrowers, etc.) and the original score is effective at conveying the dreadful tone of the "war is hell" message.

From a performance standpoint, Martin Sheen grew on me and turns in an incredible performance, though I couldn't help imagine he wasn't the first choice. Low and behold when I did my research, it turns out he definitely wasn't - but hey - he got lucky and does a hell of a job. Who's to say if someone would have done a better job given the grueling nature of the shoot itself? He's our centerpiece and along the way we meet a lot of very young versions of Lawrence Fishburne, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duvall. Ultimately he makes it to Colonel Kurtz - in an effective and unsettling setting - played by a shadow-covered Marlon Brando. [Fun fact - apparently the use of shadows is so prevalent during Brando's scenes because he showed up to set weighing over 300 lbs when Coppola expected him to be fit...so they had to get creative]. Everyone does their part, and it's a trip to see them so young, at conveying the terrors and insanity of the Vietnam War. 

Not eerie at all...

And that's what Apocalypse Now does so effectively; it makes war feel dreadful and as you start to watch some of these men slip into insanity, you start to understand why. Attacks could come at any moment, some women and children want to be saved while others want to kill you, and the horrors of a savage people allow you to see things humans of the 20th century shouldn't have to. Through the various talents of the script, editing, camera work, music, and others, this is accomplished to great success and it's easy to see why this is often heralded as one of the best films about war. 

As I had hoped, I "enjoyed" my time with Apocalypse Now - The Final Cut from the perspective of a movie buff and someone who's trying to make amends for the massive gaps in movie history that I have. It's films like many of Coppola's classics that make it all worth going back in time and partaking, and while I can't say I'll be rewatching this one anytime soon, it's clearly evident as to why it has such a stamp on American society and American filmmaking in history. 

CONS

• Some scenes go on a little too long and I'm not sure they add to the film as much as they want to. For me, the scene with the French family overstays it's welcome and there's a handful of others that do the same
• Small pockets where the editing isn't great
• I wish the original score had been more prevalent

PROS

• For starters, this HD Final Cut edition was spectacular. I highly recommend it, even for those that have seen it before - pretty cheap rental on Prime Video right now
• The performances from all - especially Sheen and Brando - are noteworthy and memorable
• Highly effective storytelling and I appreciated that it was a simple plot
• Coppola is an incredibly talented director and this film has aged gracefully. He uses great technique, has subtle metaphors, and knows exactly what tone he's going for
• Intense and builds upon itself. What starts off as a fun (and sometimes funny) look at war, quickly gets dark
• Massive sets and practical effects make it that much more real - impressive for the time period
• Technically impressive for a film made in the mid/late 1970s
• Fantastic use of color throughout. It's vibrant and in the HD version it pops!
• Great original score and awe-inspiring cinematography
• A highly important film in the history books of American filmmaking

Retro Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10