Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Screenplay: John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Herr (narration)
Based on a Novel by: Joseph Conrad
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Frederic Forrest, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Albert Hall, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper
Country: USA
Running Time:183 min (Final Cut), 153 min (theatrical) & 202 mins (Redux)
Year: 1979
BBFC Certificate: 15
When adapting a novel into a film, writers/directors can choose from a few different approaches. They can adapt it very closely, taking dialogue word for word and recreating descriptions in the text to fit the screen. They could cut out scenes and/or characters and make many changes to help it better fit the different format. Perhaps the setting could be changed whilst keeping the essence or message of the film intact. Some writers and directors take a more radical approach, deconstructing the material into something a little more intellectual or experimental (American Splendor for instance – though it has standard elements to it). Francis Ford Coppola, however, ended up doing something completely different. He and his cast and crew âlivedâ the story of the novel (Joseph Conradâs âHeart of Darknessâ) on which his film, Apocalypse Now, was based, as well as the war being depicted on screen, in essence. As Coppola brazenly stated at the filmâs premiere in Cannes, âApocalypse Now isn’t about the Vietnam war, it is Vietnamâ (Iâm quoting from memory, so maybe take this as paraphrasing).
John Milius wrote the original script for Apocalypse Now as a kind of challenge after hearing of Orson Wellesâ famously failed attempt to turn âHeart of Darknessâ into a film, as well as numerous sources claiming the novel was âunadaptableâ for the screen. Miliusâ take on the material was a fairly conventional, action-heavy war movie and originally it was going to be directed by George Lucas. He wanted to do it cheaply in black and white with a couple of helicopters in the style of a documentary, taking inspiration from Battle of Algiers. However, Lucas had his hands full with a certain space opera by the time Apocalypse Now was due to be made, so Coppola, whose American Zoetrope company was going to produce the film, took the reins. In his mind, he was originally going to produce an all-guns-blazing epic war movie that would be expensive but should make his company loads of money so he could go back to making more personal, smaller scale work without having to worry about box office returns.
However, as anyone aware of the film and its troubled production history will know, things didnât run as smoothly as Coppola hoped. I wonât go into too much detail as the special features in this set will fill you in, but among changing the lead actor after the start of production, getting production paused for a month and sets destroyed by a typhoon, the replacement lead having a heart attack and not having an ending decided on until deep into the shoot, itâs hard to imagine how it could have gone any worse (unless you speak to Terry Gilliam perhaps). However, as alluded to in my opening paragraph, the filmâs production process mirrored the original novel itself, as well as, and perhaps more so, the Vietnam war being depicted. In Conradâs book, Charles Marlow heads downriver to find a formerly âcivilisedâ man descended into madness in the jungle, like Coppola and his crew who headed into the Philippines on a straightforward âmissionâ but found chaos and became overwhelmed with a little madness themselves. As the director said at Cannes, this production analogy works better when set against the Vietnam war though. Like America, Coppola headed into the jungle with a huge number of âtroopsâ and too much high-tech equipment but found themselves out of place and out of their depth.
Like Americaâs war effort, many critics at the time felt Coppolaâs folly was a failure, but it did end up being a commercial success, as the director (and producer – he financed the film out of his own pocket) hoped, and picked up the Palme dâOr at Cannes (among other awards). Over the years itâs become regarded as a beloved classic, though there are still many who feel itâs an over-indulgent mess. Iâd say thatâs kind of the point, or at least itâs become the point, even if Coppola didnât mean it to originally be the case.
After that very lengthy introduction (I think my review is becoming itâs own analogy of the film and Vietnam) and before I give my thoughts on Apocalypse Now, Iâd better explain the plot to the handful of readers that havenât seen the film.
Martin Sheen plays Captain Willard, whoâs clearly suffering from PTSD and struggling to stay sane as he waits in Saigon for another mission to give him some purpose. His wish is granted when heâs asked by his superiors to âterminateâ the command of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). The Colonel has gone rogue, conducting his own missions against the Vietnamese in an outpost he has setup with a private army over the border in Cambodia. Willard is assigned a small crew of soldiers to take him upriver on a boat to find Kurtz and kill him. As he travels closer to his destination, the madness of the war and the devolving nature of the jungle grow ever-present and he becomes fascinated by the man heâs sent to kill.
Iâll say straight up that I love this film. Itâs among my top 10 favourite films of all time, so I was thrilled to see this newly polished print projected on my home cinema setup at home. I think the last time I saw it was on VHS. I think the film works best as a depiction of the Vietnam war as a drug-influenced nightmare. There are typical war-movie âhorrorsâ on screen but theyâre accompanied by psychedelic rock music and opera and an air of surrealism throughout. From soldiers being ordered to surf during a firefight to a striptease show on a floating stadium in the middle of the jungle, this is a dizzying display that reflects the fact that these young men were sent thousands of miles from home to fight a war few had much passion for, during a time when drug and rock and roll culture was blooming. The Vietnam war was a nightmarish mess and the film embodies that perfectly.
I have no issue with the filmâs critics though, mostly for this reason. I wonât disagree that the film is overlong (particularly in the extended Final Cut and Redux versions, both of which are included in this set, along with the original theatrical cut which is over 2 and a half hours in itself). Itâs rather indulgent too, with spectacular set-pieces which could easily be called overblown. The final act is also rambling at times once Brando appears. However, in my opinion, on top of it fitting the theme and analogy being made by the film, itâs all part of the awesome spectacle Coppola put together which is so magnificent I could sit and watch it for several hours more. Saying that, I do think I slightly prefer the shorter theatrical cut to the new âFinal Cutâ, though there are some strong additions. The infamous French plantation sequence, for instance, offers an interesting discussion of how the French were involved in their own troubled conflict in Vietnam in the 50s yet also adds a cheesily-scored love scene that I didnât feel was necessary.
In terms of cinematic craft, Apocalypse Now is practically untouchable. Vittorio Storaro is one of the best cinematographers in the business and his photography here is nothing short of stunning, holding its own against his exceptional work on The Conformist and The Last Emperor. It sumptuously presents Dean Tavoularisâ fantastic production design, which is often misted over by multi-coloured smoke. The editing, by Lisa Fruchtman, Gerald B. Greenberg and Walter Murch, is superb too, exemplified by the memorable âRide of the Valkyriesâ helicopter attack sequence which is a sheer masterclass in action cutting.
Even more groundbreaking was the filmâs soundtrack. Originally, Coppola wanted to use âsensurroundâ, a cinema theatre gimmick which made the seats vibrate through really bassy speakers. However, he would have had to pay loads of money to the creators to use it so instead he had technicians at Dolby create something completely new – 5.1 surround sound. This became the standard for films as you all well know but Coppola and his sound crew mastered it from day one. The sound design is incredibly rich and detailed. You may not notice its strength at first listen now, as others have learnt from the techniques established here, but compared to most soundtracks of the time itâs an incredible achievement. The score was quite ahead of its time too, with Coppolaâs dad Carmine writing music traditionally for an orchestra then passing it to his son to synthesise it with a team of renowned and up-and-coming synth artists. It works a treat, adding an otherworldly atmosphere to the film.
The performances are very strong too. Sheen is underrated here, with a restrained take on his character against all the chaos surrounding him. You can see the pain under the surface though and he helps ground the film and keep our focus. His boat crew, including a very young Laurence Fishburne, are effective too. Robert Duval steals the show though with a short but very memorable role as the surfing-loving Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore.
Marlon Brandoâs is probably the most famous performance in the film and also one of the most divisive. His often improvised ramblings and strange behaviour are off-putting and silly to some, but personally I feel it fits the character who is losing his mind in the jungle but has also mutated into this God-like persona. He delivers his strange musings with enough gravitas to make it work. The way his character is finally dealt with is shocking and strangely beautiful too, leading to a surprisingly quiet end that reflects the quoted T.S. Eliot poem âThe Hollow Menâ in ending ânot with a bang, but a whimperâ. You could argue this is a disappointing conclusion then, but once again I feel it fits the Vietnam analogy in this sense and still feels more than satisfying in my opinion.
I could ramble on for hours about my love for Apocalypse Now but this review is getting unwieldily now, so Iâll tie things up. The film blows me away every time I see it. It feels unlike any other war movie, particularly unlike any that came before it. It, alongside the production process itself, works as a powerful and dreamlike analogy for the war it depicts. I can appreciate some criticisms of the film. It is long and indulgent, but in my mind, that fits the content and message. The US threw far too much money and far too many lives at the war in Vietnam, dragging on the ill-conceived conflict for years, before unceremoniously backing out. Whether or not Coppola originally meant his film to work this way weâll never know. He admits he was making things up and adding scenes as he went along and didnât know how to end the film until late into production. This is the beauty of film though (and art for that matter). Once completed, you can make of it what you will. The intentions donât really matter, only how it makes you feel when you witness it. OK, now I really am waffling. Iâll end by saying that, whether or not you connect with the film, it deserves to be seen for the spectacle alone. Iâm not sure how anyone can argue itâs not a stunningly well-made film and this polished new release is further proof.
This new 4K restoration of Apocalypse Now: Final Cut is playing in selected cinemas now and will be released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray edition with 4 discs plus Steelbook editions (Exclusive to Zavvi) – featuring all three versions of the movie (The Final Cut, The Theatrical and The Redux), new artworks and exclusive bonus material on 16th September by Studiocanal. A digital version of Final Cut will be released too. I saw the Blu-Ray version of Final Cut and the film looks and sounds absolutely magnificent. Theyâve done a fantastic job of polishing it up without scrubbing the life out of it. I listened to the new Dolby Atmos audio track (though my setup doesnât have Dolby Atmos, so I heard my systemâs interpretation of it) and the level of detail in sound was incredible.
The collection of extra features are mind-blowing too:
4K UHDÂ SPECIAL FEATURES
– New Intro by Francis Ford Coppola
– Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola
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BLU-RAYÂ SPECIAL FEATURES
Disc One
– NEW:Â Intro by Francis Ford Coppola
– Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola
Disc Two
– An Interview with John Milius
– A Conversation with Martin Sheen and Francis Ford Coppola
– âFred Roos: Casting Apocalypseâ FeaturetteÂ
– The Mercury Theatre on the Air: Heart of Darkness â November 6, 1938
– âThe Hollow Menâ Featurette
– Monkey Sampan âLost Sceneâ
– Additional Scenes
– âDestruction of the Kurtz Compoundâ End Credits
– âThe Birth of 5.1 Soundâ Featurette
– âGhost Helicopter Flyoverâ Sound Effects Demonstration
– âThe Synthesizer Soundtrackâ Article by Bob Moog
– âA Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Nowâ Featurette
– âHeard Any Good Movies Lately? The Sound Design of Apocalypse Nowâ FeaturetteÂ
– âThe Final Mixâ Featurette
– â2001 Cannes Film Festival: Francis Ford Coppolaâ Featurette
– âPBR Streetgangâ Featurette
– âThe Color Palette of Apocalypse Nowâ FeaturetteÂ
– Disc Credits
Disc Three
– Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakerâs Apocalypse (with Optional Audio Commentary by Francis and Eleanor Coppola)
– NEW: Tribeca Film Festival Q&A with Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Soderbergh
– NEW: Never-Before-Seen B-Roll Footage
– NEW:Â Apocalypse Now Dolby featurette (HD)Â Â Â
– NEW:Â A history of Apocalypse Now on Home Video (HD)
– John Milius Script Excerpt with Francis Coppola Notes (Still Gallery)
– Storyboard Collection
– Photo Archive
~ Unit Photography
~ Mary Ellen Mark Photography
– Marketing Archive
~ 1979 Teaser Trailer
~ 1979 Theatrical Trailer
~ 1979 Radio Spots
~ 1979 Theatrical Program
~ Lobby Card and Press Kit Photos
~ Poster Gallery
~ Apocalypse Now Redux Trailer
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DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
– Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola
Apocalypse Now has been released in impressive box sets several times over the years but this takes the prize for the best. Comprehensive is an understatement. Most notably, on top of all three versions of the film being included, we get the acclaimed documentary Hearts of Darkness (directed by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper from Eleanor Coppolaâs footage) added to the package, which has been missing from some previous sets. Itâs one of the greatest films about filmmaking. Itâs constructed in a fairly conventional fashion but captures such a ridiculously troubled shoot in a refreshingly warts-and-all fashion that it makes for intoxicating âcar-crashâ viewing.
Hearts of Darkness even comes with its own commentary, demonstrating the lengths that have been taken to make sure no stone is left unturned in the set. Speaking of commentaries, Coppola provides a track over the main film and does a wonderful job, throwing in plenty of anecdotes about the production, illuminating facts about how scenes came about or were made, as well as his feelings on the nightmare of putting his finances and sanity on the line to produce the film. He crops up on most of the features which means there is quite a bit of crossover, but heâs an engaging speaker so I happily trawled through every feature here.
The pieces looking at the soundtrack and other technical elements are fascinating too, helping you appreciate the fine craftsmanship on display. Itâs also great to hear from Milius on the film in a lengthy interview conducted by Coppola. The pair are friends so thereâs chemistry there. Sheen sits down with the director too and is surprisingly cheerful about his time in the jungle, despite the heart attack and punishing conditions.
Thereâs even Orson Wellesâ radio adaptation of Heart of Darkness, which is great to listen to and helps us imagine what his film version might have been like.
I wonât describe every feature as thereâs so much here, so Iâll end by saying itâs a mind-blowingly good set and I canât imagine it could ever be topped.
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