... While new scenes are obvious to those who saw Apocalypse Now, its hard to see any significant change to the pre-existing material
Apocalypse Now Redux is a journey movie. US army Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) is taken in a small patrol boat up river an a secret mission through Vietnam into ... Read review
In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner ... more
Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production ofApocalypse Nowas if it was his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged...
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In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner ... more
Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production ofApocalypse Nowas if it was his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Some fifty minutes longer with the addition of a number of fabled extra scenes Francis ... more
Coppola's hugely ambitious Vietnam war epic 'Apocalypse Now' is now presented under the title 'Apocalypse Now Redux'. Martin Sheen's mission (to terminate Marlon B...
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Francis Ford Coppola'a stunning vision of man's heart of darkness revealed through the ... more
madness of the Vietnam war. Lieutenant Willard receives orders to seek out renegade military outpost led by the mysterious Colonel Kurtz. Willard's mission: 'Termina...
Production Year: 1970 - War - Director: Brian G. Hutton - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles, Gavin MacLeod
Advantages: Classic war movie in directors cut Disadvantages: Confusing conclusion
...obvious to those who saw Apocalypse Now, its hard to see any significant change to the pre-existing material
Apocalypse Now Redux is a journey movie. US army Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) is taken in a small patrol boat up river an a secret mission through Vietnam into Cambodia to meet Col Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a renegade US Colonel, and "terminate him with extreme prejudice." It's the height of what we call the Vietnam ... ...Will Willard?
APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX DVD
Stunning visual scenes and a hallucinogenic portrayal of the madness and morality of war make this film appear on every 'best picture' list. The additional scenes add more layers of complexity. Major new scenes are the French plantation (mentioned above) and a reappearance of the Playboy bunnies. Their helicopter has run out of fuel and landed at an abandoned tent hospital. They ... more
THIS MISSION DOES NOT EXIST NOR WILL IT EVER EXIST
From its beginning with The End to the final horror there's three and a quarter hours of mystical war and brutality. Director Francis Ford Coppola edited the film anew from the original five hours of raw footage. The revised movie is now 49 minutes longer than the first theatrical release. While new scenes are obvious to those who saw Apocalypse Now, its hard to see any significant change to the pre-existing material
Apocalypse Now Redux is a journey movie. US army Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) is taken in a small patrol boat up river an a secret mission through Vietnam into Cambodia to meet Col Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a renegade US Colonel, and "terminate him with extreme prejudice." It's the height of what we call the Vietnam War and the victors call the American War. Along the way Willard observes war at its worst. The US army is falling apart, high on drugs and alcohol and fighting an unseen enemy.
TOTALLY BEYOND THE PALE
Why Kurtz is to be killed isn't clear. Willard is told
- He is insane, - but we see plenty of madness from the others, the whole war is insane. - He ordered the execution of Vietnamese officers he thought were double agents - but Willard himself executed a government tax collector on CIA orders - He is 'unsound' - He is operating in Cambodia with a private army - but so did other elements of US forces - "He is operating without any decent restraint totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct still on the field commanding troops."
I LOVE THE SMELL OF NAPALM IN THE MORNING
So Willard starts on his mission. Along the way he meets Col Kilgore, played in a mesmerising performance by Robert Duval. In the movies visual highlight, Kilgores helicopter cavalry attack a Vietnamese coastal village with formations of helicopter gunships swooping in to Wagners 'Ride of the Valkeries' booming from their loudspeakers. The village is fiercely defended and while bullets pock the beach and shells explode offshore, Kilgore madly insists his men surf on the breakers
OPERATING WITHOUT ANY DECENT RESTRAINT
But Kilgore isn't the only mad one. As Willards patrol boat goes deeper in country the crew subtly change, going crazier by the mile. Willard kills a wounded civilian girl in cold blood so his mission isn't interrupted.
Willards boat enters a thick fog and stops at a plantation. In a totally new scene Willard dines with the French plantation owners. The meal is an excuse to add some historical depth. Willard is reminded that Ho Chi Min's guerrilla army was America's ally against the Japanese, of how later the powerful French colonial army was destroyed by the same force. Willard beds of one of the women. Next morning the boat clears the fog. The whole sequence could be a dream, but then the movie is becoming more nightmarish as reality fades. Maybe the entire adventure is a dream. The movie commenced with Willard in bed in a Saigon hotel dreaming of battles while waiting for his next mission. Did he actually wake up?
THE HORROR THE HORROR
Finally Willard meets Kurtz (Marlon Brando). There are expanded scenes with Kurtz as he attempts to explain his philosophy. Willard is not the first assassin sent by the army. A previous attempt ended with the officer joining Kurtz. Will Willard?
APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX DVD
Stunning visual scenes and a hallucinogenic portrayal of the madness and morality of war make this film appear on every 'best picture' list. The additional scenes add more layers of complexity. Major new scenes are the French plantation (mentioned above) and a reappearance of the Playboy bunnies. Their helicopter has run out of fuel and landed at an abandoned tent hospital. They trade their bodies for fuel in a not wholly successful scene - but again it adds to the dreamlike quality, wasn't it every soldier's desire to meet Playboy bunnies?
Willard gets some more time to shows a human side, as does Kurtz.
If you liked Apocalypse Now then this is worth a punt; its the way Coppola meant the film to be. If you never saw it - get the Redux version, block out three and a quarter hours in your diary and immerse yourself.
Several actors have become very famous since originally appearing - Larry Fishbourne playing the 17 year old patrol boat sailor is better known now as Laurence, and a youthful Harrison Ford describes the mission to Willard.
The DVD doesn't have any extras on top of the added footage and trailer but the package includes a couple of postcards and a small booklet describing the making of both films.
The movie is relevant today. America's involvement in the Vietnam War began with a few Special Forces advising the South Vietnamese forces. More and more American soldiers were sent until they were drafting kids off the street to die in their thousands.
One significant difference with Afghanistan is this time British troops are involved. Our leaders wisely kept Britain out of the Vietnam war even though Commonwealth countries like Canada and Australia fought with the Americans.
In Afghanistan the Americans 'don't do mountains', so the Brits go in, they 'don't do caves' so the Brits are sent in to make it safe. Will it soon be Apocalypse Now for us?
REDUX
THIS IS THE END, THE END OF EVERYTHING, THE END
Several times I felt the film is Willard's dream. But there are some clues of a much deeper underlying layer.
- The movie starts with The Doors song 'The End'. - Willard breaks a mirror when he wakes. - The mission "does not exist nor will it ever exist" - Willard travels all the way by boat. Why not helicopter to Do Lung Bridge base and take a boat from there? - Willard does nothing to find Kurtz. His instructions are to seek information to allow him to follow his trail and infiltrate Kurtz's team, but he asks not one question about Kurtz on his travels but goes directly to Kurtz's base at the top of the river. He always knew how to find Kurtz. - Willards base call sign is 'Almighty'.
The film can be read as the death journey of Willard. He is dying in his lonely Saigon room. Breaking a mirror is a death symbol. The arriving officers are death's angels who clean him for his final boat journey. In mythology Hades is reached by boat. As the dying Willard is transported up river he's shown fragments from his past. Will he choose heaven or hell? Kurtz is another version of him. Kurtz has done the things he has, Kurtz is him. He can kill Kurtz, lead his army and be Kurtz on the dark side, or he can kill Kurtz and turn away, rejecting evil and report back to 'Almighty'.
Willard chooses. Fade to black. This is the end.
SUMMARY
One mans journey through war torn Vietnam to execute soldier accused of murder and the moral confusion caused.
On one level an exhilarating exciting war film, on another an examination of the morals of war and a puzzling mystery.
A must see film.
TITLE Apocalypse Now Redux (revised lengthened version of Apocalypse Now released 1979)
CERTIFICATE 15
LENGTH 3 hours 15 minutes
VIOLENCE Medium, warfare
SWEARING Yes
SEX Some female nudity Male buttocks
DRUGS No
ROCK'N'ROLL Doors, Stones + other 60's tracks
FLUFFY ANIMALS Yes, one small dog
INTERESTING -There's no title sequence - the words Apocalypse Now appear as graffiti in the background near the end of the film. -The helicopters in the film were going off to combat against insurgents during the filming. -The film overrun its scheduled time so long that it became known as Apocalypse When -Martin Sheen suffered a stress related heart attack while filming, backshots of Willard are stand-ins. The movie was nominated for 9 Oscars, including Best Picture -Some of the scenes regarding lies told about the war were considered too controversial and appear for the first time in this REDUX version
Advantages: Better flow than the original cut Disadvantages: A bit too long
...television, there was this film, Apocalypse Now. The history of the film is as fascinating as the characters who comprise the film (both on and off screen), as is also true of the subject matter -- the controversial and star-crossed venture of America into the dense jungles of southeast Asia. While the director, Francis Ford Coppola, will be remembered for his involvement in many major films (such as American Grafitti, the Godfather series), this ... ...of his works, but also of American war films. There is a darkness, an eerie mystery that is woven throughout the tale of Captain Willard (Sheen) going into the jungle on a mission he can't tell anyone about, and as we come to learn, this is not merely because he is sworn to secrecy, but discovers that he himself doesn't know what is happening much of the time. Even as confused and mysterious as the war seemed to the American people (and, as it turns ...
frkurt 08.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Apocalypse Now Redux (DVD)
Advantages: Restores legendary "lost" materials, more complete storyline Disadvantages: Tampering with classic film, length
...minutes) and resequenced version of Apocalypse Now. The “Redux” version ("Redux" means "returned," as from battle or exile) restores scenes, which have been debated, by film historians and experts to such an extent over the years that they have retained a near legendary status. The scenes, which have been restored, are the colonial French plantation scene, extended footage of the surf crazy Colonel Kilgore (brilliantly played by Robert Duvall), additional ... ...the Playboy bunnies in a rain drenched command post.
The classic Vietnam (anti) war epic takes us on a journey into the insane mind of Colonel Kurtz (a brilliant but possibly crazy Marlon Brando) as he is hunted by Captain Willard (an equally crazy Martin Sheen currently best known for “The West Wing”). The story is loosely based on Joseph Conrad's 1901 novel "Heart of Darkness". This novel tells a tale of cannibalism in colonial Africa full of ...
FatAndy 18.08.2003 (19.08.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Apocalypse Now Redux (DVD)
Advantages: Outstanding War Film Disadvantages: None
'Apocalypse Now' was released in 1979, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and stared Martin Sheen as lead character, Captain Willard. The extract of this film I shall be analysing is the opening scene in which the central characters, including Captain Willard, are introduced. This film attempts to reflect the brutal events of the Vietnam conflict as well as the trauma and anguish suffered by those involved. It was produced not just for profit or entertainment, ... ...in the Vietnam War during a period when the conflict was condemned by politicians, amongst many others.
The scene opens with a still camera shot of a vast expanse of jungle. Peaceful silence is disturbed only by the movement of various wildlife, and the quiet yet repetitive sounds, of what the viewer believes to be the wings of a bird, or something similar. The camera remains fixed as nothing moves except a thin haze of smoke in the distance. Everything ...
marvello 20.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Apocalypse Now Redux (DVD)
Advantages: A great film made even better Disadvantages: It drags on a bit
The world's greatest war movie has been extended....and it's better than ever before. 50 minutes of extra footage have been added to Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece in this director's cut, every single minute worth it.
The story is not really like other Vietnam war films in that a lot of them 'glorify' the US army. Well, fortunately, this one doesn't. Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard, a Green Beret who is given a mission to go up the Nung ... ...is a highly rated officer who goes insane due to the nature of war.
Capt. Willard sets off in a Navy patrol boat with a crew consisting of Phillips (the Chief), Lance (A famous Surfer from L.A.), Chef and Mr.Clean but needs more help than that to get into the river itself. His help comes from a chopper squadron led by Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) who is as insane as Kurtz, but in a different way. He takes over Vietcong coastline villages ...
happycamper 10.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Apocalypse Now Redux (DVD)
Apocalypse Now is Probably the best film ever made. It is based in Vietnam, although not a straight war film like Platoon. It is a film based on the mental strain of American soldiers fighting untrained, a losing battle against the Viennese communists and themselves.
The basic plot is that the captain(Martin Sheen) is sent on a mission far up a river into the middle of Vietcong controlled trattorie to assassinate an ex US general who has gone insane ... ...is the film with the scene you would probably recognise. The one where they attack a beach in helicopters playing Ride of the Valcries through loud speakers.
Although this version is very long(194mins) the in depth story line will keep you fixed. This film also has the best ever soundtrack including The Doors, The Rolling Stones and Jimmi Hendrix.
I have watched this film many times and it is always just as interesting.
There are a few good comedy ...
tomseear 21.04.2005
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Advantages: Amazing war scenes, even better jungle scenes Disadvantages: It gets very strange towards the end?
't compare. ApocalypseNow is right up there amongst the greatest films I've ever seen. It's a true spectacle; a treat for the senses with an excellent story to boot - to my mind, Francis Ford Coppola's best film.
Even if you don't particularly like war films, I'd urge you to see this masterpiece.
Yo u can buy the original ApocalypseNow or the director's cut, ApocalypseNow: Redux, both for under £5 from www.amazon.co.uk. I haven't seen the Redux edition, and I don't own the dvd; this is a review of the film itself.
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring:
Marlon Brando ? Colonel Kurtz
Robert Duvall ? Lieutenant Kilgore
Martin Sheen ? Captain Willard
Dennis Hopper ? Photo Journalist
Laurence "Larry" Fishbourne ? Tyrone Miller
Classification: 18 (disturbing ...
Based on Joseph Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness'. An inside look at all the horrors, madness and moral dilemmas which was the Vietnam War. The story revolves around a captain who is sent to Vietnam to eliminate a mad colonel.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINM; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Joseph Conrad, Michael Herr, John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola
Languages
Main Language
English
Subtitle Language
English
Hearing Impaired Language
English
Technical information
Aspect Ratio
Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Professional reviews
Review
"...APOCALYPSE NOW remains a majestic explosion of pure cinema. It's a hallucinatory poem of fear..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.48, 10/08/2001)
"...A bravura piece of filmmaking..." (Los Angeles Times, p.1, 11/05/2001)
"...A masterpiece....Nothing seems superfluous in this new APOCALYPSE....Coppola has reached the finish line at last. It smells like victory..." (Rolling Stone, p.115, 16/08/2001)
"...There's a verisimilitude about it that no digital trickery could match....[The film] will continue to astound..." (Sight and Sound, p.41-2, 01/12/2001)
"...APOCALYPSE NOW is a reassuring rarity....A genuinely stronger film. That's right -- one of the best movies ever made just got better..." (Total Film, p.94, 01/12/2001)
"...The film now seems mellower and -- thanks in part to the most vibrant-looking prints in its 22-year history -- revitalized..." -- 4 out of 4 stars (USA Today, p.2E, 03/08/2001)
DVD Description
Released in August 2001, APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX, a restored and updated version of the 1979 film, includes 49 minutes of never-before-seen footage, a Technicolor enhancement, and a six-channel soundtrack. Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam epic, loosely based on HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad, tells the story of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a special agent sent into Cambodia to assassinate an errant American colonel (Marlon Brando). Willard is assigned a navy patrol boat operated by Chief (Albert Hall) and three hapless soldiers (Frederic Forrest, Sam Bottoms, and Larry Fishburne). They are escorted on part of their journey by an air cavalry unit led by Lt. Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), a gung-ho commander with a love of Wagner, surfing, and napalm. After witnessing a surreal USO show featuring Playboy playmates and an anarchic battle with the Viet Cong at a bridge, Willard reaches Colonel Kurtz's compound. A crazed photo journalist and Kurtz groupie (Dennis Hopper) welcomes the crew, and Willard begins to question his orders to "terminate the colonel's command." The grueling production and Coppola's insistence on authenticity led to vast budget overruns and physical and emotional breakdowns. Considered to be one of the best war movies of all time, APOCALYPSE NOW features incredible performances and beautifully chaotic visuals that make it an absolute must-see.
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