Apocalypse Now (DVD)

'Apocalypse Now' is rightly considered to be one of the best movies dealing with the Vietnam War. Coppola's drug tinged view of the madness of war does more than examines the conflict it but asks many more basic questions about the nature of morality, humanity and madness. THE PLOT Martin Sheen is Captain Willard the army 'assassin' who has been told to 'Terminate with extreme prejudice' the insane (or is he?), renegade Green Beret Colonel Kurtz, ...
...patrol manned by a mostly inexperienced crew he begins his search for Kurtz. The problem is that Willard, a war weary veteran, is close to a mental breakdown he is beginning to doubt is own sanity and the journey he takes up river to Cambodia where Kurtz has last been seen is symbolic of his own search for some meaning to the horrors of the war. How will the journey change him? Will he survive? Will he complete his mission? CAST CHARACTERS AND PERFORMANCES ...

Mauri 25.07.2000 (09.06.2004) · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

Apocalypse Now is arguably one of the greatest war films ever made, certainly one of the most controversial and also one of the most original and thought provoking. Martin Sheen is cast in the lead role of Captain Willard, a role offered to a number of actors before him including Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel. Willard is a special forces assassin, worn out by the Vietnam War but feeling that it is the only place that feels natural ...
...a renegade US colonel who has crossed the border into Cambodia and set up his own small empire and acting outside official army orders. Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando must be terminated and Willard is the man to do the job. Willard heads off up river with a patrol boat crew, which includes a 14 year old Laurence Fishburn, to hunt down his quarry on the way being escorted by a unit of Air Cavalry lead by Major Kilgore played by Robert Duval. ...

steerpyke 17.01.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

One of Stanley Kubrick's best and certainly most gut-wrenching & cerebral of war films. This isn't your typical warfilm of "them and us" and it would be a mistake to think of this film in the same context as Platoon or Saving Ryan's Privates (a film I hated bar the first 20mins). This is a far more implicit, personal tale of a Captain's insular view of a world finally gone mad. There are so many thought-provoking one-liners throughout the film that ...
...purpose in this war of Vietnam/Cambodia Kurtz (a shuffling & mumbling Marlon Brando) is a top Colonel of the old school; a tactical genius who finally flips when his own side declares that he murdered rather than "killed" Vietkong spies even though all the evidence points in his favour. Martin Sheen plays a thoughtful but boozed-up Captain Willard. His mind is full of these political contradictions to the extent that he is gradually losing focus ...

dreamstar70 24.01.2001 (25.01.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

...finally getting round to seeing Apocalypse Now. Fortunately, it was worth the wait. It starts as it means to go on - the opening scene is haunting and brilliant, with the sound of helicopters flying and a montage of a jungle being blown up - all photographed in a dusty yellow light with some music from The Doors to really evoke a sense of the time. We then see Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) going crazy with boredom in his Saigon hotel room. Drunk, ...
...war at first hand. Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece on every level. For a story which at its basic level is extremely simple, it develops into something deeply philosophical and really makes you think about the effects of war on a man's mind. The action scenes and photography are just astonishing, especially considering this film was made 28 years ago. The scene early on in which Willard meets Kilgore amidst a chaotic scene of helicopters and swirling ...

l-m-n-o-p 28.03.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

...other two most certainly posess, Apocalypse Now has an added ingredient. Having watched all three on numerous occasions i understand the differences, but to explain them is nigh on impossible. All that can be said is that in Lehman's terms is that Apocalypse now is the whole film package, unlike its contemprories. This film was destined to be great, and because of persistence that is exactly what it turned out to be. A truly magnificent film, being ...

stephen_logan 15.01.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

Recently released on DVD, Apocalypse Now has to be one of the most powerful films ever to be seen. Set during the Vietnam war, Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent to assassinate a rogue Colonel, Kurtz (Marlon Brandon). Willard has his reservations about killing a fellow American (and an Officer as well) but takes the mission anyway. In order to find the Colonel, Willard needs to get into Cambodia to find his compound. He travels via river and is escorted ...
...Its not a surprise that Apocalypse Now won two Academy Awards, one for Best Sound (soundtrack includes, The Doors & The Rolling Stones) & one for Best Cinematography. Those sharp eyed among you will spot a young Harrison Ford & an actor called Larry Fishburne (yes its him from The Matrix). They just don't make them like this anymore. The extras are as follows :- The Theatrical Trailer Unused footage of the destruction of Kurtzs compound that has ...

Tyler-Durden 04.01.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

...months in the cutting room Apocalypse Now remains part brilliant part maddeningly infuriating. The film is in part beautiful to see, yet in part awful to watch. There are brilliant acting performances part obscured by excessively dark direction and areas of acting weakness only saved by the grand sweep of the picture. The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola who won Oscars for the first 2 Godfather films. The film was an updated version of ...
...a middle and an end. Apocalypse Now has a beginning and then meanders around before the final credits appear. At over 2 and a half hours it is just too long. The brilliance of some of the performances only serves to underline the feeling that the end result is a series of fantastic yet unconnected scenes. However brilliantly those scenes are done the end result is less than perfect. ...

polydeuces 20.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

Apocalypse Now! shows a great director at the height of his creative powers. When I watch this film I can't quite figure out how Francis C. made that infamous episode of New York Stories about the young NY italian girl(If you haven't seen this - be warned.) Apocalypse Now! is a true auteur directors vision of the Vietnam war as part vision of hell, part acid trip, together with some classic tracks from this period. The opening sequence is utterly ...
...against stunning images - and this is just the titles! Based on Conrad's Heart of Darkness it is the story of a marines order to assassinate a mad US colonel(Kurtz) in the Vietnamese jungle. Brando plays the colonel with measured subtlety and Martin Sheen is outstanding as the assassin. The whole stunning show gets a bit wild towards the end but this just adds extra power to the work. A mind blowing piece of cinema. ...

JSpencer 23.07.2000 · Read full review
Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

...play- spot the early Harrison Ford. As Kurtz puts it-, why is it all right to drop napalm on people yet writing fuck on the side of your aircraft is obscene? War is insane. No doubt at times exhilarating, and always obscene. Apocalypse now takes you there. Watch it. ...

Seaxwulf 08.06.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

...play- spot the early Harrison Ford. As Kurtz puts it-, why is it all right to drop napalm on people yet writing fuck on the side of your aircraft is obscene? War is insane. No doubt at times exhilarating, and always obscene. Apocalypse now takes you there. Watch it. ...

Seaxwulf 08.06.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

"Saigon, Sh*t, I'm still in Saigon." Captain (Martin Sheen) Willard leads in a surreal epic set in Vietnam. His mission, to Terminate "with extreme prejudice" Colonel Walter (Marlon Brando) E Kurtz, a prodigal son of the US Army who has gone "clearly insane" and set up his own savage army in Cambodia after knocking off half the VC spies in the South Vietnamese Army. Willard is dispatched to travel upriver to eliminate Kurtz. Along the way he also ...
...and a bizarre insight into how the US is fighting the war. The film displays stunning cinematography and an equally strong cameo from Robert Duvall's surf mad Lt Colonel Bill Kilgore. Duvall's charecter is often quoted for his monologue regarding "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" however I believe his best moment is when he orders his men to start surfing during a pitch battle. The ludicrous order is questioned by another officer to whom ...

Bill 07.06.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)

The first time I watched this film I wanted to rewind it and watch it again. The cinematography is stunning and completely justifies why the widescreen format was developed on video. When you watch the film, look out for the subtle contradictions evident in the background image, and look at how the whole production remains politically ambiguous about its feelings on the Vietnam War. The helicopter attack on the village remains one of the most visually ...
...is the cameo appearance by Francis Ford Coppolla himself, who acts like a documentary cameraman urging Martin Sheen to 'continue walking as if the camera isn't there' - an admission, if ever I witnessed one, that filmmaking can never act as a truthful window on the world. Great stuff. ...

Pritpal 21.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Apocalypse Now (DVD)