...strips away man's veneer of outer respectability, tearing aside the psychoanalytic mediators, the ego and the superego, to penetrate the white-hot burning id of the inner soul. Or something.
"Apocalypse Now" was the first important film about the Vietnam War, the first to be set there, and the first to show the stupidities and insanity of the conflict. But it is not without its flaws. Brando's mumbles and ravings go on too long and are sometimes indecipherable. Nor is there any explanation for his preoccupation with heads. No explanation is given for Willard's having to risk his life to find Kurtz by way of a long, circuitous, and torturous river ride through the jungle, while the Playboy bunnies are dropped in overnight by helicopter.
And no explanation is provided for how a mail bag of recent news, correspondence, and sealed orders is suddenly delivered in the midst of enemy country to Willard's little boat! Best not to ask. Psychological dramas require lengthy journeys of self discovery.
Video:
Coppola's production company, American Zoetrope, supervised the film's transfer to DVD at Coppola's own facilities. The 1.85:1 ratio widescreen picture is excellent, clean, clear, unblemished by age. It is not as bright as I thought I remembered it from its theatrical showing, but it conveys a proper atmosphere of war and devastation.
Audio:
The remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is also excellent, delivering good five-channel surround effects, good dynamic range, and thunderously deep bass.
Extras:
Among the disc's bonus items is a clarification of the controversy concerning the film's conclusion. For years there have been rumors that the film had two endings. Coppola tries to explain that that was never the case, but he ends up admitting that the film has had actually three endings! As it turns out, the cause for the confusion was never the story's ending at all but, rather, the closing credits. When the film was first released in its 70mm limited run, it had no opening titles or closing credits; the audience were simply handed programs upon entering the theater. When the film went into more extended distribution in 35mm, the program idea became impractical and Coppola had to include the credits on screen. His first thought was to superimpose them over scenes showing the destruction of Kurtz's camp, scenes he had filmed but never used in the movie. But then he worried that these scenes would mislead audiences and detract from the film's final message; so at last he showed the closing credits over a solid-black background. For those viewers who'd like to see the bombing of Kurtz's compound, Coppola obliges with the original footage; or one may watch the closing credits over black as an option. Otherwise, the film is presented as it was first seen in theaters, with no titles and no credits.
Parting Thoughts:
"Apocalypse Now" is a combination of Altman's "M.A.S.H.," Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," Kafka's "In the Penal Colony," Dante's "Divine Comedy," and, of course, Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." It is part satiric exaggeration, part psychological exploration, and part surrealistic horror story. On any level, it's worth watching.
And no explanation is provided for how a mail bag of recent news, correspondence, and sealed orders is suddenly delivered in the midst of enemy country to Willard's little boat! Best not to ask. Psychological dramas require lengthy journeys of self discovery.
Video:
Coppola's production company, American Zoetrope, supervised the film's transfer to DVD at Coppola's own facilities. The 1.85:1 ratio widescreen picture is excellent, clean, clear, unblemished by age. It is not as bright as I thought I remembered it from its theatrical showing, but it conveys a proper atmosphere of war and devastation.
Audio:
The remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is also excellent, delivering good five-channel surround effects, good dynamic range, and thunderously deep bass.
Extras:
Among the disc's bonus items is a clarification of the controversy concerning the film's conclusion. For years there have been rumors that the film had two endings. Coppola tries to explain that that was never the case, but he ends up admitting that the film has had actually three endings! As it turns out, the cause for the confusion was never the story's ending at all but, rather, the closing credits. When the film was first released in its 70mm limited run, it had no opening titles or closing credits; the audience were simply handed programs upon entering the theater. When the film went into more extended distribution in 35mm, the program idea became impractical and Coppola had to include the credits on screen. His first thought was to superimpose them over scenes showing the destruction of Kurtz's camp, scenes he had filmed but never used in the movie. But then he worried that these scenes would mislead audiences and detract from the film's final message; so at last he showed the closing credits over a solid-black background. For those viewers who'd like to see the bombing of Kurtz's compound, Coppola obliges with the original footage; or one may watch the closing credits over black as an option. Otherwise, the film is presented as it was first seen in theaters, with no titles and no credits.
Parting Thoughts:
"Apocalypse Now" is a combination of Altman's "M.A.S.H.," Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," Kafka's "In the Penal Colony," Dante's "Divine Comedy," and, of course, Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." It is part satiric exaggeration, part psychological exploration, and part surrealistic horror story. On any level, it's worth watching.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]8162[/release]