Fenrir
Devourer Of Gods
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2006
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- 4,890
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So I finally got around to getting the beautiful Apocalypse Now Complete Dossier DVD set (been waiting a long time for a collector's edition that had both the theatrical and Redux editions) and watched it for the first time yesterday.
I can honestly say it was one of the most gripping and immersing cinematic experiences I've ever had. This film has just so many moments of shock and awe and the whole buildup to the eventual confrontation with Kurtz is so spell-binding that it's impossible to take your eyes off screen. Thanks to Martin Sheen's fascinating narration (best first person voice-over in a film, ever) and the gradual insight through recorded tapes and official documents into the enigma of the seemingly "insane", but legendary colonel. In fact, Kurtz might be the only cinematic character that has such a powerful presence throughout the film even though he is not actually visible or heard from on screen.
Watching the film, just like Captain Willard, I practically felt Kurtz drawing closer with each passing moment and I can't put into words how much I loved Coppola's direction in filming certain scenes less like a Vietnam war movie and more like a horror film. The slow transition from the widespread chaos of Vietnam into the intimately frightening and insane world of Colonel Kurtz was truly mesmerizing, to say the least.
For a film in the 70's, it has certain moments that will truly make your jaw drop on the floor when you see them and suddenly realize that what you just watched was done with actual, practical effects and not some computer generated trickery. The sheer sense of scale in the first half of the movie is overwhelming - an epic in every sense of the word. Yet Apocalypse Now's impressive production values do not take away from the fact it's a very personal labor of love, with layers upon layers. Honestly, I can go on and on about everything in this film - music, cinematography, performances, dialogue...it's pretty much perfect on all counts.
Anyways, for all those of you who have seen the film, share the love (or hate).
And for those of you who haven't seen it - get off your asses and go buy this masterpiece right now. War films really don't get any better than this and even though you've heard countless films in the genre make the same claim over and over again, none of them even remotely come close to truly capturing the horrors of war in the Apocalypse Now does. I liked Francis Ford Coppola for the first two Godfather films, but this is the crown jewel of his career and in my opinion, cements his place as one of the most talented filmmakers of all time.
A few words of advice to first-time viewers: watch the original theatrical cut first - it's around 2 and a half hours but somehow feels longer, and the Redux version adds around 45 more minutes to that. Secondly, this is an unusually dense film that demands patience and complete attention from it's audience. So if you feel you're not up to the task, then it's not for you.
I can honestly say it was one of the most gripping and immersing cinematic experiences I've ever had. This film has just so many moments of shock and awe and the whole buildup to the eventual confrontation with Kurtz is so spell-binding that it's impossible to take your eyes off screen. Thanks to Martin Sheen's fascinating narration (best first person voice-over in a film, ever) and the gradual insight through recorded tapes and official documents into the enigma of the seemingly "insane", but legendary colonel. In fact, Kurtz might be the only cinematic character that has such a powerful presence throughout the film even though he is not actually visible or heard from on screen.
Watching the film, just like Captain Willard, I practically felt Kurtz drawing closer with each passing moment and I can't put into words how much I loved Coppola's direction in filming certain scenes less like a Vietnam war movie and more like a horror film. The slow transition from the widespread chaos of Vietnam into the intimately frightening and insane world of Colonel Kurtz was truly mesmerizing, to say the least.
For a film in the 70's, it has certain moments that will truly make your jaw drop on the floor when you see them and suddenly realize that what you just watched was done with actual, practical effects and not some computer generated trickery. The sheer sense of scale in the first half of the movie is overwhelming - an epic in every sense of the word. Yet Apocalypse Now's impressive production values do not take away from the fact it's a very personal labor of love, with layers upon layers. Honestly, I can go on and on about everything in this film - music, cinematography, performances, dialogue...it's pretty much perfect on all counts.
Anyways, for all those of you who have seen the film, share the love (or hate).
And for those of you who haven't seen it - get off your asses and go buy this masterpiece right now. War films really don't get any better than this and even though you've heard countless films in the genre make the same claim over and over again, none of them even remotely come close to truly capturing the horrors of war in the Apocalypse Now does. I liked Francis Ford Coppola for the first two Godfather films, but this is the crown jewel of his career and in my opinion, cements his place as one of the most talented filmmakers of all time.
A few words of advice to first-time viewers: watch the original theatrical cut first - it's around 2 and a half hours but somehow feels longer, and the Redux version adds around 45 more minutes to that. Secondly, this is an unusually dense film that demands patience and complete attention from it's audience. So if you feel you're not up to the task, then it's not for you.
