Apocalypse Now

Rumble Fish has that great Stewart Copeland soundtrack too. "Don't box me in!"

 

I recall hating the Redux. I felt like the added scenes killed the pace and added unneeded story.

I’ll rewatch it.

 

If you watched the PBS Nam series, the plantation sequence may mean more, but I recognize the hatred for it. It's just too long.

 

Great movie!

I still regret not going to see Redux at the local iMax Cinema when it was released in the early 2000's.

 

One of my favorites. That and Goodfellas were the first DVD's I ever bought. I remember blasting the helicopter scenes in AN and being awed by the 5.1 sound.

 

Here is an intriguing analysis of the film. This is part I of II.

 

It is but it does a good job of filling viewers in on the sad history of war in Vietnam. Maybe the subtext is "this is a horror show but at least we didn't start it".

 

Redux was a hard movie to watch in the theatre...no intermission, and three hours twenty minutes is a long time to go without a pee or a ciggie (I was still a smoker in those days) but it was worth it.

I am currently reading The Secret History Of Star Wars (at @Vidiot 's recommendation). I had no idea that a) American Zoetrope was around as early as it was (Coppola and George Lucas founded it in 1971) and that b) the original idea for Apocalypse Now was actually...drum roll, please...George Lucas's! But no studio would touch a Vietnam movie while the war was still going on so Lucas said to hell with it and did American Graffiti instead. Coppola and John Milius picked up the Apocalypse Now ball and ran with it.

 

Milius is the unspoken presence in AN, and his contribution can’t be overlooked.

Another huge contributor was Michael Herr, who wrote Willard’s monologues and also co-wrote Full Metal Jacket. If you haven’t read his book about Vietnam, DISPATCHES, be sure and get it.

 

I remember reading Dispatches years ago after I read Hunter S Thompson's praise of it- Thompson reckoned it was the best book he'd ever read about Vietnam. I don't remember much about it, though, almost twenty years later...

 

Is that the box set? You can pick that up really cheaply at the moment.

 

Indeed. Oh, and both cuts reflect the original 70mm screenings*, so no credits.


* That is, for the theatrical cut.

 

This was the way I first seen the picture in earnest - before that I just caught bits and piecees over the years. It was quite the experience. Saw it in Chicago - River North neighhorhood.

 

I love the film. Seen it many times and own the DVD.

I read Conrad's Heart of Darkness before viewing it while in college in 1979 and that added to the experience.

I knew many people who appreciated it, also. However, I'll never forget one conversation I participated in regarding AN; while discussing it in a bar I worked at in the early 80's, a guy who'd been involved in the war joined our conversation. We were eager to hear his thoughts about it. Surprisingly, he absolutely hated it. Didn't relate to it at all and had many complaints about it ("I never saw banana clips in M16's at that time!" was one memorable rant of his).

Apparently his gripe was the psychedelic aspect of the film. He wasn't a common infantry soldier, was involved in logistics or intelligence or something.

Still, I always remember his searing critique.

 

My all-time favorite film period. I love the mood that the film puts you in and the soundtrack just enhances that feeling of uncertainty, mystery and horror throughout the film.

 

Reading Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness makes the ending much clearer.

If stop and think, GF and GF II, The Conversation and Apocalype Now is an amazing run.

AN has certainly grown in stature over the years, for which I’m very glad.

 

My third favorite film of all time behind Blade Runner The Final Cut and Gilliam's cut of Brazil. Lost count of how many times I have seen Apocalypse Now but each time it is still an amazing film. The first time I ever saw it was on VHS with my dad who was in the Marines during Vietnam. He said Coppola got the absurdity of the war correct.

 

Lucas later revealed that the Vietnam scenes in the seldom-seen American Graffiti Part 2 were leftover ideas from the 16mm shoot for Apocalypse Now that he had originally envisioned. He wanted to do the exact opposite of what Coppola did: a very simple, "documentary-style" approach with a small crew, just covering a dozen soldiers in the jungle. I think Lucas was miffed when Coppola would not wait for him to finish the Star Wars movies and just jumped in and did Apocalypse himself. (Note that Harrison Ford's character in Apocalypse Now was called "Colonel Lucas," which is no coincidence.

 

There's an American Graffiti Part 2?? How have I never heard of this!

 

oh yea. Not as good. Follows 4 stories, jumps back and forth in time. some stories are clichéd, some are good.
Worth your time, but don't feel compelled to see it asap, either.

 

Not only that, the general refers to him as "Luke" at one point.

 

My favorite movie of all time. (2001: A Space Odyssey is a close second.). But I don’t just throw it on for fun. It’s not that kind of movie. It’s too involved and I always need to set aside the three hours. I haven’t seen it in years.

 

To think Coppola was such a genius at one time. Although his daughter is the better filmmaker, the two Godfather films and Apocalypse Now guarantee that she won’t surpass him (hard to imagine, anyway).

I remember seeing the Apocalypse Now redux in the theatre (I’m thinking it was still 35mm, but I’m not sure). I’m in the camp with those who think the longer version is a nice treat for fans, but it also makes for a lesser film in terms of pacing.

 

“I’m a photojournalist! Howdy Yanks!”