William B
Masterpiece. One of the best Vietnam war's films.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/22/24
Full Review
Tijs v
Apocalypse Now is a movie that does a great job showing what a terrible conflict the Vietnam war was. The dialogue can be pretty bad at times however.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
11/07/24
Full Review
Mundo M
This is a movie that grows with you. Having watched this when I was young and again throughout the years I feel as though I am seeing a new movie every time I see it. Your life experiences allows you to see the movie under a different lense each time you watch. You pick up on things that catch your attention that you have overlooked previously. You learn from it. “ NEVER GET OUT OF THE THE BOAT, ABSOLUTELY G*D-D** N RIGHT - UNLESS YOU ARE GOING ALL THE WAY”
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
11/01/24
Full Review
Milox B
« Apocalypse Now » nous plonge dans la guerre du Vietnam comme si c’était un documentaire, rendant chaque scène poignante et réaliste. La photographie est magistrale, jouant avec les contrastes et les couleurs pour immerger le spectateur dans un clair-obscur envoûtant. La lumière façonne chaque plan avec une précision qui amplifie la tension.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
11/15/24
Full Review
r r
Cinematography as a storyteller: The “Raging Bull” Example.
There are copious movies about war and the intense emotion they bring, but rarely do they tell the whole truth. Mostly, they push the heroic narrative that there is a good side fighting for what's right and a bad sad fighting with evil intent. The truth is much more complicated than that. Although morals may be what brings about a war, right and wrong becomes blurry as people experience so much pain and suffering. Releasing in 1979 “Apocalypse: Now”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by John Milius, does a fantastic job of showing how good people can be corrupted by their experiences in battle. During my watch, at times I was confused, horrified, and even disgusted. Although those are usually not good feelings to associate with a movie, it only proves how realistic and powerful this film was. With cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, this haunting film expertly dives into the real horrors of war that civilians are oblivious to.
Taking place during the Vietnam war, Captain Lillard (Martin Sheen) is tasked with the assassination of the once renowned Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). As he and his crew travel further upriver they experience more suffering and loss while Captain Lillard begins to understand why Colonel Kurtz fell from glory.
The highlight of this film for me was the cinematography. Vittorio Storaro did an outstanding job in highlighting the brutal nature of war. In most cases when I speak of cinematography, I might use the word “beautiful” to describe it. However, in this case a more proper word would be “horrific”. Believe me, the cinematography was masterfully executed, but its purpose is to highlight the tragedies of war which caused me discomfort. For example, there are copious shots and frames of dead bodies throughout the film that caused no reaction for the characters. The most prominent example is when they find Kurtz’ civilization which is littered with corpses. Although this made the movie difficult to watch, even when nobody was talking, it helped me understand the true nature of war. At first, I was confused why they barely noticed the bodies, but then it became obvious that they just didn't care. After experiencing so much pain and suffering, they became desensitized to violence to the point where seeing piles of mutilated bodies is normal. Although it's incredibly sad, it's an excellent way to show how war can compromise our humanity.
Overall, this movie was challenging, but definitely eye opening. Before you watch you must prepare yourself for some disturbing sights. If you are easily squeamish, this might not be a great movie for you, but I highly reccomend that you push yourself. It's important for us to see movies that expose the reality of situations most people know little about. Citizens think they understand war, but the truth is we have no idea. Although this film helps to shine light on the horrors, I'm sure the truth is even worse. That being said, I would give this movie a 9/10 and highly recommend that you see it.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/23/24
Full Review
Miranda L
A story that explores the capacity for darkness within us all.
Apocalypse Now is a psychological war drama directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who also served as co-writer alongside John Milius. The film was loosely inspired by Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro capturing the chaotic backdrop of the Vietnam War rather than the Congo.
The story follows Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, as he journeys from South Vietnam to Cambodia on a secret assassination mission. Willard’s target is Colonel Kurtz, a celebrated and heavily decorated Special Forces officer who lost his mind and went rogue. As Willard journeys on his perilous mission toward his quarry, he slowly unravels from the pressure and depravity of war, descending into madness and becoming akin to the man he is hunting.
Apocalypse Now is an exceptional film with remarkable performances that portray the psychological affects of war. Sheen offers an incredible portrayal of Willard, providing a quiet intensity and brooding and obsessive nature that are key to the story and understanding the psychological effects of war. His performance is balanced by Robert Duvall’s portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, who effortlessly juxtaposes Willard as a desensitized, ruthless and carefree soldier. Brando’s portrayal of Kurtz was horrifying, his short performance living up to his character’s looming presence thorough out the film.
The cinematography is visually captivating, capturing the beauty of the landscapes, river and jungle, but also the chaos, tension and atrocities of war. Storaro’s use of light, framing, angles and movement flow with every scene, emphasizing feelings of internal struggle and isolation, of tension, obsession, fear and dread, all while capturing that essential hallucinatory tone that depicts Willard’s descent into madness.
The sound and score in the film are also paramount to the film’s success. The sounds of war, of helicopter, gunfire and shouting, heighten feelings of tension and fear. Natural sounds like the occur on the river provide just as much tension, the sound of these scenes no less tense as characters become disoriented and unravel. The score is often unsettling, with jumpy and out of place music that is both surreal and chaotic, mirroring war, Willard’s obsessive hunt, and his internal conflict. The sound overall aids to the emotional intensity of the film.
Apocalypse Now is a film for anyone who wants to understand not only the phycological effects of war, but also the psychological nature of being human. This story captures the true nature of war; it does glorify it, but instead highlights the chaos, immorality and senselessness of it. It probes into the costs of war that go beyond loss of life, causing people to lose their sense of self, or right and wrong all in the pursuit of an enemy who is not so very different. Beyond war, this film captures the morality of humans in general, exploring how each of us, no matter how moral to begin with, have the capacity for violence and corruption. This movie is a pillar of cinematic excellence and sets the bar for its profound exploration of the human condition.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/22/24
Full Review
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