CURRENT RANK: #36
Note: This is a review of the original theatrical version released in 1979, not the extended Redux version released in 2001.
I was originally putting this one off because of my general dislike for war in general, as well as war movies. However, this is one of those movies where so many parts of it are ingrained in popular culture, you end up knowing some of the more famous quotes - even when watching it for the first time.
I must say I'm glad I finally watched Apocalypse Now. Coppola really created a wartime epic with this one. The cast is excellent, and the story is told flawlessly, all the while slowly building suspense until the climactic ending. Martin Sheen was superb throughout: a cold, worn out Vietnam soldier looking for a last hurrah (although I gotta be honest, he looks too much like Charlie for my liking, and sound like him too... That kind of put me off sometimes. Nothing serious, but I found myself chuckling at some of his narration in parts when I really shouldn't have been).
Robert Duvall as Kilgore could probably fill a small book with his quotes. Although the best ones are very, very well-known ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning", etc...)
I thought Brando played his role pretty well, considering the fact that he was supposed to be pretty insane. He has received some criticism for this role in the past, but I didn't see too much wrong with it. Plus, come on, it's Brando. All he has to do is sit there and give cold stares and talk in his raspy voice, and his role is pretty much fulfilled... he's the master at that. Plus, his acting and Coppola's directing are always a great match, and that shines through.
The killer in my opinion though was the musical score. Dark, suspenseful, epic. Perfect for the story this movie was trying to tell. That's what really did it for me.
All in all, I think I enjoyed this one because really, although it is a "war movie", I think one would be missing the real point of it if they focused on that aspect. This is a harrowing story about what war does to an individual, humanity in general, one's mental state, and our Earth as a whole.
