Review of Apocalypse Now (1979) by Shane S — 15 Jun 2016

Excellent camera work, an impeccably chosen sound track and legendary performances make for one of the greatest war epics of all time. Apocalypse Now captures the madness and terror of war and the darker elements of our existence, perhaps most perfectly in any scene not directly dealing with combat. The simple hunt for a surfing spot or the bizarre USO show scenes are more rattling than the movie's visceral gory moments. A viewer is inescapably left with a deep sense of unease and confusion throughout this film.

The excellent Marlon Brando delivers a captivating and, evidently, mostly unscripted performance. He steals the final third of the movie. At every moment there is an engrossing sense of confusion, angst and simmering anger, all the essential ingredients of insanity. Col Kurtz crossed a line somewhere in his journey through combat from which he cannot return. War provides the canvass and catalyst for Col Kurtz to see the remarkable humbling reality of how precariously close we all sit to falling into the "horror".

Seldom is a film so brilliant it cannot really be adequately summarized in words, Apocalypse Now is such a film. When you walk away after your first viewing, you cannot help but feel that you witnessed a crowning artistic achievement. Perhaps the subject matter of madness in war is what keeps this film so illusory and mystifying, yet, make no mistake, it is truly excellent.