Review of Apocalypse Now (1979) by Andrew M — 04 Mar 2016

Apocalypse Now is quite literally one of the most impressive movies ever made, not only in a technical sense, but in a narrative sense as well. In many ways, this is a penultimate horror film; not one plagued with spooky ghosts or psychotic serial killers, but one showing us one of the world's greatest horrors: war.

The haunting nature of Apocalypse Now is brutally resonant, and while it has a daunting run time, there's never a truly dull moment. Each scene feels integral to the overall story and message at hand.

Martin Sheen makes for a hugely compelling lead, and the supporting cast all give strong performances as well. The great Marlon Brando is perhaps the most fascinating, giving the character of Kurtz a subtle yet mystical, and quite chilling, personality.

In terms of production values, it's mindblowing how visually stunning this film is considering its numerous production troubles. Francis Ford Coppola really did a superb job with this film. The sets are massive and lifelike, which becomes even more noticeable during the film's numerous action setpieces, all of which are beautifully shot.

The sound design is also top notch, perhaps some of the best of all time. Apocalypse Now is not only one of the best, if not the best, war films ever created, it's also one of the finest outings in cinematic history.