Review of Apocalypse Now (1979) by Ian R — 26 Jan 2014

Wow, Apocalypse Now is a tremendous film. I saw the "Redux" version with 40 additional minutes of footage and I thought it was an amazing story with amazing themes and spectacular acting. In this film, the acting and the tone really stood out to me.

This movie had a very real feel to it for me. It was a seemingly simple thing that pulled me in; it was the scene near the beginning where the commanders bring Martin Sheen's character into the room and are trying to see if he's the man for the job to assassinate Kurtz.

I felt like this exchange was acted the way it would have gone in real life; there was an obvious tension, and air of avoidance of details and veiled requests. It reminded me of project meetings I've been in lately; it felt like a slice of real life with real people.

And that style of acting was carried out throughout the rest of the film, in my opinion. I think Martin Sheen was aboslutely awsome (and also, Charlie Sheen really looks so much like his father does in this film, it freaked me out a little) and Marlon Brando's performance, though brief, is legendary.

I also enjoyed Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall's smaller roles in the film. Duvall's character will forever be a favourite of mine, the way he so confidently carried himself. I like how things would explode right beside him or enemy fire would come his way and every person around him ducked for cover, but Duvall's character just stood calm and confident and often ignored the danger.

I thought it was highly amusing. And, of course, this film is thick with themes and commentaries on war and how it affects people. I think that Apocalypse Now is the best Vietnam War based film I have ever seen and I think it is a masterpiece film.

I was enthralled by it from beginning to end.