Review of Apocalypse Now (1979) by Nathan M — 03 Dec 2012

Coppola's final great film is the best war film of all time, not to mention a transcendent adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The visuals alone are enough to inspire the casual filmgoer. I don't know where to start with this film. Practically every aspect of it exceeds its peers.

The story is a very distinctive adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Trading out the Belgian Congo for the Vietnam War was the smartest possible decision made in terms of adapting a piece of classic literature. By 1979, a proxy war with an ideology was probably more relatable to people than the merits of European colonialism, even if a core of human duality remained. Writers who actually go the distance to make classic ideas more relatable for the modern filmgoing public are the ones who help keep said ideas alive. The aforementioned duality is the most successful aspect of the story. Coppola and Milius (Walter Sobchak) achieve the challenge of presenting war in a triumphant manner, but with a horrible aftertaste, perhaps similar to a drug. Like Heart of Darkness, the film shows the dark side of every bright human coin. This film shows us, in reflexive human terms, why war might be a destructive exercise in futility. Humans, when placed into an insane situation, tend to adapt to that norm. It shows us how fun war can be in both the straight and sarcastic senses of the word. Note that I use the word show rather than tell. This film isn't about preaching peace and understanding and the unambiguous evil of war. It's about showing what happens in war and mostly leaving us to decide whether we like what we see or not. Like Martin Sheen's main character, it's all about observing, not telling.

The acting is consistently great, this film being the best film many of the actors (Ford, Fishburne, Hopper) have yet been in, even if they aren't the leads like Sheen and Brando. Sheen perfectly fills the shoes of his circumspect character, observing all the horrors around him. Brando is also perfect as the flipped colonel. Robert Duvall is fantastic as the irrepressibly triumphant Kilgore. A skinny Harrison Ford, skinny Laurence Fishburne, and manic Hopper are all memorable in retrospect as they (with the possible exception of Hopper) went on to secure bigger roles in more popular projects.

This film is one of the most epic modern war films yet produced. The tropical island stand-ins for Vietnam are perfect fodder for the atmosphere of the war. The war violence is perhaps not the most intimate I've seen (Saving Private Ryan is much nastier at moments), but not sanitized by any measure. The pacing of the this theatrical cut is pretty good, not feeling a shred overlong.

The production design is close to the period it was set and looks very realistic. If there are any anachronisms, I can't tell. The effects are all practical and therefore look entirely classic, holding up to the ravages of changing cinematic sensibilities quite well. The score is perhaps a bit dated, since it opted for electronic parts. The rock music used in the film is great though, as there has never been as epic a use of The Doors in the history of film. The visuals are just as strong as the story, featuring epic cinematography. The use of different colors and lighting, particularly shades in the range of orange and yellow are fantastic, giving a feeling of how the war is foreign in both geography and to the norms of survival-oriented human behavior. Also, some textbook example low-key lighting is present.

In essence, the competencies of Apocalypse Now are wide and deep. For even those who differ as to what the best war film of all time is, must acknowledge the quality of the contemporized story, as well as the amazing visuals. If Francis Ford Coppola had retired after this film, he'd still be remembered as a legend, instead of a man who used up most of his talent in the 1970s. (2 December 2012).