Review of Apocalypse Now (1979) by James H — 23 May 2012
It goes without saying that war is a messy affair, none of it good. Director Francis Ford Coppola shows through Apocalypse Now the truth of that statement easily enough (or so it seems) with absolute clarity, plus ingenious filmmaking that ultimately cements the movie's greatness.
It is poignant at times, profound at others, and generally a beauty to witness. While Marlon Brando may not quite measure up to the expectations his reputation justify, Martin Sheen, and later Dennis Hopper, contribute more than enough in the acting department.
Possibly no other movie than this one comes so near to demonstrating so believably not just the general senselessness of war, but how it makes madmen of its participants. Apocalyse Now is definitely not your typical war movie, and probably many a viewer has walked away from it either loving it, hating it, or undecided about it altogether.
Rather than dismissing the movie out of hand, first see it, mull it over, repeat the previous step about twice more, and just maybe, if not likely, it may be the best thing you've ever seen lately.
This review of Apocalypse Now (1979) was written by James H on 23 May 2012.
Apocalypse Now has generally received very positive reviews.
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