Powerful and picturesque - a timeless cinematic masterstroke

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2010)

Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) is sent into the jungle during the Vietnam War to find a respected but apparently insane Colonel Kurtz (Brando) and kill him.
Renowned for being one of the finest war films ever made Apocalypse Now 30 years still remains a shocking punch to the face, an emotionally powerful battle of wits and certainly a memorable picturesque collection of direction by Francis Coppola.
Replicating the dramatic war of the late 50's to the mid 70's this picture is a remarkable and dramatic achievement to compare to the real terrifying experiences soldiers and societies experienced during times of warfare.
The film opens with Willard sitting silently in his hotel room, reminding himself of his experience in the jungle and how his life has changed since then. Martin Sheen's narration invites us into his mind filled with regret and turmoil, a mind so blinded with past experiences its difficult to see the future. His turns of mad drunkenness spell disaster for anyone in his vicinity and when marshals come knocking the character regains some moderate composure as he learns what he must do.
The mission is outlined by some splendid supporting characters including Harrison Ford and the mission adds delicious tension and a dramatic conflict for the film's main character. How he must murder a man who has become a rising hero within the military ranks. This whole concept is thrown into the way of a man who has inspiration to achieve what his target has achieved and the mission becomes personal and the tension rises right until the very last moment.
Along the way there are inclusions of the rough warfare spreading out across the surroundings in the Philippines and Godfather and Dracula director Francis Coppola implements a beautiful selection of shots despite the dark story.
The film is renowned for the sunset pictures and by juxtaposing them with machines such as helicopters adds a strong dilemma to proceedings.
The rising silhouette of the airship is an unforgettable montage and the synchronization and formation as more join in a line is simply unbelievable, a renowned piece of filming that carries on throughout the world of film and whilst there have been attempts to replicate such beauty, e.g. Top Gun, none have matched the originality and lighting and breathtaking sweeps as here. If there was a major reason to see this film that is it.
The score adds the tension alongside the picturesque styling of Coppola but it has to be said the inclusion of meaningful emotions plays a vital role in confiding the plot's main themes of duty and truth. The inclusion of renowned poetry come the end, the line of work the main characters are involved in and the grasp of freedom all seek builds up their personas, generating an overall splendid array of plot, of power and precision that has rightfully found its place as a cinematic legend.