The REDUX version

Rating: 5/10 (17 December 2015)

'This is the end' sings Jim Morrison as choppers criss-cross the screen. No, Jim, it's just the beginning. The beginning of a 202-minute, drug-fuelled Vietnam war epic that follows a group of US soldiers upriver, deep into enemy territory, where they witness madness, come to realise the futility of their conflict, and are reminded of the heart of darkness that beats in all men. And like their mission, it's extremely hard going at times.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this wild '70s classic starts off brilliantly, with war weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) being sent on a covert mission to assassinate renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), whose behaviour and methods are proving an embarrassment to the US army. An early set-pieceâ€”an air attack on a Vietcong village to the strains of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyriesâ€”is hugely impressive, boding well for the rest of the film. The genius continues with Robert Duvall's unforgettable performance as bonkers Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, while a jungle encounter with a tiger, and a visit by some Playboy playmates to boost moral only add to the fun.
Unfortunately, once the group of soldiers arrive at a French plantation, Apocalypse Now Redux becomes as bloated and unintelligible as its out-of-shape, mumbling star Brando: the action slows down to a snail's pace, and the vast amount of narcotics consumed by cast and crew becomes more than evident, the film turning into a dull psychedelic haze of drug-fuelled weirdness. Dennis Hopper, as a crazed photo journalist, is particularly spaced out, acting like he's single-handedly snorted the entire cocaine supply of the Philippines. This half of the film, as Hopper might say, is a real drag, man.
If I ever decide to watch Apocalypse Now again, which I think is unlikely, I'll be sure to watch the original theatrical version. Many think it is better; even if that isn't the case, it's definitely shorter.
7.5/10 for everything that happens before the plantation scene; 2.5/10 for the rest. So that's an average of 5/10.