Cinema at its Most Daring

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2014)

5/5 Apocalypse Now is one of the few movies about war that doesn't focus on the bloodshed it causes. It is an example of an audacious film that takes us in its dark universe and never lets us see the light.
The film is centered around the folly of man's sanity. It shows how some people's lives are centered around war and they believe it's their burden to only be in war. After witnessing one of the most brilliant opening titles ever, we cut to our center character, played by Martin Sheen who says "Saigon...s***. I was still only in Saigon.Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce. When I was here I wanted to be there." There as nothing left for him, but war. There are many symbolisms with the other two main roles RObert Duvall and Marlon Brando who gives a haunting performance.
The visuals in the film were also stunning, trying to sink us into the dark atmosphere. The very beginning with the credits shows a jungle getting destroyed by helicopters and the Doors hit The End playing hauntingly in the background. The battle scenes are greatly set and shot and are extremely realistic, even more realistic for some of today's standards.
This is probably my all time favorite films.Many have loved it, and many have hated it, I would say definitely check it out. Its not a film based on the brutality of war, but how war affects us to go to measures that play with our sanity. There are violent scenes, but really focus on the soldiers, especially Robert Duvall's character, how he reacts to war. Apocalypse Now is probably the greatest war movie ever and simply put as one of the greatest ever made. It a dark, haunting, visionary, and surprisingly accurate meditation on human nature.