Redux cut: tragically poetic and poetically tragic, but with flaws

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2005)

Being rather messy, it is a very good war film with lots of surreal twists and memorable characters. The helicopters attack scene is definitely one of the finest with a very proper soundtrack as a background.
It is a USA film devoid of patriotism. At certain points of the film the long running time of the redux version is a torture because it contains two embarrassing episodes: the one with the "Playboy" girls and the other – with the veiled smoking-sex scene in the French camp (?). More tough and mindless action scenes would be more suitable than these prolonged kiss-and-hug mishmash.
The main spoilers of this message are the following hints on how to make the best of "Apocalypse Now" viewing. Suppose that the movie should be a grand voyage with a glass of vodka consumed just before the opening scene. The TV colours are to be tuned to the maximum. The home phone must be unplugged, the mobile one - switched off, the door bell – disconnected. The windows - properly shut to keep all the street noises outside. And skip the two scenes mentioned above.
The abominable and suicidal redux cut of this "death card" movie still deserves a reliable 8 out of 10. Thanks for attention.