A true masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2005)

First of all, if you haven't seen this movie you've been wasting your time watching others. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes cinema. It is violent, complex and long, but nothing is gratuitous. So if you haven't seen it, stop reading this commentary (yep, SPOILERS AHEAD) and do yourself a favor.
This movie is one of those war classics that don't focus so much on the war, kind of like Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory". It follows Willard's journey into Cambodia, into his very own soul and into madness. His search for Kurtz teaches him that the man he was sent to kill knows much more about the war than those who are in charge. By the end of the film, Willard has become Kurtz, sharing his madness. But what the generals call insanity turns out to be the clairvoyance that only a man who has seen the "horror" can possess.
I think "Apocalypse Now" is by far superior to Conrad's short story, "Heart of Darkness", from which it is freely adapted. They share the same construction but while Conrad's story tends to be too slow until Willard reaches Kurtz, Coppola's film is never boring. This is probably due to the fact that Willard's companions have greater roles in the film. Each of the characters on board the boat is interesting in his own way. Of course, the acting is responsible for this, Kilgore and the photojournalist are two great minor characters.
Visually, the movie is beautiful, the cinematography gets more more and more beautiful as the film goes on. The stylised lighting is so stunning, especially towards the end.
Last but not least, Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando's performances are perfect. Sheen's minimalist approach reflects Willard's empty and goalless life while Brando's acting and Coppola's directing make Kurtz one of the most captivating characters in the history of cinema.
Apocalypse Now is simply one of those movies everybody should watch.
10/10