Left speechless by Apocalypse

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2002)

Francis Ford Coppolla's tenacious ability to produce a true masterpiece against all the odds is summed up by Apocalypse Now. The struggles that enveloped the production are well documented, yet, nearly a quarter of a century later, the film remains a real gem.
It's debatable whether Apocalypse Now is a bona-fide depiction of war experience; it's skill, however, is to combine chaos, mismanagement and human suffering with the 'horror' of war and brutality.

Loosely based on Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, Coppolla brings out a string of memorable performance. Martin Sheen, undoubtedly, is the real star of the film, despite being credited behind Brando and Duvall in the titles.
Coupled with stunning cinematography and sound, the imagery employed by Coppolla is like poetry. The feeling of movement throughout the film - as the boat heads up river in contrast with the current of the water, diverted only by, in the 'Redux' version, the French plantation scene, which adds a historical and philosophical dimension - builds up to an ambivalente conclusion. The intrigue at the finish provides the most one of the most effective endings to a film ever. Few movies leave me completely speechless at the end, though Coppolla knows exactly how to achieve this.