The horror...the horror...the brilliance.

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2005)

Apocalypse Now is among the most brilliant and powerful films of all time, if not THE. It undoubtedly has the best cinematography, and it is home to many of the most famous, brilliant lines in film history. It is a true shame that not only did this film not take home the Academy Award for Best Picture, but it has come to be a come when one can open up the TV Guide to see the title listed in the movies section with only three stars beside it. Martin Sheen jump-started his career with this epic masterpiece, and he was astounding. This film does not fit into any one genre. Many people consider it to be a war movie, but I strongly disagree. This film is a deep, moving drama, which could have been set at any time in any place, without changing the plot. Like many other great movies (The English Patient, Cold Mountain), war is an effective back-story, and it is used surprisingly well (I am not a fan of war movies at all). The most masterful thing about this film was the brilliantly effective choice of playing 'The End', by The Doors to open and close the film. I think that the opening and closing scenes are among the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. The entire cast is excellent, the direction is indescribable, and the cinematography is destined to blow all of its audiences away. This movie put the epic in masterpiece. The thrilling conclusion, where Willard (Martin Sheen) assassinates Kurtz (Marlon Brando) can be interpreted in many, many different ways, to the extent that one could stay up all night debating with his friends over the topic and not reach a conclusion come morning. This is, undoubtedly, a classic.