Vietnam as Hallucinatory Nightmare

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2015)

This is a classic that has one of the more storied histories of any film. The complications of filming, the now also-classic documentary on those struggles, and the multiple versions of the film that have been released.
I have been lucky to see it once in 70mm 6-Track Dolby Stereo. And, I just got to see the "Redux" version at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens, New York.
The film has the all-time best Sound Design, thanks to the great Walter Murch. It is so immersive to hear the soundscape he constructed in excellent-quality sound once again!
Everything else works from the original version very well. The "Redux" version, at 3 hours, 22 minutes, is quite a bit to sit through! But, there are many parts that are interesting for fans of the original version to see.
I know lots of people went through lots of torment making this great film. But, I'm glad they did!
What was achieved is a hallucinatory vision of the Vietnam War that takes on that conflict in a nightmarish, compelling way. While a vast majority of filmmakers have approached Vietnam in straight-forward ways, Coppola created a surreal vision that will likely live on far more than others will.
********** (10 Out of 10 Stars)