War has never felt so real, fear has never felt so vivid, filmmaking at its proudest

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2016)

Apocalypse Now is a poem of human nature, a reflection of what we are achieving of doing from a good vs evil perspective; its production qualities are the pinnacle of artistic achievements (good), its story and content the pinnacle of human depravity (evil).
Considering this is Coppola film, you just can't expect to see something poor or average, as Coppola has taught us what good filmmaking is.
Apocalypse Now is not an action movie, as many would expect considering its setting, but it needs not to have flashy action sequences or epic battles, for its flashy action sequences are translated into beautiful cinematography, and its epic battles into profound and complex dialogue.
The plot is without a doubt an embodiment of genius, inspiration and storytelling. The portrayal of Vietnam and its horrors, the development of its characters, the scope of its content, the essence of its dialogue, all of these things are woven together like a grandmother's sweater: impeccable.
Everything in this film works perfectly, which leads me to highlight the villain, the source of conflict and malice found in every minute of this masterpiece. The villain is without a doubt one of the best Hollywood has ever seen, and getting to understand his reasoning, the motivations for his actions, is truly an exercise of the mind, a questioning of how life can come falling down when one is placed in the wrong moment and place. The villain is majestic, a mad genius.
The production design is superb, it just feels vivid and fresh, and it never fails to be consistent throughout the entirety of the film. The cinematography just works in every shot, and the story unfolds in beautiful ways one could think could never be topped. The performance of Marlon Brando shines brightly in the few minutes of screen time he receives, and that is satisfying enough, even for so little time, and the renowned dialogue only makes everything even more satisfying.
I cannot find anything bad to say about this film, except the evil it represents. It is truly the best adaptation Conrad could have hoped for.