Great interpretation of a good book to deliver points on the nature of war

Rating: Null/10 (1 July 2002)

In an updating of `Hearts of Darkness' a soldier is given a mission to travel up a river During the Vietnam war in order to terminate the command of Colonel Kurtz. Kurtz is operating without orders and is leading a group of natives in brutal violent strikes against the enemy. Despite his history of brilliance and decoration he has clearly gone mad. Willard joins a military boat and travels up river to his destiny. However the further he travels the more madness appears to have become the norm.
It is a film everyone knows, and a `making of' story that is familiar to everyone on some level. The problems with the military, with destroyed sets right down to Keitel walking off set to be replaced by Martin Sheen who then had a near complete breakdown during filming. However the story itself is what keeps this so popular. The original book is set in Victorian times and is similar only in the concept of travelling up a river and confronting something dark and changed in the shape of Kurtz. The modern day spin on it makes it even more interesting as it looks at the madness that comes with power within war.
The journey itself is at times comic and at other times brutal. The overall feeling is one of soldiers not knowing why they are fighting or who they are fighting. The feeling of confusion and fear is inherent in the film and is very well delivered. Willard's journey never fails to grip and is interesting on whatever level you watch it  whether it be for the famous set pieces or for the underlying themes.
The performances are excellent. Sheen has never been better and now seems so distant from his character that he is a different person. While some of the emotion on screen was real, he does a great job as our guide through the journey. The best performance comes from a surprising source Brando. Despite the fact that he was difficult, horribly over weight and hadn't learnt his lines, his eerie performance is still haunting. His mumbling and reasoning in the shadows show that he may be touched by madness but, in the context of war, he is also touched by cold logical reasoning. Likewise Dennis Hopper fits in well despite his stoned demeanour. The support cast include some names as Albert Hall, Harrison Ford, Forrest and a young Larry Fishburne.
Overall this will remain a classic on many levels. The film itself is great and full of spectacle, the story of the making itself is interesting, the performances are wonderful despite everything and the fact that it has other themes makes it even better. As an war movie it is great simply because it isn't about the war it IS war  in the words of Coppola `it isn't about Vietnam, it is Vietnam, it's how the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle, we had too much money, too much equipment and, little by little, we went insane'. Classic film on so many levels.