Masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2002)

This is, quite simply, one of the finest motion pictures ever. The acting, the atmosphere, the setting, the acting performances. This is truly one of the finest films. Virtually every scene is breathtaking, and portrays the horror and inhumanity of Vietnam extremely well.
I thought Martin Sheen's portrayal was simply perfect. His is a subdued character, almost in a daze most of the time. For whatever reasons, he has virtually become almost a killing machine, and has learned to cope by coldly calculating everything around him. There is a sense of uneasiness about him, though, as you feel this is someone who used to believe in the idealistic notions of being a soldier, and fighting wars, and who has come to understand that his idealistic notions will never be realized. This conflict is played out in the now-famous hotel room scenes near the beginning of the movie. There is a sense of sickness and mental derangement, as he goes through the motions of behaving like a real military officer. You understand, though, that all he is is an assassin. That's all his leaders want him for, and if his damaged psyche and mind allow him to carry out his missions, so be it. Martin Sheen is simply superb in the role. I believe he has been somewhat underrated as an actor, but he has done some fine character work, and he simply shines in this.
This is a coldly dysfunctional military. You wonder who the real madmen are, Colonel Kurtz, or the men who seek his death. This is a theme explored by Captain Willard as he travels up the river. All the while he wonders the same thing, he knows his mission, what is expected of him, is to carry out the assassination of Kurtz. He knows, for all the unfairness of singling out a man of Kurtz's character and ability, Kurtz simply cannot be allowed to carry on. Kurtz is mentally deranged, and there is no hope for his recovery. As long as he is operating freely in a combat zone, he is a serious threat to the military effort, and to military forces, in Vietnam.
The movie leaves you feeling disturbed, and wondering about the men who lived through these circumstances and, eventually, returned to life at home.