The Horror... The Horror...

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2014)

Apocalypse Now is director Francis Ford Coppola's best film, dare I say even better than The Godfather in a very close victory. The film is a harrowing and mesmerizing tale of the slow descent into madness and the effects that war can have on one's mind, and it also has the absolute best cinematography that I have ever seen. It is a film that has held its own despite a hellish production and it has become a masterpiece of its time.
The production of Apocalypse Now is well known to have been a complete nightmare, with such problems that included Marlon Brando's uncooperative demeanor and weight problems, Martin Sheen's near-fatal heart attack, sets being destroyed by multiple storms, and ever increasing production costs. Production took well over a year to complete and millions of feet of film were edited down to the final product. Despite all of these setbacks, however, the end result is a wonder to behold. The story is uncompromising and harsh and we the viewers can feel Captain Willard's grip on reality slowly fade away as he carries out his journey to find Colonel Kurtz. The masterful cinematography makes the nearly-four-decade old film look and feel brand new. Coppola truly suffered for his craft, but the end result was well worth all the trouble.
The film's antagonist, Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, is a very intriguing character despite his short time actually on screen. He is a highly regarded and honored military figure who has gone mad and formed his own kingdom of sorts in the jungles of Cambodia. He has become so powerful that he is even feared by the US military. When we are finally introduced to Kurtz, we learn that the horrors he witnessed and experienced during his time fighting in the war are what created his grim views on human nature and civilization. Kurtz has an almost god-like air about him. The way that he operates and commands his militia throughout the film without his physical presence gives him a mysterious yet powerful quality that make the character feel omnipresent. His back story and his influence over the lead characters even before they come to meet him creates the impression that he is somehow watching and controlling their every move and thoughts and that by the time they finally reach him, he already has some control and insight into their minds. Kurtz is one of the most interesting characters on film that I have yet seen.
Overall, Apocalypse Now is truly unforgettable and is one of my favorite films. The philosophical messages of insanity and man's breaking point haunt the viewer for some time, perhaps forever. This is a film that has to be seen to be believed.