Version vs. Version

Rating: Null/10 (16 July 2006)

I have to admit, the first and only six times I saw the original version of this film (not "Redux"), I fell asleep during the film. I was convinced that the original film was made catastrophically unwatchable by the muddled and misguided editing. Several of my friends were angry to the respect that I could actually fall asleep to the "best film ever", in their opinion. As a result, I was relieved when I found out that there was going to be a release of a new version to theatres, a "director's cut", if you will. I purposely waited until it was released on DVD to watch it, and turned the English subtitles on, and I was glad, because I remember lots of the dialog being lost in the original mix (as I think it is also in this as well), but I feel the subtitles help you get through it. You see, I am the kind of person who likes director's cuts, uncensored versions, restored with new footage films, and even letterbox versions, basically the best way a film is intended. There are some exceptions to the rules, like when different editing processes are used, such as "Star Wars: A New Hope", which I still think was a mistake that George Lucas didn't correct some of the very noticeable errors in digital vs. analog editing and prints (i.e. he really should have either re-filmed the original Jabba-the-Hut & Han Solo conversation, instead of a digital re-creation and insertion/replacement of an analog filming of someone different {Jabba}, or just kept the scene cut indefinitely), or when studios take control of films and try to make their own edit and commercial cuts, which is almost always monstrous, just as I've heard with Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". To summarize, it is possible for someone who has issues with this original film to like the "Redux" version, if it is for the reasons as I stated, because I feel that "Apocalypse Now Redux" actually is a better film than the original "Apocalypse Now". Yes, I am bold enough to say it. I am positive that this will offend people who think the original cut is the "best film ever", and I know it is even probable they won't like -this- version, but I don't care about that, just like I didn't rate this version 5-stars, or even think of it as the "best film ever". This film clearly travels the waters between pure evil and insane genius. This is the only version worth watching. 8/10