Breathtaking

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2001)

If you get a chance to see any version of this film (but especially Redux) in a cinema then take it. This majestic epic is full of visual wonder that only works properly on the biggest screen possible. In addition, Apocalypse Now has the finest sound of any movie I have seen. There are moments where the troops are talking to each other in a relaxed way, when suddenly WHOOSH a fighter jet enters the cinema in glorious surround. During the action sequences there is not a single shot that does not express the incredible chaos that Willard has found himself in. Brando's performance is astounding, and even in the 200 minute Redux any film fan will remain riveted throughout. Of course there's a lot of bizarre stuff in this film, but nothing approaches the lengthy encounter between Willard and a French woman plantation owner. If anyone can tell me what Coppola was trying to achieve with this bit of soap melodrama, I'd be grateful.