The Best War Movie of All time? Possibly

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2008)

I remember seeing this movie on television the first time. It might have been HBO or Showtime where I saw this film. I was born during the Vietnam War but do not remember anything about it. Watching this movie gave a me sense of what the war was like. The drug use, the slaughter of civilians, the treacherous Viet Cong, the military industrial complex gone awry, the helicopters, the jungles, the special effects, the young soldiers, the politics, the top tier actors (one of whom is a close cousin of mine), and so on.
The soundtrack and plot draw you into the movie as Sheen goes up river, until it entirely engulfs you at the end. The Redux version was fascinating to see. I saw the Redux version on TNT HD and the remastered soundtrack was gripping.
Of course Brando's performance was unforgettable. I was not sure what to make of his character when I first saw it -- now I understand the movie better in my late 30's.
A must see.