Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (5 October 2000)

I quote Francis Ford Coppolla "This is not a film about Vietnam, it IS Vietnam" How right he is. This picture is in my top 10 alongside classics such as Superman and Lawrence of Arabia. The 1970s was a great decade for Francis, all his films were masterpieces back then and this one is no exception.
The film is about a man who is disillusioned with Saigon and is thrown into a mission to terminate a green beret soldier, Marlon Brando. That's all I want to say regarding the story. The film is a journey into madness and insanity. We journey with Willard played by Martin Sheen with a group of soldiers, each one with a different persona.. We meet insane people, we see the most stupid situations. The film clearly points out how stupid and insane everything in war is. There is quite a bit that I'll leave you to figure out, I don't want to spoil it for you.
Technically, this picture is amazing, my jaw drops everytime I see the incredible helicopter action and the explosions. How can anyone direct this? Only Francis could. The photography is easily the best I've ever seen printed on celluloid, the colours are amazing. Everything Francis did on this picture is amazing, I can't praise him enough.
The performances are amazing, Sheen is so perfect, his best performance. Marlon Brando is debatable, I mean there are a few people who could've played Kurtz, I didn't think Marlon gave his best but he was still very good. Dennis Hopper is crazy in this picture, he's excellent even though his part isn't that big. Everyone else was excellent, it must've been a tough picture for the actors, watch out for Fishbourne, he's pretty cool in this.
Once you've seen this amazing picture, please watch "Hearts of Darkness". A documentary about the filming of Apocalypse Now. You'll appreciate the film even more.
There is quite a bit of footage which was cut and maybe, just maybe us fans can see it in DVD quality one day.
I always watch this film once or twice a year. I highly recommend this picture, technically perfect, excellent narrative and superb performances! You know what? They don't make'em like that anymore.