A Psychedelic Painting

Rating: 10/10 (14 March 2013)

Apocalypse Now was definitely a lot different from what I was expecting from it. I had expected a war movie, with loads of blasts adorning it. Some sort of a battle that would eventually lead to the apocalypse or even the onset of a new species or some sort of an alien race. Obviously, that was not to be but thankfully, I was not disappointed with the movie. Some things that struck me deeply were the use of 'The End' by the doors, Marlon Brando's short yet impactful performance and a genuine portrayal of the emotions associated with the war, most notably by Kurtz's "The horror, the horror".
The build up till the part when their boat enters Kurtz's territory is brilliant. That is followed by some scenes involving the locals that are quite thrilling. Their depiction as them being aghast, dazed and in a state of trance was creepy at times. The end of the movie with the Doors song and the two concurrent slaughters is also quite impactful. In between are spread the usual Vietnam war content that one sees in all the movies. Noobs being sent to Vietnam and not knowing what they're doing there, unnecessary deaths in the process, Locals being killed for no reason but to assert military authority over some specific part. What "The Deer Hunter" explored, Apocalypse Now went deeper and presented it more as a psychedelic experience. Use of music in the movie is a distinguishing feature: The End, Ride of the Valkyries, Satisfaction all used quite effectively.