Superlative

Rating: 10/10 (24 June 2008)

APOCALYPSE NOW is a masterpiece whether you see the truncated earlier version or the more recent, extended version. The direction is superb, the screenplay excellent with its ironical and occasionally over the top depiction of the uselessness of war and of the degradation of moral values. Duvall is memorable as the colonel who loves to wake up to the smell of napalm; Martin Sheen has his best role ever by a mile; Brando is an enigmatic larger than life metaphysic that appears to have won the minds of the enemy but lost his own; the photography is exquisite; and the sequence with the French family in a colonial setting is an absolute treasure. But there is much more to enjoy, from the much repeated helicopter sounds at the beginning of the movie to the vagaries of fighting a war you do not care for. I will always go back to this movie, watch it with pleasure and learn something new from it. A fabulous film that deserves 10/10.