How this movie finally made sense

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2016)

Please note, this review/guide contains references to drug and alcohol use. It is not intended as a recommendation or instruction for anybody to follow. It is just what worked for me.
--- I watched Apocalypse Now a number of times through my life, and while I always enjoyed it I found it slightly beyond my reach. Drug use is a (minor) theme in the movie, and I suspect a major theme in the making of it (it certainly was for at least one of the cast). I'm somewhat unusual that I started experimenting with different substances later in life, and was never really much of a philosopher, so I never really understood some of the more abstract aspects of this movie. However I finally watched Apocalypse Now and it all made sense, as much as it can. Part of that was to stop expecting it to make sense, which is an obvious metaphor for how many felt about the war itself.
So here's my recipe for "getting it". This could be unique to me and how I interpret things. It is in no way intended as an instruction or recommendation, it's just what worked for me. The following are chronological steps that can be separated by months or preferably even years.
Step 1: familiarise yourself with the Vietnam war. Watch movies, the likes of Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, even Hamburger Hill and some lesser known ones. Read the literature, both fiction and non-fiction. Listen to the music of the era.
Step 2: know what it's like to consume lots of alcohol. Note the above point where I say this is not a recommendation - health authorities will tell you this step and the following ones are bad...
Step 3: smoke some weed.
Step 4: experiment with hallucinogenics. LSD, mushrooms, mescaline, whatever floats your proverbial boat.
Step 5: know what it's like to question your own sanity. This step definitely isn't recommended, but chances are if you've followed the above steps you might have some idea.
Now revisit step 3, sit down, and watch this movie. I personally prefer the redux version but that's a matter of preference. Enjoy.