Lacked Horror !!

Rating: 5/10 (24 September 2005)

Apocalypse Now is a very good story. But unfortunately Francis Ford Copploa Could not establish the quality of "Gripping & Free Flowing Story telling" which was an excellence in The Godfather. Instead he turns up in a slightly loose, mediocre presentation & inconsistent screenplay.
The Central Plot of the Movie is a Dcoumentation of the Vietnam War & the War's relative impact on various soldiers which distorted their ideologies. Vietnam war probably was the deadliest approach of USA's 60's Bureaucracy on the basis on Human Grounds. The Vietnam War shall be remembered in the American History's Blackest Pages which reminds them the loss of lives & Integrity during that Period, out of which, finally they earned nothing.
A Bureaucratic Hunger for Captivation of Global Power, Unscrupulous American Intelligence & Cold War on Communism switched on the the US's indulgence in Vietnam & took them to the longest war which at end outcomed in frustrations & metal terror. Anything said about Vietnam War is always less.
The Facts of Horror : Apocalypse Now failed in actually documenting the Horror of the War which it relates at the end. All American citizens know about the calamities but what happens when a foreigner watches this Movie ? he is question marked ???. Platoon was probably the finest Vietnam War Epic ever made.
The Movie is a Story about Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) who is given a Mission to assassinate Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who is believed to have refrained from the Army & settled down amongst the local tribes in Combodia near to Vietnam Border. The Film then starts with the Journey of Willard to reach his final destination (Combodia). Willard's adventure through the river takes him to various places & he faces many war events. He is acquainted with the Strategically sound Col. Kilgore, Playboy Playmates, Small time Dealers who exchange stuffs like Magazines & Ciggarettes etc. Within the first 2 Hours of the unedited version encompasses the Late Part of the War & exemplifies the Present situation of the War. The American Soldiers are fighting the Guerilla War for More than six years now & its been now a place, looking for survival. Survival not just from death, but from seclusion, from aggravation, from despair. Its shows us how at many points the war got disorganized. There were no leaders, no coordination and the soldiers were just fighting.
Willard then reaches a place where a Group of French People lived & formed their small family establishment. This is were Copolla creates the Philosophical foundation of the Movie. The First message about the Casualties of War & the Ideologies of War were exhibited, as the French Family Justifies their reason to stay.
Finally after more than 2 hours of the movie, Willard reaches the Place of Kurtz's small empire. The Entry Scene of Marlon Brando & his First Dialogue about Freedom is probably the best part of the Movie. Brando's role of Col. Kurtz is more powerful than his role in The Godfather. He creates a Massive Screen Presence.
The Film finally establishes its Philosophical attribute about Human Kind's Personal Abandonment from reality. Col. Kutz, always a humanitarian personality after being mentally wrecked from the Horrors of War, runs away from reality & finds himself a sublime position... within the tribes... but still is ready to die ! The Philosophical ideas of the Movie is sound, But the Horror which it relates was never shown. The Film cannot succeed as the emotional establishment on audience was never made & much of time was wasted in playmates, unnecessary mediocre conversations & traveling through the river.
Its known fact that Small Villages were destroyed within minutes just on suspicion of enemy's presence. Poor Vietnamese, Women, Children's, Infants suffered horrifically. These Horror cannot be just understood by showing few scenes of Napalm explosion & helicopter Bombing.
The War scenes were not well-directed. The Cinematography was not good. The Over all script was highly inconsistent.
But the Movie got saved by few good scenes & primarily because of Marlon Brando. He is terrific. Go & watch this movie only for Brando. If you have seen Platoon, then you shall understand the Horror in a better way.