Apocalypse Now [1979] [DVD]

My favourite war film of all time, this cut is awesome and doesn’t fail to amaze.

Self help guide.

The director really got this spot on. The madness of the whole conflict is for all to see.

My boyfriend enjoyed this

When it comes to anti-war films, each director has a different way of portraying how terrible war is. Terrence Malick looks at the humanitarian side of it in the Thin Red Line; Lewis Milestone shows how it corrupts and turns boys into men in All Quiet on the Western Front; Oliver Stone portrays how it turns comrades against each other in Platoon. In this case, Frances Ford-Coppola takes the genre of "anti-war" to every level in Apocalypse Now.Apocalypse Now is very much a film that people either love or hate for various reasons. Personally, I found Apocalypse Now to be on the same wavelength as Schindler's List. Superbly acted, directed and executed - brilliant in every way - I appreciated Apocalypse now as a masterpiece ... but not one I enjoyed or found massively entertaining because of the intensely dark message hidden within. This is a film I found shocking beyond films like the Exorcist and Clockwork Orange. You can really see why the characters become corrupted. War is described as hell, a term which, having seen Apocalypse Now, you will start to appreciate.Set against the hellish backdrop of Vietnam War, Special Forces Operative, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a mission to terminate a renegade and "totally insane", highly decorated American Colonel, Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando). With not much structure, Frances Ford-Coppola gives us Willard's account of his journey through Vietnam and ultimate encounter with Colonel Kurtz. What surprised me about Apocalypse Now was the constant dark humour that persisted - the film could almost be a comedy - but the message of anti-war is taken to such an extent that the behaviour of certain individuals in the film is comical. It really is unlike any war film you'd see in every way. This doesn't have the grandeur of Saving Private Ryan, or the hammed up, heroic look of most war films; Apocalypse Now is gritty and does not hold back until you really are starting to question what the whole point behind the Vietnam War - then ultimately war in general, is. If you appreciate Apocalypse Now (which really is an acquired taste), you will learn in the same way that Captain Willard does and discover why men go mad in war and by the end will feel rather haunted yourself. In the end, it proves the point that rank, nationality, decorations etc mean absolutely nothing in warfare. Even the most innocent to the battle hardened, heroic veterans can go mad. War makes men restless.Apparently, the cast and crew of Apocalypse Now went insane during their time in the jungle filming the production, an ironic fact. Nonetheless, the acting is amazing, featuring peformances from Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper and a young Lawrence Fishburne. The cinematography, too, is amazing and has not dated. Every shot is a work of art, emphasising the eeriness and atmosphere of the jungle, sending shivers down the viewer's spine.Anti-war is shown on every level here, whether it be the casual, uncaring exterior of an American Colonel who just wants to serf, the ecentricity of French colonists, the hollow faces of soldiers who have seen to much, to the broken soul of Kurtz.Definately worth seeing for the experience, I cannot guarantee that you, like me, will find this entertaining. Apocalypse Now is mainly labelled as "weird" and in many ways it is, but that is far too one-dimensional way of looking at it. This is cinema at its absolute best and most shocking to the point that you will feel haunted. In the end you will wonder whether it was a war film, a dark comedy, a horror, a drama, or an adventure.The Redux version gives the viewer 49 extra minutes of added scenes. Be that as it may, I have not seen the original version but all of it, each minute, shocked me.

Francis Ford Coppola's directorial run has never been the same since 1979 from starting the decade off with The Godfather (which i find a slight bit overrated) then somehow directing both The 1974 Palme d'Or winner The Conversation and the incredible Godfather P2.Apocolypse Now (another Palme d'Or winner) is simply one of the very best Vietnam war films made whether it's Marin Sheen's lead or the supporting cast I highly recommend Apocalypse now one 45 years on still is incredible.

Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) is sent into the jungle during the Vietnam War to find a respected but apparently insane Colonel Kurtz (Brando) and kill him.Renowned for being one of the finest war films ever made Apocalypse Now 30 years still remains a shocking punch to the face, an emotionally powerful battle of wits and certainly a memorable picturesque collection of direction by Francis Coppola.Replicating the dramatic war of the late 50's to the mid 70's this picture is a remarkable and dramatic achievement to compare to the real terrifying experiences soldiers and societies experienced during times of warfare.The film opens with Willard sitting silently in his hotel room, reminding himself of his experience in the jungle and how his life has changed since then. Martin Sheen's narration invites us into his mind filled with regret and turmoil, a mind so blinded with past experiences its difficult to see the future. His turns of mad drunkenness spell disaster for anyone in his vicinity and when marshals come knocking the character regains some moderate composure as he learns what he must do.The mission is outlined by some splendid supporting characters including Harrison Ford and the mission adds delicious tension and a dramatic conflict for the film's main character. How he must murder a man who has become a rising hero within the military ranks. This whole concept is thrown into the way of a man who has inspiration to achieve what his target has achieved and the mission becomes personal and the tension rises right until the very last moment.Along the way there are inclusions of the rough warfare spreading out across the surroundings in the Philippines and Godfather and Dracula director Francis Coppola implements a beautiful selection of shots despite the dark story.The film is renowned for the sunset pictures and by juxtaposing them with machines such as helicopters adds a strong dilemma to proceedings.The rising silhouette of the airship is an unforgettable montage and the synchronization and formation as more join in a line is simply unbelievable, a renowned piece of filming that carries on throughout the world of film and whilst there have been attempts to replicate such beauty, e.g. Top Gun, none have matched the originality and lighting and breathtaking sweeps as here. If there was a major reason to see this film that is it.The score adds the tension alongside the picturesque styling of Coppola but it has to be said the inclusion of meaningful emotions plays a vital role in confiding the plot's main themes of duty and truth. The inclusion of renowned poetry come the end, the line of work the main characters are involved in and the grasp of freedom all seek builds up their personas, generating an overall splendid array of plot, of power and precision that has rightfully found its place as a cinematic legend.8.5/10

A classic of the immediate post Vietnam war era. Illustrates the chaos and madness of the Vietnam War and the American approach to war.

Perfecta edición Blu ray 4k de Apocalypse Now el arte del steelbook y con el slipcover le dan un aspecto de doble arte, si leísta aún disponible no dudes en adquirirla, en cuanto al aspecto Tecnico es una maravilla la imagen es una maravilla asimismo la mezcla de audio tomando en cuenta el tiempo del filme es un audio increíble.

Coffret dans un état , comme neuf !Remasteriser par F.F.Coppola les deux versions sont remarquable, quel boulot ! Et puis Palme d or au festival de Cannes c'est vraiment le film à ne pas rater !Avec un produit de cette qualité, le client est respecté ! Merci Amazon belgique.

Reseña de la edición especial de dos discos (bluray +dvd).En el Bluray, con excelente calidad de audio e imagen, se encuentran las dos versiones de esta obra maestra: la original y Redux. Es cierto que existe una tercera copia posterior no incluida (final cut), pero esta no es más que Redux con algunos cortes.La versión original cuenta con un doblaje distinto al de Redux y a mi parecer de una calidad muy inferior. No es que sea exactamente malo, pero el de Redux es soberbio y la diferencia se nota muchísimo. Añado que para mí Redux es la mejor versión, pues aunque pueda decaer ligeramente el ritmo, todas las escenas añadidas son de una altísima calidad.Los extras cumplen más que de sobra, con una galería de fotos, comentarios de Coppola, el programa original, alguna pequeña entrevista... y sobre todo el magnífico documental sobre el rodaje y la escena de destrucción del campamento.

Je précise dans le titre quelle version j'ai achetée car amazon a tendance à mêler les commentaires sur un même film que ce soit la version dvd ou bluray. La je vais écrire sur la version définitive, qui est plutôt fournie... 4 Dvds, 3 Blurays, 1 livre de mme Coppola, je n'ai pas encore tout regardé, seulement les blurays, d'une qualité optimale, sans fioritures, le film, la vola vf le commentaire de Coppola et les sous titres qui vont avec, redux ou copie 1979. J'ai tout de même déja une critique, les sous titres ne peuvent être supprimées de la vo, ce qui pour un bluray de 2019 est fort pénible, c'est pas du shakespeare et ayant vu le film - j'avais acheté la version redux en dvd lors de sa sortie il y a quelques années - un nombre de fois considérable, je suis assez grand pour comprendre les dialogues en anglais, Martin Sheen a une très bonne diction et il parle assez lentement pour se passer des sous titres. Et bin pas moyen de les virer... Bon. Surprise que je ne m'explique pas, la version redux que j'ai en dvd fait 3:13:59, le bluray fait 3:22:32 et je n'ai pas vu de scènes en plus... En a-t-il rallongé certaines, ou intercalé quelques prises de vue au milieu des autres ? Je n'ai pas la solution... Une énigme. (edit : la version DVD c'est du 25 images seconde, le bluray c'est du 24 images secondes, comme l'original sur pellicule, c'est ça la différence de temps) Autres surprises agréables, le format 2.35 est restitué au lieu du format bâtard 2.00 et le rendu des couleurs est magnifique, très moderne. J'ai lu ça et là que le format et les couleurs des précédentes éditions étaient le fait d'un "magicien de la lumière" italien, mouais, la magie c'est surtout de retrouver le format d'image originel et des couleurs qui ne sont plus délavées comme beaucoup de tirages de films des années 70, qui lorsqu'ils sont refilmés et sortent en bluray sont comme rajeunis. Le format, autant le 16/9 va bien au film "le parrain", film d'intérieur, oppressant, autant le 2.35 magnifie les images extérieures d'apocalypse now . Je conseille à ceux qui ne l'ont jamais vu de se ruer sur "heart of darkness" le docu de mme Coppola sur le tournage, avec des images inédites (brando qui avale un insecte !...) sur les affres de Francis Ford sur le tournage apocalyptique de son film, tourné aux Philippines en pleine guérilla, la tempête, Sheen malade et j'en passe... On est passé tout près du désastre vous allez voir... 24.99 euros pour tout ce bon, sans mégotter, je suis ravi !!!

I have been looking for the original version on DVD or Blue-ray for ever and finally here it comes with a very nice and original packaging. The extra dossier with comments from Coppola is the cherry on the cake.