In Apocalypse Now we travel back to 1969. The Vietnam War is at its height. Military police officer Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen) becomes almost delirious in his hotel room in Saigon, but then receives a top-secret order to take out renegade American Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando). He has moved away from US military leadership and rules his own empire in the deepest jungles of Cambodia.
Searching for the uncontrollable Kurtz, the soldiers who sail down the river with Willard on a patrol boat gradually descend into their own personal hell. Death is a constant companion. Desperation and madness combine with the utter absurdity of a pointless war to create an explosive cocktail that turns the men into ticking time bombs. Soon Willard himself is drawn to the mysterious power of the jungle and seems to lose his mind quickly…
A legendary fever dream
Of course, before Apocalypse Now hit theaters in the late 1970s, there were plenty of war movies that were recognized as absolute masterpieces. These include “The Bridge”, “Nothing New in the West”, or “The Longest Day”. With “Apocalypse Now” the genre should finally be revolutionized, because Francis Ford Coppola achieved something here that other filmmakers often only claim:
He directed a bona fide, still deeply disturbing anti-war film that, more than 40 years after its premiere, still goes through the marrow and bones.
The hardships Francis Ford Coppola undertook to make “Apocalypse Now” are nothing short of legendary and were once again impressively captured in the grandiose documentary “Hearts Of Darkness”.
Not only was the set almost completely dismantled into its individual parts by a storm. Lead actor Martin Sheen (“Departed”) suffered a heart attack during filming. The production costs were out of all bounds, forcing Coppola to invest a large portion of his personal fortune in the film at the time. In the end it was all worth it, even though it was a great trip.
Because “Apocalypse Now” is an absolute masterpiece and is now considered in many places as the best (anti-) war film of all time. Francis Ford Coppola himself recorded why at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival, where his Vietnam epic received the Palme d’Or, the top accolade:
“The film is not about Vietnam. He IS Vietnam. We were in the jungle. We were too many. We had access to too much money, too much equipment – and little by little we went crazy.” Therefore, “Apocalypse Now” is not only a visual, but also a deeply physical experience. The horror of war can be experienced here.
A milestone in the latest version
The fact that ‘Apocalypse Now’ managed to achieve such a sacred status in film history is precisely because Francis Ford Coppola takes no prisoners here. As the actors and crew behind the camera gradually moved closer and closer to madness, the film itself is an intoxicating feverish dream whose toxic appeal cannot be escaped. The fatigue of the characters transfers directly to the audience. Apocalypse Now is a three hour battle. A tour de force.
It does not matter which version of “Apocalypse Now” you ultimately watch, because the film will always remain a masterpiece. Nevertheless, at this point there should be a brief overview of the available versions:
In addition to the conventional Theatrical release, which comes in at 147 minutesappeared in 2001 the so-called Redux version with 196 minutes is the longest version to date. This is now also used as a reference. For the 40th anniversary, Francis Ford Coppola has the Final Cut (183 minutes) made, which will now be seen in cinemas again. This is a mix of the two previous cut versions and is also suitable as a grand debut if you’ve never seen “Apocalypse Now” before.
The Best Of Cinema series – Presented by FILMSTARTS
“Apocalypse Now” is back in German cinemas on March 7, 2023 – and in pin-sharp 4K, so better than you’ve ever seen it on the big screen.
As part of the “Best of Cinema” event series, a great classic returns to cinemas every month and the successful series will continue in 2023 with “Rambo” at the start. As an official media partner, we at FILMSTARTS also keep you informed about upcoming cinema releases as part of “Best of Cinema”. Find out more on the Best of Cinema website. And if you want to know what highlights besides “Apocalypse Now” will be announced for the first half of 2023, we recommend the following article: