Apocalypse Now [Archive]

Pogue

29th September 2009, 22:14

Apocalypse Now (1979)http://www.bbc.co.uk/furniture/tiny.gif
It is mid-way through the Vietnam War, and troubled US Captain (Martin Sheen), is given a special mission, to go far up river into Cambodia. Once there, he is to track down renegade Colonal Kurtz (Marlon Brando) - a man who is waging his own personal and violent war - and assassinate him.
Sheen is a sympathetic and compelling lead man, while Brando's size lends him a menace not seen in his more youthful roles. The surreal nature of this film sets it apart from others such as "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" it captures an atmosphere that literally seeps out of the screen, and although lessened on television the effect is still there. The film is at its best following Sheen up river, and is slightly let down by the final meeting between him and Brando.
Despite the simple plot premise, this is a complex depiction of Conrad's novella "Heart of Darkness". Coppola excels himself with this shocking, and in many ways completely unique view of the Vietnam conflict. Even while making the film in 1979 he likened the experience to the war itself, as all forms of disaster befell the production, including Martin Sheen's heart attack.
Simultaneously compulsive and horrifying viewing visually incredible, it is accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, which veers from Wagner to The Doors. An epic in almost every way it is Grand Opera for the cinema and a must see-movie. The power of this film cannot be denied, and once seen, it is not easily forgotten.

Thats from BBC.

I'd like to hear comrade's opinions on this very interesting film. I think the scene when he Brando is talking about the chopping off of the children's arms is amazing, I was itnrigued by this film even as a young child. Its just one fo those films with an atmosphere.

brigadista

30th September 2009, 00:14

its a modern take on the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad which is about the Congo and the depravity of the rule of King Leopold.. i agree with socialist about the stereotyping -pretty bad

Martin Sheen had a heart attack and nearly died when making it .. the film about the making of it is very interesting its called Hearts of Darkness.....Dennis Hopper was a full on addict at the time...

scarletghoul

30th September 2009, 00:20

An awesome film, one of the best no doubt.

x359594

30th September 2009, 01:34

...I think the scene when he Brando is talking about the chopping off of the children's arms is amazing, I was itnrigued by this film even as a young child. Its just one fo those films with an atmosphere.

I agree about the film's atmosphere, but the arm chopping anecdote is a complete fabrication.

As others have noted, the Vietnamese are exotic background against which the Western imperialists work out their hubris. That said, Apocalypse Now! is a visually striking film and much better than the genuinely regressive The Deer Hunter.

thejambo1

30th September 2009, 05:56

great film,one of my all time favourites. the whole thing just got to me,i can watch it again and again.

Pogue

30th September 2009, 21:19

i admit the treatment of the 'native people' is a bit bait, i dont think it was meant to represent all of them at all though, as in, it wasn't intended to be offensive.

brigadista

1st October 2009, 03:46

i admit the treatment of the 'native people' is a bit bait, i dont think it was meant to represent all of them at all though, as in, it wasn't intended to be offensive.

its a fairly good american anti vietnam war film but like most of them the struggle of the vietnamese people and the effect of the american occupation upon them takes a back seat to liberal american interests, namely how bad the war was for the american troops...

Comrade B

1st October 2009, 05:57

Love the movie, one of my favorites
the stereotyping is a bit lame, but it comes from Heart of Darkness, a book with many racist undertones (the people of the Congo can only speak broken English in very simple sentences, the people are savage and represent the weakness of man in themselves, and there is not a single notice of the existence of African culture. I like Achebe's review of Heart of Darkness very much)

Pavlov's House Party

1st October 2009, 11:41

Its a really great film, I remember first watching it and being almost drawn into the scenes. As the movie goes on the cinematography gets more and more surreal, and at some points it's like watching some wierd dream (like the scene where they're looking for the commander of the soldiers but there isn't one, and it's almost pitch black).

I highly recommend it, and to the people talking about how the potrayal of Natives is racist, it's kind of supposed to be, being based off a 19th century novella about colonialism.

brigadista

2nd October 2009, 23:26

comrade B do you refer to this?

http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html

Comrade B

3rd October 2009, 01:49

comrade B do you refer to this?

http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html (http://www.anonym.to/?http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html)
yep

Pogue

3rd October 2009, 08:17

to be honest most writings on people from east asia or africa have some sort of chauvinistic assumptions...

The Author

8th October 2009, 04:21

This was an interesting movie. The Apocalypse Now Redux, which was the Director's Cut, had a lot of extra footage which almost completely changed the movie in terms of story and plot but still makes it a great flick to watch. A nice anti-war film.

MaoTseHelen

8th October 2009, 08:27

Fairly crappy with the exception of the air cavalry scene, which was amazing. The rest of it felt Straight Outta Film School, and never really lived up to all the hype I'd heard prior to watching it.

NecroCommie

8th October 2009, 15:44

Anaximander

11th October 2009, 16:13

If one goes searching this movie for political message, then it's a load of army-glamorizing nationalist bullshit. If on the other hand we look at it only as a movie, it's awesome. I love how it portrayes war as almost comically chaotic thing, and how that one air.cav. dude is just awesome. I love the smell of napalm in the morning... It smells like... :crying: ... Victory... 'emotional silence'

Come on dude, you really got "army-glamorizing nationalist bullshit" out of it? The scene you refer to, with Robert Duvall, is total satire on macho dudes who think being in the army (and in this case, the Air Cav) is just like being a cowboy. No way is that movie a glamorous take on the Vietnam conflict. As most people here mentioned, it is surreal, dark, unnerving, and brutal.

Just watch the scene when the soldiers are clamoring to get on the boat, trying to get the fuck out of there...

Dimentio

11th October 2009, 16:30

What movie has Necro seen?

I think it is one of the strongets anti-war movies ever, which shows the dehumanising effects of warfare and the meaninglessness of the war.

Pogue

11th October 2009, 19:46

I too think it was more anti-war than anything, but I agree there is room for some criticisms as I said earlier.

NecroCommie

12th October 2009, 14:26

Come on dude, you really got "army-glamorizing nationalist bullshit" out of it? The scene you refer to, with Robert Duvall, is total satire on macho dudes who think being in the army (and in this case, the Air Cav) is just like being a cowboy. No way is that movie a glamorous take on the Vietnam conflict. As most people here mentioned, it is surreal, dark, unnerving, and brutal.

Just watch the scene when the soldiers are clamoring to get on the boat, trying to get the fuck out of there...
I dunno, but military geeks and proto-facists love that movie over here. I guess they think liking it makes it OK to like army too... I dunno.

Stranger Than Paradise

12th October 2009, 18:19

I would say it is an anti-war film for sure. There are many aspects of it which lead me to think that. Particularly the scene where the men kill the vietnamese family on the boat. I don't think that was supposed to glorify the US soldiers, it was meant to depict brutality, it was meant to shock us.