Film Review : APOCALYPSE NOW * * * *

Apocalypse Now (1979)

CAST Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper

DIRECTOR Frances Ford Coppola

Based on Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness",Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is a masterwork of the horrors of war and the insanity that comes along with it.

Martin Sheen plays Captain Willard, a burnt out officer on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He's assigned to locate a colonel gone mad, who has brain washed a clan of natives in believing he is a God figure. His orders are clear. To locate the colonel and "terminate his command, with extreme prejudice".

This will not be as easy as it sounds for Willard. he goes down a merky river with three young naval troops and a hardened boat chief. The movie is narrated by Sheen in a perfect tone, giving us an insight to his fascination and intrigue of the man he is supposed to kill. The more he reads and learns, the more he admires the colonel, thus implanting in his subconscience a resistance to fulfill his mission.

Once he gets to his destination he runs across an american civilian reporter, played at oscar caliber by Dennis Hopper. Dialogue between Willard and the reporter only reinforces Willard of two things. The colonel is definetly crazy and he must kill him, no matter how deep his admiration runs for him. The colonel is Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando in one of his most unforgettable roles), a war hero who had only his future ahead if him, before he snapped. When Willard and Kurtz finally meet, it is complete screen magic. Brando holds the focus, but Sheen holds his own. The speech Brando gives revolving around the "inoculated arms" is both terrifying and magnificent.

You got to give it to Coppola, who at this point in his career had a spotless resume. His film credits included the wonderful You're A Big Boy Now, The Godfather, The Godfather part II and The Conversation.This film is so convincing in every way. The photography is perfect. The mood which is captured runs deep to the heart of the soul. The performances by everyone are brilliant. Most impressive is Robert Duvall as a gung ho colonel who helps Willard get across a rough spot in the river. Who can forget The Ride Of The Valkyries scene, where the combat helicopters mow down a vietnamese village. Thats not the only memoriable part of this movie. From beginning to end, it is one of the best motion pictures ever to grace the silver screen.