Apocalypse Now: Redux [DVD]

Apocalypse Now could be labeled the "most difficult production ever". Shooting lasted 238 days, a typhoon struck the sets and Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack. And that wasn't the end of it. Coppola struggled with the ending, the overbudget, Brando's overweight, the bad press surrounding the film and much much more. I have to say that I deeply admire Coppola for making this film and fight all the demons. He ended making a masterpiece and one of the best war films ever made. This was his last truly great film that will make him be remembered forever. Never again he had achieved the level of success that he had on the 70s with his four films (The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather part II and Apocalypse Now) but that's fine because this four films are among the finest of cinema history.As you may know, Apocalypse Now is set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War where a captain named Willard is sent in a mission to "terminate with extreme prejudice" the reign of Colonel Kurtz who has gone insane and is living up in Cambodia giving outregous orders. The movie it's not so much the destination as is the journey. During his travel, Willard meets a lot of characters including the ones that are with him in the boat, a Colonel Kilgore who assists him to crose to the other side of the river and more.I have to say that this film is outstanding in every regard. The locations are superb, the acting is amazing and the story is truly one of a kind. Dialogue is profound, funny, thoughtful and simply really good. Some scenes like the "Ryde of the Valkyries", "the meeting with Kurtz" and others are cinema classics that will be long remembered. Apocalypse Now is an exciting, often frightening ride that is require viewing for everyone. A classic materpiece through and through.Apocalypse Now was released by Lionsgate with new transfers supervised by Coppola himself and the release is a spectacular one.Video & Audio:Apocalypse Now comes to Blu Ray for the first time in its original aspect ratio looking absolutely amazing. The definition, the clarity, the detail, the crispness are awesome. Skin tones are really well defined and not at all artificial. There are some scenes with ocassional flickering but it's not at all distracting. There are no signs of compression artifacts and most importantly, film grain hasn't been removed or tampered giving the film a nice real life appearance. An excellent transfer that rivals the ones produced for the Godfather films (and those are also excellent).Apocalypse Now is credited for creating the 5.1 surround sound and for this release Lionsgate offers a 5.1 DTS-HD MA that's abolutely mesmerizing. The sound is really well distributed and all sound effects are really crisp. Dialogue is also crystal clear and without any hint of damage or hiss. An outstanding audio presentation.Bonus Features:Lionsgate released AN in two presentations: a two-disc special edition and a three disc "full disclosure edition" that it's the subject of review hereDisc One:On disc one you have two versions of the film: Apocalypse Now (1979 original) and Apocalypse Now Redux (2001). Before I bought this set, I've only watched the Redux version which I liked but watching the original it seems to me that the 1979 version is the superior one. Some scenes in the Redux are too long (like the french plantation) but it's not a terrible version like many have point out. Regardless which version you prefer, the good thing is that you can choose (a thing George Lucas does not allow to us). Also both versions have an audio commentary by Coppola.Disc Two:Here is where all the good stuff is included. New to this release is an interview with John Milius and Coppola and a conversation between Martin Sheen and Coppola. Both are required viewing because of the stories and the different perspectives they had about the film. Also you have an interview with Fred Roos who explains the casting process of the film and we are treated to some screen tests of the actor.Then you have the original reading of Hearts of Darkness by Orson Welles in 1938, an interview by Roger Ebert to Coppola in the 2001 Cannes Festival (which is also required viewing), Deleted scenes, a featurette that explains the birth of 5.1 sound, the music of Apocalypse, the color palette, the editing and much much more.Disc three:This disc is exclusive to this release which includes the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (in HD). Filmed by Eleanor Coppola during the production of the film, this documentary is one of the finest ever produced. You can watch the film and this documentary and you will not only know how the film was made but know first-hand all the troubles that Coppola faced and his slow descent into madness and obsession to finish the movie. This documentary should be seen by every film student and fans of the film everywhere.Also included in this disc are marketing material, storyboard galleries, photo archives and more.This package also includes a nice collector's booklet with annotations by Coppola.Closing thoughts:Apocalypse Now is a classic film that is a must-own and deserves a top spot in any film library. Lionsgate and Coppola have done a 5 star release that no one should miss. With an outstanding restoration, 2 versions of the film and hours upon hours of bonus material including the excellent documentary Hearts of Darness, this set is one of the best Blu-Ray releases ever and is highly recommended for everyone.

The original cut always felt incomplete. It was a bunch of great vignettes which were just thrown together. The new footage has helped give the film breathing room which was much needed. No longer is the ship raced from one surreal incident to the next. At the same time, the new footage also helps strengthen some of the films themes.Before I continue, it's worth noting that "Redux" isn't your typical directors cut, where new footage is simply just shoved into the film. Coppola and editor Walter Murch created an entirely new cut of the film using the original negatives. The film has also been beautifully restored using Technicolor dye-transfer prints, giving the film the Technicolor look of movies from the 40's and 50's. The colors are vibrant, rich, lush and blacks and truly black. "Apocalypse Now" was always one of the most beautifully photographed films and this new transfer helps justify that. The Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro said he cried when he saw the transfer. The remasterd sound is also spectacular. Murch has done an excellent job of putting the audience in the jungle. Now back to the film.The first bit a new footage was an extension of the last scene with Robert Duvall's character, Lt. Kilgore. After giving his famous napalm speech Kilgore is informed that the waves at the beech aren't going to be as big as he expected because the napalm strike has disturbed the wind. This is a nice little touch showing the cause and the effect of the US's actions; no matter what they do, there is a negative effect. After that, Martin Sheen's character Willard, steels Kilgore's surfboard. This was another nice addition. The original version always lacked scenes of Willard before his transformation from going up the river. The scene also helped reinforce the relationship Willard has with the men on the boat; they of course all get a kick out of what Willard does.The next big addition is the Playboy Bunny scene. This scene helps show how the war has even dehumanized sex. Lance (Sam Bottoms) is in a mud filled tent and is painting the face of the bunny he is with. I thought it was great how Coppola showed how dirty sex had become. Meanwhile, Chef (Frederic Forrest) is transforming the bunny he is with into another bunny by having her wear a wing and pose the same way this other bunny did in her spread. This was a masterful way of showing how incredibly impersonal sex has become.The last big addition I'll talk about is the infamous French Plantation scene. The scene started off well, but slowly went down hill. In the first part of it, the French help Willard and the men conduct a funeral for Clean (Fishburne). The men do their best job to conduct a funeral, but it's not exactly up to what a typical army funeral is. There's some great imagery in there, like the small shredded American flag which is used. The funeral scene also makes a great comparison to how Chief (Albert Hall) death is handled. By that time in the film, they are so far up the river that the Army's and American values have vanished; Lance is having a fun time with the body (the body's final resting place is the river, not the earth) while Willard and Chief are totally preoccupied.The plantation scene also helped reinforce the going back in time theme, something which came up a lot in "Heart of Darkness" but never panned out so well in the '79 version of "AP".After the funeral there is a dinner scene with the plantation heads, and this is where things go down hill. There is just way too much dialogue in this scene and Coppola's intentions are quite transparent. The French basically give a recap of the West's involvement in Vietnam and then talk specifically about the US's presence there. It was like Coppola was saying "Incase you don't know what the film is about and why the US are the bad guys in this war..." Worst of all the scene dragged out and hurt the pacing of the film. Coppola spent the last two hours communicating his anti war message visually and suddenly he just had someone blurt it all.There's some new stuff at the Kurtz compound, nothing too important but it helps give us some more time to take in the last 3rd of the film; again helping to reduce that rushed feeling.The end still doesn't quite work, but there is no way to fix this. The Vietnam war had no real ending, there was no climax, there wasn't one last big battle. The US simply accepted it was a war which couldn't be won and pulled out. The ending actually reflects this fairly well. Once the mad Colonel Kurtz is killed, Willard walks down to the boat, leading Lance out, who has become totally wrapped up in the madness. They then peacefully go back down the river. While something like one last battle would have given the film more of a sense of finality, that wouldn't have been staying true to the war.Overall, "Apocalypse Now - Redux" is an extraordinary film. Coppola never wastes a even a single frame (well there was the dinner scene...) Since this film was made, I don't think anyone has ever asked so much of the audience.

Amazing portrayal of a war. The grossness of it. How it makes a person cruel. Very realistic and plausible(which is a must for me).

I would marry this movie and everyone in it