Apocalypse Now

I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream; that's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor... and surviving.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Writer: Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay), John Milius (screenplay), Joseph Conrad (source)
Cast: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Albert Hall, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper

IMDB

It was only a few weeks ago that I found myself discussing the ability of filmmakers to go back and digitally enhance their pictures simply for the sake of making them a bit slicker and less rough around the edges (which is what seems like the upcoming release of "E.T." is going to be) or using modern technology to both enhance the film visually and smooth out the story structure ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director's Cut). Rarely has their been a "director's cut", at least that I can think of, that alters a film as greatly as "Apocalypse Now: Redux", which adds an additional 49 minutes of footage onto the picture as audiences previously knew it and shuffles around some others. Director Francis Ford Coppola and ace editor and sound designer Walter Murch ("The English Patient") didn't go about this task in simple fashion, either - they went back to the raw footage and assembled this new version of the picture from scratch. Apparently, Ford Coppola ran into trouble with the releasing studio during the film's original production, who wanted to keep the running time under two 1/2 hours, or at least that's what has been said. As that running time seems more ordinary and acceptable today, the idea was brought up to revisit the film and venture deeper into its themes.

The film is written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola, based upon Joseph Conrad's novel, "Heart Of Darkness". The film stars Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, whose thoughts we hear on occasion throughout the movie via narration. Early in the movie, he is given a mission - a mission that "doesn't exist": to venture deep into the jungles and terminate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a brilliant man who has lost his sanity and organized a cult. Yet, the journey up the river is anything but simple.

"Simple" was definitely not a word to describe the production of the picture, either, as it reportedly went far over schedule and considerably over budget. The production occasionally operated in considerably less-than-favorable conditions and Sheen suffered a heart attack. Still, even with the production troubles, Coppola was able to harness incredible performances from his cast, especially Sheen, Robert Duvall and even a very young Laurence Fishburne.

As for "Redux", some of the moments added seamlessly integrate into the picture, while some others (the "French Plantation" scene, a Playboy bunny sequence) start to feel a little much. Still, it's impressive how "Redux", even at nearly 3 1/2 hours, didn't start to feel endless - it moved along at a nice pace, mainly because the film remains so riveting. While reviewing this new edition, I suddenly looked up and noticed that the entire running time had passed in what seemed like an hour.

I'm not sure what to think - I enjoyed watching this version and felt it improved certain areas, but I certainly had no complaints about the original version, which remains an amazing piece of cinema history. Hopefully, Paramount will keep the original DVD version out in stores, so fans can have both, if they so desire (both versions probably could have been available here, although the desire was probably to have each stand alone). For those interested in skipping directly to the added material, Paramount has helpfully added indications of the chapters where it is included in both the insert and the chapter selections menu.

Reportedly, there's even a great deal more footage out there, with subplots that still remain unseen. If anything, "Redux" simply allowed me to see more of Vittorio Storaro's cinematography, which I simply adore - the entire movie is feast of surreal, gorgeous visual after visual. With the newly remastered presentation (done with a technicolor dye process), the film's visuals look more breathtaking and beautiful than ever here.

More often than not, I felt positive about "Redux"; although the new footage was not always effective, the film in either form remains riveting, surreal and fascinating. It's also simply a joy to see something this good. During the past few years, I've found it increasingly more difficult to even make up a "top 10" list for the films I've seen during those previous 12 months. Often recently, I walk out of the theater, largely indifferent to what I've just seen or, occasionally, entertained in a basic fashion. To have my attention held so firmly for 202 minutes, to be so riveted by "Redux", is a pleasure. It is better or worse? It's not always an improvement, but it offers a different and still thrilling and powerful experience.

Review from Current Film

Download links:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128529292/yanness-Apocalypse_Now__Redux_.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/128529295/yanness-Apocalypse_Now__Redux_.part02.rar
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