Apocalypse Now (1979)

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers:

John Milius (screenplay) and
Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

The Horror. . . The Horror. . .

Plot:

During the on-going Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe.

Plot Keywords:

Beer | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighting | Dark Humor | Bugle

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Colonel Walter E. Kurtz
Martin Sheen	...	Captain Benjamin L. Willard
Robert Duvall	...	Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore
Frederic Forrest	...	Jay 'Chef' Hicks
Sam Bottoms	...	Lance B. Johnson
Laurence Fishburne	...	Tyrone 'Clean' Miller (as Larry Fishburne)
Albert Hall	...	Chief Phillips
Harrison Ford	...	Colonel Lucas
Dennis Hopper	...	Photojournalist
G.D. Spradlin	...	General Corman
Jerry Ziesmer	...	Jerry, Civilian
Scott Glenn	...	Lieutenant Richard M. Colby
Bo Byers	...	MP Sergeant #1
James Keane	...	Kilgore's Gunner
Kerry Rossall	...	Mike from San Diego

Also Known As:

Apocalypse Now Redux (International: English title) (longer version)

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing violent images, language, sexual content and some drug use. (2001 director's cut)

Runtime:

153 min | USA:202 min (Redux version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Vietnamese | Khmer

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Redux version) | Dolby (35 mm prints) | DTS (Redux version) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Hungary:16 | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) (1992) | Brazil:16 | Italy:T (re-rating) (Redux version) | USA:R (certificate no. 25751) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) (Redux version) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (Redux version) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:AA (Ontario) (Redux version) | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-15 (Redux version) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) (Redux version) | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 (Redux version) | Norway:15 (Redux version) | Norway:18 (original rating) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 (Redux version) | Singapore:M18 (Redux version) (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (Redux version) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 (Redux version) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1985) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Company:

Zoetrope Studios

Trivia:

There are three different treatments of the ending and credits. In the 35mm version, the credits roll over surrealistic explosions and burning jungle as the air strike occurs. The 70mm version has none of this, no credits, nothing but a one-line copyright notice at the end. Both versions are available on video. The 70mm version has been letterboxed. A third version has the credits rolling over a black background.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In Cambodia, when the crew is reading mail, then coming under fire and escaping, spray from the camera boat can be seen twice.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Willard: [voiceover] Saigon... shit; I'm still only in Saigon... Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife, until I said "yes" to a divorce. When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle. I'm here a week now... waiting for a mission... getting softer; every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger. Each time I looked around, the walls moved in a little tighter.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Catch Me If You Can': The Casting of the Film (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Collection Musee de l'homme

Sheen Shines In This Unique Classic

Well, I've watched this movie for over 25 years now and it's still almost as interesting as when I first saw it. It is definitely one of the most unique films ever made.

I still think Martin Sheen got "dissed" big-time in the billing, too. He dominates the film yet gets lesser billing than Marlon Brando, who only appears in the last 30 minutes of this 2 hours, 17 minutes film (theatrical version). How unfair is that?

Sheen is fantastic in here, especially his narration, which runs throughout. It's one of the best narrations, if not THE best, I have ever heard in a movie. His voice is just haunting as he relates his thoughts on this incredible, nightmare-like adventure. I never fail to appreciate his work in this movie.

The other thing that strikes me about the film over the years are the number of memorable scenes, ones I have never forgotten, such as......

Sheen losing it in his hotel room in the movie's first scene; Robert Duvall and the totally out-of-place surfing scenes and then the ensuing attack with Wagner's dramatic classical music blaring out of the helicopters; The Playboy bunny entertaining the troops; Frederic Forrest being freaked out seeing a tiger close up in the jungle; the weird scenes on the long riverboat ride; the appearance of hippie journalist Dennis Hopper greeting the crew in Cambodia and then Brando's bizarre character. It goes on and on with strange scenes.

That's not to say I enjoyed everything. No, there are a few very unpleasant scenes, such as the one in which an ox is sliced in half (can't watch that anymore), an innocent family is slaughtered on a small boat by Sheen's young stoned-out crew, and the crew is a little too goofy at times. Then, there is the huge amount of profanity, led by way too many f-words.

So, there is a lot of good and a lot of bad things in this movie for almost anyone who watches this One thing for sure: it is a film you WILL remember!