Apocalypse Now (1979)

Loosely based on the novel 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad, Francis Ford Coppola's epic masterpiece set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War is just as confronting and chilling as ever, even after more than forty years.

Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent up the river with a small band of soldiers to find and 'apprehend' Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has been ignoring orders for too long and turned rogue, killing innocent civilians and fellow soldiers alike.

Willard is uncertain throughout the film of whether he will be able to complete his mission, which ultimately entails having to kill Kurtz. He feels that if he is to succeed, he will become as evil as Kurtz himself. But at the same time, he cannot bring himself to disobey a direct order from a superior officer.

Along the journey up the river, he comes across numerous other battalions, all with their own missions as part of the ongoing war. Among these is Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall), another soldier who seems to be using his authority to rule a little more severely than perhaps he ought. In fact, the film is made up of many little vignettes, or episodes, as Willard goes further and further into darkness on the way to the mission's ultimate conclusion.

Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall).

The screenplay, by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola, as mentioned above, is based loosely on Conrad's novel. The novel of course has nothing to do with the Vietnam War, having been written during the Victorian era. It is, however, a story about a man going through episode after episode as he descends further into darkness on the way to his ultimate goal. Coppola saw in this strong parallels to the American involvement in the Vietnam War, and so cleverly created this film, a film that took years of his life - and his family's life, as they moved with him to film it - and nearly killed him in the process; there were certainly several obstacles along the way that meant the film nearly never saw the light of day as art began to imitate life, and Coppola found himself sinking deeper and deeper into a darkness of his own.

The score - by Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola - is rather minimal actually, hardly taking any attention away from the on-screen action. In fact, for the film's two-and-a-half-hour running time, it doesn't feel like there is more than fifteen minutes that is scored. There may be more, but there is far too much happening on screen to notice, and there are significant lengths of time between sections that are scored, something which unfortunately one doesn't see as much in more modern films that feel significantly overscored. And when there is music, it is absolutely perfect.

It is definitely Vittoria Storaro's cinematography that makes this film what it is. The shots of landscape throughout are absolutely stunning, and the use of light and dark for strong contrast is incredible. For significant portions of the film, characters are lit on only one side of their face, with half in shadow, giving a fascinating insight into the characters involved, as though showing the light and dark that is inside every human being, the capacity for both good and evil. This is something one finds in all the best literature throughout history, and it is ever-present in this film, something that almost certainly speaks to the film's continued significance today.

Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) contemplating the magnitude of his mission.

Speaking of which, there is another interesting feature of Coppola's framing in some of the most significant scenes of this film. Whenever there are incredibly intense conversations taking place between characters - especially between soldiers when one is in a position of authority over the other - the one in authority is actually shot looking into the camera, which brings the viewer into the scene in an almost complicit sense. This is slightly unsettling the first time it happens, and positively uncomfortable and chilling by the last time it happens. I don't believe one can watch this film and still believe by the end that war is a good idea (not that I ever did, but still).

The performances of the entire cast are brilliant, too. Martin Sheen is the obvious standout throughout, as we see his descent further and further into the darkness that is all around him, and he portrays this with incredible skill. It is especially significant when one realises the film was probably shot - as most are - out of sequence, meaning his 'level of descent' for want of a better term would have been different at every moment, but he does this so well.

Marlon Brando's portrayal of the unhinged Kurtz is chilling, and incredibly good. He plays the role in such an understated way as to make it even more uncomfortable.

Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) has become unhinged, and power has gone to his head.

Dennis Hopper appears as a photojournalist - sadly only in the last thirty minutes or so of the film - and does a great job of this. His character is quite complex actually, but his commitment to the reality of his character is quite incredible.

Coppola has made an absolutely stunning film here that at its heart is an in-depth study of the human heart and the human condition. Despite its age, it still has so much to say to audiences of today, and for this reason, will probably continue to move and confront audiences for many years to come.

9 1/2 out of 10.