Apocalypse Now (1979)

Despite your preference concerning genres, styles, directors or actors, there are certain films that you have to have seen at least once. Because some of them transcend genres and conventions and leave indelible imprints upon the brain, sometimes even changing the way you look at films and stories in general. 

'Apocalypse Now' is such a film. 

Is it thé quintessential Vietnam War-epic? Maybe. But it sure as hell is one of those films that very aptly manages to depict complete madness and the horrors of war. Maybe it also stems from the absolute disaster it was to shoot this thing, which is well documented. 

It is based on 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad, in which Captain Willard has to sail up the river Congo in order to find Colonel Kurtz. Here, it is all transposed to Vietnam, but the basics are the same. Willard gets the order to eliminate Kurtz, because the army brass fears his methods. You get the feeling it's not because he has become unhinged, but more that he might come back to bite them in the backside. The more Willard learns about Kurtz, the more Kurtz becomes this mythical figure until they finally meet in what is almost a fever dream. 

But it is not the finale that is the focal point, it is the journey. And right off the bat, you get a glimpse of what it must have been like at times in Vietnam during the war. The attack on the village with the helicopters and Robert Duvall's penchant for surfing, even when they are being bombed and shot at? Classic. And that's including the use of Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries'. Heck, one of the most used and memorable quotes of the film is in this segment. Something about napalm and smell (you know what it is). 

Even though this segment is probably the best known, there are more. The random event in the jungle with the Playboy Bunnies? It is so far from reality that it actually feels the most real. The bizarre traversing of the Do Lung bridge, where the soldiers posted either want to escape or are so removed from reality, they keep on fighting because it is all they have? The eerie shots of flares going up and bullets whizzing by makes it almost trippy. 

If you watch the Redux-version, there's an extended part with French colonists that refuse to leave and give up their plantation. It does break the pacing a bit, but it gives you another view on this insane conflict. 

And then, we get to Kurtz and his commune. This is by far the craziest part, yet it is also fascinating to tne Nth degree. Dennis Hopper is his manic self, explaining everything and being a devout follower of Kurtz, even though he is scared to death of the guy. And when Kurtz arrives, he is this ominous presence. Despite it being well known that Marlon Brando was a total arsehat on set, refusing to learn his dialogue and just freewheeling, his performance as Kurtz works. He feels so unhinged, yet at the same time you can't help but be fascinated by him. He rambles and then all of a sudden he makes the most sense of this bizarre world: it truly is a sight to behold. It's a testament to his personality that he is so iconic and just his utterance of two simple words has made it into global memory. 

'Apocalypse Now' is not a happy film, nor a clear cut narrative. It is however, a fever dream and a depiction of the total and utter madness and horror that is a war that can't be won. Everyone is a monster, yet also just a human being. How far can people be pushed before they snap? Some go sooner than others, but in the end, everyone emerges scarred, either mentally or physically or both. 

Must see.