Apocalypse Now (Redux)

I had never seen Apocalypse Now until last night. This is one of those movies that everyone has seen and there are phrases/tributes to it in other movies. The whole "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" and Martin Sheen coming up out of the mud/water are two of the most iconic moments in film ever, and they both come from this movie. Overall, I thought this movie was very well done, but boy was it long. Over 200 minutes! For all of you that don't know time very well that mean Apocalypse Now is over 3 hours and 20 minutes long. Since most people have seen this, I am not going to waste time doing a spoilers warning. This movie centers around a Captain (Martin Sheen) during the Vietnam war. This Captain must be one bad mother, he went through his "tour," he was an assassin; but now the powers that be wanted him back for one last assignment. There is a Colonel that has gone mad, he is in the middle of the jungle just doing his own thing, and the heads of the war do not like that one bit. Martin Sheen is taken on a boat up the river and most of this movie is the journey to find the Colonel. As Martin and his team go up the river they see some Playboy Bunnies, French resistance fighters, complete anarchy, soldiers that want to be surfers, and more Playboy Bunnies (this time they get some "personal time" with the Bunnies. This movie is just too long, and maybe this is because I did see the Redux version that was a little longer, but I do not know how much longer. Diana saw this when she was younger and couldn't remember what had been added (or taken away - but I doubt they removed anything). Eventually the team (whoever is left that is) make it to where the Colonel is staying. He is living with some natives and the native treat him like a God. They love him and do whatever he asks. The Colonel is played by Marlon Brando. Now that Martin Sheen has met him he is trying to decide if he really is mad or if he is right in all of his ramblings. In the end, even though Martin Sheen feels for Brando, he is an Army guy and he kills him (relieves him of his command". Martin is then allowed to leave by the natives (who all bow down to him) and the movie is over. You never get to see if he actually makes it back to the base, as his journey up was so wild I don't see him living through getting back - if he wants to go back at all.

This movie is a classic and I can see why. It is epic before Hollywood really made epics. It is a great war movie and I do not know how the movie makers got the army to go along with making it (there was so many helicopters and other items you would have to assume the Army went along with it). I give this movie 3.75 out of 5 stars. That might seem low because of all the praise I gave this movie, but it was LONG, and I do not think it had to be so long.