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Coppola is one of those directors who’s tried his hand at everything, never really settling down. He’s so in love with the cinema, so curious, that he’s never truly satisfied to return to the same subject matter twice. In fact, outside of the Godfather films, he’s never really revisited a genre. So Apocalypse Now is, at once, a definition of what he did, and nowhere near a definition of what he did. It doesn’t contain any of Coppola’s usual stylistic touches because he really has no formula or pattern for how he makes his films, and that’s why it is his signature film.

The film is, supposedly, based on the novel Heart of Darkness, but to be completely honest, there are really only a few key parallels, some similar scenes. The movie itself is an entity all its own. Benjamin J. Willard, played by Martin Sheen, is our lead, a special operatives agent, an assassin, who is slowly going stir crazy awaiting his next assignment.

The only thing he wants is to be put back into action, thriving on the blood lust and having no other purpose in life than to fight. He rots away in his room as choppers fly over head, going stir crazy while awaiting the next assignment.

The famous shot from the opening scene is of course Sheen punching the mirror. This was not in the script. A lot of things weren’t. Coppola nearly lost his mind in real life making this film, and in fact, the documentary on the making of the movie is, in many ways, less predictable and just as fascinating as the film itself. Unfortunately, we only have time to actually review the movie.

The movie is simply loaded with unforgettable characters. Without even discussing the main cast, we have Cockroach, a youth from Harlem capable of sleeping through the most intense battle, waking up to launch a perfectly arced grenade at an enemy hiding in the shadows, eliminate him, and go back to sleep. We have Dennis Hopper as a maniacal photo journalist, and Robert Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, a mix of samurai, Patton and surfer dude, sending his men out to hit the waves amidst napalm detonating against the beach.

You could remove any of these characters still tell the story, these are not major characters, but, they provide more color and personality to the film than the entire cast of most films. The real heart of the film is Colonel Kurtz, as played by Marlon Brando. He defines the nihilistic dread that casts itself over the entirety of the movie.

The film works on every level. It’s an incredible action film, a fascinating political statement, it’s funny, and, at times, it’s even endearing. However, while it succeeds on all these levels, the nihilism cast over the film by Kurtz and Willard eventually overwhelms all these other aspects and creates a film that is dark, psychedelic, and a frightening look into the human heart.

Coppola himself claims Rumble Fish as his personal favorite amongst his own work, but his fans are typically split between Apocalypse Now and The Godfather Part 2. It’s up to the individual viewer, but this one is, at the very least, his most insane.

Often they will be happy to do it, although they may charge you a little for doing the job. Online Movies To Watch For example, a younger audience will like more colour, more tech information, a friendly banter, and up-to-date chart acts. Again, in the long run, it will only matter that you got the publicity nod in the first place.

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