After actually reading the Lang criteria, I realised that their review structure was very different to mine. I did a couple of practice letters and reviews (etc.) in those styles, and hey, since its technically revision- why not post my favourites. And no. Youre not getting any letters or leaflets on here. Apocalypse Now Apocalypse Now is an American war epic set in Vietnam directed by Francis Ford Coppala. It stars Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Harrison Ford and Robert Duvall. It is a stark departure from Ford’s more action/adventure oriented roles in Indiana Jones, despite the brevity of his performance. Brando’s AWOL col. Kurtz has begun a cult worshipping him high in the Cambodian jungle, and Sheen’s commando is sent to terminate his command, for fear he has gone insane. The story begins with a shot of the Pilipino jungle, napalm falling and scorching the sky set to ‘the Doors’ soundtrack. It shows the mental pain the war has caused a Sheen, now on leave in Saigon, waiting for a mission. He has divorced his wife, and has nothing for him outside of the bush. It’s emotionally intense, and stretches the atmosphere and tone to taught and serious from the offset. Its tantalising proposal of horrific Vietnam exploits appeals to the viewer’s morbid curiosity, drawing them in. Its deeper messages of psychological trauma also offer up a layer of depth to appeal to the more patient viewers. Patience is a virtue here, boasting a mean run-time and relatively slow pacing, but it fits, creating a sloping atmosphere and impending sense of dread as we descend deeper in to the jungle hell. The ending is predictable, but it leaves us with food for thought, and, suffice to say, the platter is far from empty. The acting is excellent, be it the charismatic, hilariously surfing head of the air-cav Duvall, the tortured but compelling and resilient Sheen, or the elephantine Brando, grumbling like a hungry beast in wait at the end of that colossal river. All the characters feel in place, and capture the messages and themes perfectly: “There was plenty of madness to go around”. As mentioned, Duvall’s brave, funny general is a light release to the taught, raw drama proposed as we set off into the jungle, the atmosphere absorbing us and taking us along for the hellish ride. “Charlie doesn’t surf!” and “I love the smell of Napalm in the morning” among his most memorable and odd lines, as well as his forgetting of the brave, wounded enemy on the knowledge a famous surfer is accompanying Sheen. Sheen himself expresses all his pent up fears and desperations in that shocking opening, blisteringly intense- and his subdued torment is seen thereafter as they progress through the depths of the fierce fauna. The mirror of his entering into Kurtz’s camp and Dante’s progression into the gates of hell is not lost- and shows just how mentally twisted he is. Speaking of mentally twisted, despite Brando’ suicidal diva off-screen, his bumbling but meaningful colonel-gone-mad challenges our morality and spirituality, and shows just how far over the precipice a great man can fall- especially in wars like this. Finally, I must say the film is gorgeous. The production nightmare in freak weather wrecking the set in the Philippines is well worth it for the beautiful juxtaposition of deep oranges and reds, of sunset or napalm, to the harsh but lush jungle. The filter just gives off such raw images and genuine effects (keep in mind this was 1979) that bring the experience to life. The slower pacing and shooting really lets the beauty of the images sink in, whereas modern films may skip such inspiring shots. The door’s soundtrack fits the images perfectly, and the oft psycadellic score pierces the imagination even in the most quiet moments- showing these traumatised men cannot find peace even in areas of silence and tranquillity. The ending is thought-provoking, and certainly left an emotional effect on me- in the harshness of war, and how much I despise what it does to people. Anything but escapist, it takes you out of this world, and draws you into one even more nightmarish, but still is ‘enjoyable’ and compelling throughout. Overall, much like Taxi Driver, despite its twisted protagonist, grisly visuals and somewhat nightmarish mental dissections, it makes its mark on film cannon, and is a war classic if there ever was one.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:00:16 +0000
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