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Apocalypse Now (1979)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 3/04, 6/07, 8/15

ApoC
6/07: I'm sure there's a debate when it comes to which Vietnam War picture is better: Apocalypse Now or Platoon.

Honestly, they're both outstanding with each having a different feel. Platoon focuses on reality while Apocalypse Now is surreal. The performances are excellent, but it's Martin Sheen as the witness who makes the biggest difference. It's also hard to forget how special Robert Duvall is as Wild Bill Kilgore.

Meanwhile, it's a director-driven picture with many beautiful special effects. The Doors' song "The End" at the beginning is perfect. So is "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner.

All in all, Apocalypse Now is among the best films of the decade as it tops madness with more madness.

8/15: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

That's what Apocalypse Now is about: the exploration of insanity during the journey toward the heart of darkness. Sometimes, I think it's about the deterioration of Marlon Brando's mind. That being said, each character makes a valid case of being the most insane.

The performances are outstanding. The standouts are Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, and Marlon Brando who's effective with shadows to add more to the surreal look. Some of the lines are unforgettable:

"You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

"The horror...the horror..."

"You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill."

"Charlie don't surf!"

"I've seen horrors...horrors that you've seen."

"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, Captain, then it's safe to surf this beach! I mean, I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'll surf this whole fucking place!"

"The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like victory. Someday this war's gonna end."

All in all, Apocalypse Now is a bona fide cinema masterpiece.