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Francis Ford Coppola surely is one of the biggest names in movie history and I am totally aware of that fact. However, something kept me delaying from watching his masterpieces such as Godfather or Bram Stoker’s Dracula Dracula. So, for a long time, I only knew his great reputation but that’s all about it.
Then Apocalypse Now Redux came one ordinary day in the mail. I didn’t even choose for that. It was my husband but I watched it anyway. I finally understand why Coppola is considered one of the best director of all time.
It started with such a disturbing scene. The half naked Martin Sheen appeared on the screen, seemed drunk and… disturbed. He was very young, but it made sense because this is such an OLD movie. From IMDB, I learned it was made on 1979 (the year I was born), so it was almost 30 years ago!
Sheen played as Captain Benjamin L. Willard. During his “hangover” moment somewhere in Saigon, some armies entered his small room and told him that there was a secret mission to Cambodia waiting for him.
My first reaction was how come army would sent an insane guy to lead a mission that supposed to be dangerous, so secret that if something went wrong it would consider never happened.
Then it became clear. The mission seemed as crazy as Willard himself. In fact, towards the end of the movie that Willard was so normal compare to Colonel Kurtz.
Kurts was THE target of his mission. Willard had to find him then kill him. He learned that there had been previous mission that failed miserably, when the leader of that mission decided to join with Kurtz instead.
With Kurtz files on his hand, Willard (and the audience of course) learned that Kurtz seemed like a perfect soldier with a great track records. What made this guy dangerous? Why he need to be killed? Although the most important fact was what makes he had so many followers now?
Kurtz was played by Marlon Brando. However, don’t expect to see him THAT soon. It will take a while before the audience finally get a chance to see this character.
The trip to find Kurtz are so fascinating. There was scene where Willard met this eccentric photojournalist played brilliantly almost with no flaw by Dennis Hopper, partying with American troops in some based down the river while watching the performance of some Playmate of the year, or the simple conversation between Willard and his crew (one of them played by a very young Laurence Fishburne).
But of course the scene that everyone waited the most is how Willard met Kurtz. The only thing I say that I could see why Coppola choose Brando to played Kurtz. He is one of the most fascinating character ever brought to screen. Charming but cruel at the same time. I personally think he was creepier than Hannibal Lecter.
All I can say is prepare with such a disturbing scene. Soon I learned that one of those scene not made by special effects or with dummies, but it was real. I won’t mention which but it surely why this movie not on PETA’s list of favorite movies. Of course the big question was about Willard’s mission. Will he be able to kill Kurtz? Or instead join forces with him?
I got the same feeling watching this movie as I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey. Perfect movie although you need to have a really fresh mind to be able to enjoy and appreciate such long movies.
Just like “2001″ dared to show off their capability in making such a “High Tech” movies where the technology as not as advance nowadays, so did this one.
I always thought that Saving Private Ryan was the most war detailed war setting movie, but now I have to put this movie along the list, probably even higher consider it was made at 1979.

More to come: Contact, Porco Rosso, Inside Man, Miracle Mile and Memento.