Apocalypse Now (1979)

The horror. The horror. This week we're going upriver for Apocalypse Now (1979) — Francis Ford Coppola's hallucinatory, operatic, psychologically devastating Vietnam War epic that is simultaneously one of the greatest films ever made and the product of one of the most chaotic, dangerous, nearly fatal film productions in Hollywood history. This is the movie Coppola said wasn't about Vietnam — it was Vietnam. And watching it, you believe him.Written by Coppola and John Milius with narration by Michael Herr and loosely adapted from Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, the film follows Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), a haunted Special Forces officer sent on a secret mission deep into Cambodia to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) — a once-brilliant, heavily decorated officer who has gone rogue and set himself up as a god in the jungle. Robert Duvall delivers one of the greatest supporting performances in cinema history as the surf-obsessed Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. Dennis Hopper lurks in the shadows as a crazed photojournalist. A 14-year-old Laurence Fishburne is on the patrol boat. Harrison Ford is barely in it and impossible to forget.We're going deep on all of it: the Ride of the Valkyries helicopter attack sequence that remains one of the most overwhelming spectacles ever put on film, Vittorio Storaro's stunning, award-winning cinematography, Walter Murch's revolutionary sound design, and the extraordinary — truly extraordinary — production nightmare behind the film. Brando arrived on set overweight and completely unprepared, having not read Heart of Darkness. Martin Sheen suffered a near-fatal heart attack on location. Typhoons destroyed million-dollar sets. Real human corpses were accidentally purchased from a grave robber, triggering a police investigation. The Philippine military kept recalling their helicopters mid-shoot to fight actual rebel groups. The film was originally intended to be directed by George Lucas as a faux documentary shot on location in Vietnam while the war was still happening — a fact so staggering it deserves its own episode. We're also digging into the three cuts of the film — the original theatrical release, Redux, and the Final Cut — and asking which version is definitive.This is a film about the end of something. The end of American innocence. The end of the myth of civilization. The end of the idea that there is a line between us and the darkness. We're asking whether Apocalypse Now is the greatest war film ever made — and whether it's even a war film at all.Whether you're a Coppola devotee, a Vietnam War cinema enthusiast, a Marlon Brando admirer, a Robert Duvall fan, a lover of New Hollywood cinema, a Conrad reader, a Hearts of Darkness documentary watcher, or just someone who believes cinema should be an experience that physically shakes you — this episode is essential.Topics covered: Apocalypse Now 1979 | Francis Ford Coppola | Marlon Brando | Martin Sheen | Robert Duvall | Laurence Fishburne | Dennis Hopper | Harrison Ford | Colonel Kurtz | Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore | Heart of Darkness adaptation | best war films ever made | best films ever made | Vietnam War films | New Hollywood cinema | Vittorio Storaro cinematography | Walter Murch sound design | Ride of the Valkyries scene | production hell | Hearts of Darkness documentary | George Lucas original director | Martin Sheen heart attack | Palme d'Or winner | best Coppola films | Godfather vs Apocalypse Now | Apocalypse Now Redux | Apocalypse Now Final Cut | movie review podcast | film analysis | best movie endings | horror quote | Joseph Conrad | best cinematography ever | most ambitious films ever madeSubscribe, rate, and leave us a review — and settle the debate that has raged since 1979: which cut of Apocalypse Now is definitive? And does the ending stick the landing, or does the journey matter more than the destination?YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@RegularorMentholContact us: [email protected]