“Apocalypse Now” has long been known as a staple in American cinema. So often, films romanticize the perils of war. This 1979 film does anything but that.
The film opens amidst the Vietnam War in 1969. We meet Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) as he receives his mission to take out Colonel Walter Kurtz, (Marlon Brando) who has seemingly gone rogue. Willard joins the crew of a Navy river patrol boat in order to get close to Kurtz.
Director, co-writer and producer Francis Ford Coppola poises this film more as character study, as opposed to one driven by plot. The plot itself is really as simple as can be. You won’t find any sort of b-storyline in this movie. It’s a journey from point A to point B.
But what makes the journey worth it is the stunning performances in this film. Sheen leads the cast as the protagonist and narrator. He plays the role with a quiet agony. The audience can see that Willard has already been broken by the war. However, his long stretches of voiceover narration in the film lessen his performance ever so slightly. The constant narration breaks the cardinal rule of “show, don’t tell.” If we had learned more of Willard’s inner thoughts and feelings simply through Sheen’s performance, it would have been far more effective.
Sheen’s jaded soldier is a hauntingly beautiful juxtaposition to the greener soldiers in “Apocalypse Now.” The younger and more inexperienced soldiers in this film view the military more as a fun brotherhood. But once they witness the tragedies and horror of war, their spirits slowly start to break – just as Willard’s already has. Anger and devastation shines through in these moments.
“Apocalypse Now,” was nominated for a handful of Oscars, and even managed to win a few. However, the real miss here was no nomination for Brando’s tortured Kurtz. As he is given his mission, Willard learns that Kurtz has apparently gone mad. He commands a troop of Montagnard who have elevated him to a god-like status. Willard comes face-to-face with Kurtz in the final act of the film. Brando’s performance is chilling and stunning at the same time.
One of the most memorable moments of the film is Brando monologuing for a solid five minutes, at least. Brando’s face, partially obstructed by shadow, fills up about 3/4 of the screen as he delivers the monologue. It is a bold and beautiful shot. “Apocalypse Now” is filled to the brim with these bold and beautiful shots, which is why it took home the Oscar for ‘Best Cinematography.’
“Apocalypse Now” turned 40 years old this year, and it is still one that should not be missed.
