APOCALYPSE NOW and HEARTS OF DARKNESS
A film review by Kevin Wayte
Copyright 1993 Kevin Wayte
Movie fans: you know how we all have that list of "EPIC" motion pictures that stand out as milestones--STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, RETURN OF THE JEDI, etc., etc.--those god-like hallowed movies that we still buy or rent in video form still today, even though they were made in the 1970s or early 1980s.
One movie that most forget or overlook to add to their epic-movie-list is APOCALYPSE NOW. This movie, in my opinion, is the greatest piece of true cinematography in the past twenty-five years. I have seen it over thirty times, and currently own the special remastered version of the movie on VHS, which should be available at your local video store. This version is presented in letterbox format, for the full widescreen view of the original negatives.
I don't know where to start in describing this gem of a movie. All of my friends have been invited to my viewings of APOCALYPSE NOW, and all leave in awe. Nobody believes this movie existed and they had not seen or heard of it! First off, the movie is two hours and twenty minutes long. The director is none other than the *god*, Francis Ford Coppola. The movie was made in 1979 (although it looks better than a 90's movie) Main actors are Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando, Larry Fishburne, Sam Bottoms, and little cameo appearances by Harrison Ford and Francis Coppola himself! The whole picture took over years years to make!!! The movie won Best Sound and Best Cinematography at the 1980 Academy Awards. It was nominated for eight other categories, too!
Now for the story!
Based on the novel THE HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad, the movie is set in the Vietnam war zone. A young US army captain (Sheen) is ordered to travel up the Vietnam river into Cambodia to assassinate the US army's best commander (who has gone insane and has a tribe that worships him). The length of the movie covers the entire adventure to get to this commander, whose name is Kurtz (Brando). Many strange encounters are everywhere on the journey, and the movie never has a dull moment--actually quite *far* from being dull. The eventual arrival at the location of Kurtz brings more suspense as we finally get to meet this twisted man, who makes Anthony Hopkins's character in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS look like a wimp. Heavy philosophy for the viewer, as the meaning of the entire picture pinnacles. The ending speaks for itself, and I won't reveal it here.
Get a fairly large TV, hook your VCR to a big stereo, put out the lights, invite your friends, crank it up, and get ready to blow your mind with the most awesome photography, acting, and cinematography you have ever seen!!!
Then:
There is a 1990s movie called HEARTS OF DARKNESS which is a two-hour documentary on the making of APOCALYPSE NOW (which took two and a half years). This movie in itself, a documentary, received 4 stars from every review I have seen. And yes, I have seen this one over fifteen times. It's the best thing to watch Apocalypse and then HEARTS OF DARKNESS right after it. An evening of cinematography you will never forget.
Movie fans--I mean you true down-and-dirty ones--these two pics are a must! They are *huge*! Makes TERMINATOR 2 look like computer-generated candy. These two films are epic movies in the classic sense of true giant-scale filming. You'll see.
- Kevin Wayte 901430w@dragon.acadiau.ca
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