Apocalypse Now
Directed by Francis Ford CoppolaAt the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.
Apocalypse Now Ratings & Reviews
- Sun King1d agoIt's the definitive Vietnam War movie.
- ርልዪረFebruary 23, 2025Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Classic - Apocalypse Now, is a dark, ambiguous reflection on the insanity inflicted by the Vietnam War. Having been fortunate enough to have watched the final cut in cinemas, I have to say Apocalypse Now is truly an experience like none other. Its hard to pin down what makes the movie so extraordinary; whether its the impressively put together sets (particularly during the flight of the Valkyries), the breathtaking shots of silhouetted figures in the dark of the jungle, or even the phenomenal use of 'The End' by The Doors at both the beginning and the end of the film. Roughly six months after initial viewing I decided to watch 'Hearts of Darkness', a documentary on the infamous shooting of the movie shot by Coppola's wife Eleanor. It gave me some insight into the chaos that occurred during filming, and the madness that ensued. Martin Sheen, who played Captain Willard, badly wounded his hand upon accidentally breaking the mirror upon shooting the first scene. Drunk and drenched his blood, he then continued to act out the scene in a much more convincing manner that brought out the insanity and misery the of actor and character alike. This is one of the many examples of how each of the members of the cast gradually completely lost their minds, and as a result, were absolutely phenomenal. Even Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper, who are only introduced in the final act of the film, really give it their all. The dialogue in the film (and also the monologues from Sheen), is also fantastic and really gives you a solid understanding of each of the characters. For example; Lt. Colonel Kilgore (played by Robert Duvall), is an insane, reckless warmongering leader who amongst the screams of dying Vietnamese innocents, can only think about whether or not the waves are suitable for surfing. His heartless insensitive attitude is summed up really well by the line "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning", although to my understanding Duvall came up with that line himself. Unfortunately there are a few issues I find with film. The most recent cuts of the movie have added a notable amount of new footage, most of which is great, but I find issue with the whole French family sequence. The idea was to show that despite the fact the war is going on, some people still refuse to accept it, and due to their stubborn nature, dismiss the idea of leaving the country. I understand the sentiment, and that Coppola put a lot of effort into creating these scenes (which is probably why he added it back), but the fact is that they aren't that interesting and completely break up the pacing. However I won't let that detract from the overall score, as this issue isn't present in the theatrical release. Apocalypse Now, is in my opinion nothing short of a masterpiece. Thanks to its haunting narrative, exceptional acting, impressive sets, extraordinary pacing, fantastic use of music and beautiful cinematography, it has become one of if not my favorite move of all time.
- Kristian DiamantisOctober 18, 2025Excellent movie, marred a little bit by an underwhelming last act.
- burner_account_official7d agoPerfection on every level. Essential coming of age film. Flawless performances by all involved and beautifully directed.
- รҡ૨אρƭเ∂March 2, 2025As someone who considers myself an amateur film aficionado it's incredibly rare and even more refreshing to get an opportunity to watch a film of this caliber for the first time at my age. Somehow this film slipped through the cracks and took almost 40 years to make it to my television screen. Like a piece of your favorite discontinued candy lost to the back of your freezer only to turn up ten years later and defrost back to a perfectly preserved piece of time, I savored every moment in watching this knowing the rarity of this unprecedented occurrence. Chock full of some of the artforms greatest contributors in their prime and at their best. These icons act out a historical film of historical relevance yet still manage to stay free of bounds to any particular format. The storyline is unpredictably satisfying with unforgettable scenery and moments. Something like Forest Gump with a bad batch of psychedelic mushrooms 🍄. One of the best films I have every watched. A True American Classic ,Bravo! 👏 9.3/10
- CineMonoNovember 20, 2025I'm increasingly convinced Coppola is not a good director. The Redux cut is IMO does not enhance the story. The addition of the plantation scenes stall the narrative, and while perhaps offering a interesting aside to the colonialism of Vietnam by the French it's placement in the timeline is awkward. It's a stumble right before the crescendo that's been building for 2 hours.
- SnakeDecember 7, 2025One of the best Vietnam movies. Shows a lot of the reasons we could not win that war, and why we needed out of it. All war is senseless, but Vietnam was ludicrous. Shows one mixed up man's view. He wanted to do his duty, but was questioning what he was ordered to do.
- Elliot047December 4, 2025I don’t think i’ll watch this movie again.
- NotoriousEdgeNovember 9, 2025Francis Ford Coppola guides the viewer through his hellish version of Vietnam in a fantastic and captivating master piece.
- Alex SwingeMay 6, 2025Greatest movie of all time. Ever. Of all time.
- .LAGApril 27, 2025The horror of a man descending into the heart of madness, in order for him to kill someone who's already arrived there is sad and depressing, but shot beautifully.
- gatsby808April 19, 2025An instant classic which gets better with time!
- cferacoSeptember 14, 2025“The horror. The horror.” Kurtz’s final words aren’t just about war they’re about the human soul when all the lights go out. Apocalypse Now strips away every illusion of order until you’re left with pure chaos, blood, and madness. It’s the exact opposite of Home Alone. There, Kevin sets booby traps and laughs as the bad guys fall into paint cans. Here, Willard floats upriver into a world where the traps are real, the screams don’t stop, and no one gets back home the same. Like George Jung in Blow or Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights, Willard’s journey is about finding out that what you wanted, clarity, purpose, victory is never what you imagined. Sometimes the mission ends, but the darkness stays.
- kitaro654June 25, 2025Excellent movie! This movie is an all time classic, whether you watch the original or remastered. My friends and I grew up with this movie as one of our all time favorites! Sit back, enjoy and appreciate the masterful cinematography of this classic and the actual, deep, meaning of the content!!!
- Donald NelsonJune 4, 2025Great movie. I first saw it back in 1998. It’s long but it’s good.
Apocalypse Now Trivia
Apocalypse Now was released on August 15, 1979.
Apocalypse Now was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Apocalypse Now has a runtime of 3 hr 15 min.
Apocalypse Now was produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
The key characters in Apocalypse Now are Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen), Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), Jay 'Chef' Hicks (Frederic Forrest).
Apocalypse Now is rated R.
Apocalypse Now is a Drama, War, Mystery film.
Apocalypse Now has an audience rating of 9.4 out of 10.