Apocalypse Now

Name: Apocalypse Now
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Released: August 15, 1979
Duration: 153 min
Rating: 94
Cast: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen

1979

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 727 Ratings

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8.8

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8.8	User Score Universal acclaim based on 727 Ratings

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Apocalypse Now

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: August 15, 1979 | R

Starring: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen

Summary: During the Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Genre(s): Action, Drama, War

Rating: R

Runtime: 153 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Dale Pollock

Apocalypse Now was worth the wait. Alternately a brilliant and bizarre film, Francis Coppola’s four year ‘work in progress’ offers the definitive validation to the old saw, “war is hell.” Read full review

100

Jay Scott

Movies have always been - at their most extravagantly appealing, sensually exciting and rationally disturbing-pieces of art with the power to bypass our defences. A few times in the history of movies, one caught glimpses of a power that could turn the screen experience into a hallucinatory celebration of irrationality, of pure feeling, and even, perhaps, of insanity. Apocalypse Now goes further in that direction more successfully than any movie ever has. [21 May 1979]

100

Roger Ebert

Remember the weird beauty of the massed helicopters lifting over the trees in the long shot, and the insane power of Wagner's music, played loudly during the attack, and you feel what Coppola was getting at: Those moments as common in life as art, when the whole huge grand mystery of the world, so terrible, so beautiful, seems to hang in the balance. Read full review

100

The Telegraph Marc Lee

It is mystical, daring, poetic, thrilling, appalling and never less than utterly mesmerising. Read full review

100

New Times (L.A.) Gregory Weinkauf

Coppola and Murch have balanced their new edit with grace notes of sweetness, elegance and eroticism, and the payoff is grand, providing both a reprieve from the multiple blitzkriegs and a break in the monotony of the cruise up the Nung. Read full review

100

William Arnold

As powerful as the movie remains and as much as I enjoyed this new cut, I have to say that the additional footage -- material that Coppola felt he had to excise 20 years ago to reach a commercial length -- has turned out to be something of a mixed blessing. Read full review

Gary Arnold

The finished film remains a mess of tangled, turgid continuity and florid, mock-operatic style -- at best a collection of production numbers and set pieces waiting in rain for a story capable of accumulating suspense and meaning. Read full review

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User Reviews

IainF

Feb 26, 2009

Best film ever made. Simple as that. The effect it has on your emotions, one minute you're smiling and laughing along, then it will suddenly skip to silence, and death, and horror... The horror. You can't miss this one.

7 of 9 users found this helpful

ValeraBahley

Jan 2, 2020

Wow. Apocalypse Now is the only movie, that evoked such a wide specter of emotions. I would say it is rather long, not slow, as it fells like a completely holistic picture without unnecessary elements. Consider watching the 3:15 hour long "redux" version not to miss a sing.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DoyleH.

Jun 24, 2007

I was only disappointed that the movie ended. I could have watched hours more. The added scenes were all outstanding especially the additional Kilgore material. Even more than Platoon, it sums up my own Vietnam experience. Now where's Hearts of Darkness?

0 of 0 users found this helpful

gracjanski

Mar 29, 2022

Classic anti war movie, that focus on the destroyed psychos of the soldiers. Sometimes the scenes are too long, but some are legendary. There are many top and famous actors also (did you recognize Laurence Fishborne?).

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

kman5473

Jul 10, 2017

This film is filled with so many visual metaphors that it will make your head spin. There is so much depth, and meticulous craft that overwhelms and intoxicates you as you watch. In some ways, this film isn't about the Vietnam War at all and is really just about how deep in the bowls ofThis film is filled with so many visual metaphors that it will make your head spin. There is so much depth, and meticulous craft that overwhelms and intoxicates you as you watch. In some ways, this film isn't about the Vietnam War at all and is really just about how deep in the bowls of one's one subconscious one must dig to really figure out if they're insane or not. And even then, it's left answered ambiguously strengthening your feeling of unresolve.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

amheretojudge

Sep 24, 2019

To what extent should you go to tell your story or finish your work? Francis says, hands down forty years to just begin with.

Apocalypse Now Francis Ford Coppola might possibly the only director whose multiple films come under hot debates like, "Which film should be considered the bestTo what extent should you go to tell your story or finish your work? Francis says, hands down forty years to just begin with.

Apocalypse Now

Francis Ford Coppola might possibly the only director whose multiple films come under hot debates like, "Which film should be considered the best among the entire cinematic history?" It goes without saying that Apocalypse Now is a top contender. And not for the amount of work that went just in production and post production- the editing factor is still the most changingly controversial aspect of the film, there have been three versions where actually none of them matches the huge length of the original shot. Leaving all those post success debates behind, the film in its entirety is a battle for sure; mind you, I am taking all the versions into account and also no matter what I say, some of this or all of this has already been said about this classic over the years and even generations.

The film communicates the threat of the battle by challenging its audience first and foremost. And you'd think that it is not fair, since the film is the one with the voice and the stage. Francis even describes this unfair advantage in the narration by changing the perspective of the viewers about war. And the horror strikes you then, when you realize how easy the war was.

How Francis has crafted the most sinister deeds easily accessible. The chilling sound effects of the helicopter is your secondary concern, the primary is its ability to mask itself as God and snatch the basic rights of a civilization. Another thing to note here is how the terror of war is not only expressed as a form of an attack but a defence mechanism too. The most natural instinct is burned to an infernal excuse to breathe. Easily, the film is not for everyone. It makes you think how completely different certificate should be allowed to such classics.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

FranKenweenie

Dec 26, 2017

this movies was unbelievably slow and long i got sleepy half of the movie marlon brando was just money grabbing **** ,of course this get so much praise because it's the godfather film's director ,the title of movie should have been "drunk american got crazy"

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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