Apocalypse Now (1979) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!!

Apocalypse Now (1979)
I love the smell of napalm in the morning!
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This video is for commentary and criticism only and is not a replacement for watching Apocalypse Now
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.
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[@TBRSchmitt]

A stunning movie that took Sam and I in a direction we absolutely did not expect! We will definitely be digesting this movie for awhile! Thank you all for your support!

[@baronnishi641]

This movie has a making of documentary called 'Hearts of Darkness' which is almost as interesting as the movie itself. Getting this movie made was an absolute trauma.

[@lauce3998]

This movie isn't for everyone. It's not entertainment, it's something deeper, it goes beyond the war...

[@DaBlueMonster]

WATCH THE REDUX version. The Studio cut the French Rubber plantation scene to keep the length down, but they chopped the most important part of the film out. It’s a lot of dialogue, with thick French accents, but you get to meet the ultimate contrast to Kurtz’s character and the madness of war. I don’t want to ruin it for you. You just need to see how Coppola meant to edit his film. 💯👍🏻👍🏻

[@goochdawg]

@@DaBlueMonster Yup I seen that version as well. Also back in the Vietnam war as movies go they don't show that alot of soldiers were under the influence of drugs as well etc.

[@shanenolan8252]

Vietnam war movie best is plaoon by Oliver stone started Charlie sheen son of Martin sheen from this , paths to glory by Stanley Kubrick which is more of an anti war movie, but 60s British war movie Zulu started Michael Caine in his first role , a single British company guarding a hospital are attacked by a African Zulu tribal army, an army that had wiped out the main British army in south Africa that mourning, its genius, Zulu, Peter Jackson used it as inspiration for the battle of helns deep in the two towers.

[@dudermcdudeface3674]

Kilgore is meant as a contrast with Kurtz. He's what the military considers "sane", while he annihilates a village just so he can get access to good surfing. But they consider Kurtz "insane" for avoiding entire battles by killing a handful of spies.

[@MrBendylaw]

Tony Po allegedly once sent a boxful of ears to his superiors when they questioned his killcounts, and they found this gesture distasteful and not at all proper.

[@ThePartisan13]

They didn't want him dead because of him killing spies tho, they wanted him dead because he was releasing photos of his atrocities. Up until that point, they didn't care.

[@MrBendylaw]

@@ThePartisan13 That makes sense. But, if they claimed 'bad press' as the reason for his recall, don't you think it somewhat likely it was also that feeling of completely losing control over a situation? Appeals to 'appearance' and the sanitization of ugly facts work like magic on your average reality-insulated supervisor, I've noticed. But a box of rotting ears on a desk has a sort of gritty immediacy to it.

[@ThePartisan13]

@@MrBendylaw This is true. America has always tried to maintain an illusion that its the most civilized/best country on the planet. Hundreds of years of conditioning and terrible acts to bring that goal to fruition. Hell you see that happening now in certain schools, trying to write out that the trail of tears ever happened.

[@ThePartisan13]

@@MrBendylaw There's a power that comes from appearance/illusion. And once you have idealists like Kurtz that are awakened to this and try to spread the truth, well they get dealt with. Not so easy nowadays tho, the internet and cameras make that a bit harder.

[@poetwp975]

“ we train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won’t let them write fuck on their airplanes because it’s obscene” that’s my favorite quote from the film. It shows you how ludicrous and hypocritical war is.

[@IanCaine4728]

Mine too, that's incredibly profound.

[@Leege13]

Mine didn't write fuck on his airplane, but he did have a nude lady on it.

[@bessarion1771]

Akshually, it is not ludicrous or hypocritical. War is a very surgical application of deadly force requiring very young people to exhibit an almost superhuman discipline in a very stressful situations. Therefore, maintaining discipline is VERY important. Military is and always was very careful what it will and will not allow to make sure that discipline is maintain. Yes, it sounds very stupid and stuffy, but it's true regardless. I'm not going to go into details, but I suggest you study a bit military doctrine that explains it rather well. If it works or not is a matter for discussion.

[@poetwp975]

Spoken like true cannon fodder.

[@bessarion1771]

@@poetwp975 cannon fodder ceased to exist in the modern armies with the end of WW I. The trained soldiers (which they have to be today) are way too valuable to be a cannon fodder. Basic training of ONE soldier costs around $24K.

[@rx7dude2006]

The director yelling at Willard to walk by without looking at the camera is Coppola himself.

[@Wired4Life2]

Along with d.p. Vittorio Storaro.

[@lauce3998]

@@Wired4Life2 best cinematography movie ever

[@atti97]

@@lauce3998 oscar winning.

[@darkcornersuk]

Life imitating art imitating life.

[@seandilallo8718]

The cast and crew nearly went insane during the making of this movie, which was filmed in the middle of a civil war in the Philippines. The helicopters they were using were frequently recalled by the government to fight the real war. People were coming down with tropical diseases. At one point a hurricane destroyed all their sets. Real human corpses were purchased from a man who turned out to be a grave-robber, and the crew was then detained by police. The madness was real.

[@Carandini]

I think it was Hopper who was being paid in drugs during this film.

[@joemckim1183]

@@Carandini Harvey Keitel was originally cast in Martin Sheen's role but had to be replaced when he dropped out of the movie after Coppola put him through countless takes of every scene until he had enough of it.

[@nyoodmono4681]

Marin Sheen had a heart attack, they build these temples on their own, they brought in expensive food and champagne.. Just wanted to add that on the list.

[@mattcampbell7669]

​@@joemckim1183 No Francis Ford Coppola fired him.

[@joemckim1183]

@@mattcampbell7669 Well I'm sure that Keitel wasn't upset about it when he had to deal with unending amount of takes while sweltering out in the jungle.

[@chrisguevara]

This is a "war" movie. Where the war is a backdrop for the real story.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Absolutely agree!

[@happyjohn354]

@@TBRSchmitt You should check out the game Spec Ops The Line if you liked this movie it has many similar themes maybe you could do a reaction where you could take turns or she could watch always a treat to watch people react to the twists...

[@BigSleepyOx]

Yes, it's based on the 1899 novel The Heart of Darkness, which takes place on the Congo river. Coppola reset the story to be in Vietnam during the war.

[@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised]

The story is entirely about the horror of war, so not exactly a 'backdrop'.

[@unwhack]

@@TheRevWillNotBeTelevised no. Movies like platoon are about the horrors of war. Apocalypse now is about the horror and darkness within ourselves. It’s about the dark sides of the human condition where there’s not only suffering in war but also lust and pleasure in killing and violence. I recommend the documentation “first kill” for further information.

[@ExUSSailor]

It's based on the novel "Heart of Darkness", by Joseph Conrad. Reading the book will actually help your understanding of the themes of the movie a lot. Also, it's just one of the all time great novels of the English language.

[@GK-yi4xv]

And Conrad was Polish, and didn't even learn English until his twenties!

[@maddog502]

Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski

[@SterileNeutrino]

Yes it is

[@davidw.2791]

This book and film is a dazzling example on how you can change some big things and still have the adaptation be faithful. Early 1900s Belgian Congo [ETA thank you commenter, I really meant Congo Free State] (one of the shittiest, evilest colonies ever run, even contemporary Europeans from other colonial empires called it out) vs 1960s Vietnam

[@SterileNeutrino]

There is actually a french comic depicting Konrad's peregrinations in the Belgian Congo called "Kongo: Le ténébreux voyage de Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski" as well as a comic adaptation of "Heart of Darkness" appropriately called "Au coeur des ténébres" by Miquel & Godart. Time to exercise my french skills.

[@allyourmoney]

The dream of the snail crawling on a razor's edge sums up Kurtz's dilemma: To be a conquering hero you have to embrace terror without losing yourself in it. In the end it drove him insane.

[@jacobjones5269]

That was the point Conrad was trying to make, yes, and the movie does an excellent job with it.. However, Conrad’s finer point is a snail cannot crawl along the edge of a straight razor, just as a main cannot become death and remain sane..

[@ramudon2428]

@@jacobjones5269 A snail can do that.

[@no_rubbernecking]

Here is the real dilemma of Viet Nam and the film: you had two sides, one socialist and one capitalist. Both sides claimed to represent democracy, but neither side truly did. The Western position was that as long as the majority voted for a government, that government would rule. Then when the majority voted for socialism, they canceled the election, calling it by definition illegitimate. Just proving themselves to be hypocrites and liars. When the Soviet-supported socialists go to war to defend, interestingly, the freedom of an independent people determining their own government, and the principle of majority rule, the West invades with a conquering force, claiming the mantle of popular legitimacy. When they begin to lose the war, they target civilians including women and children by the hundreds of thousands, reasoning par Leninist excellence that the ends justify the means. So the ultimate point of the film is that the people running the show are the most insane characters in the entire story. They aren't just on the wrong side, by their _own_ standards. They've descended so far that they're prepared to kill the entire country as preferable to admitting defeat. And they're so far gone that they can no longer see the obvious fact that the loss of every Vietnamese person would be both the ultimate military defeat, and the ultimate act of mindless, pointless slaughter.

[@BlueSummers101]

IMO this film isn't really a war film as the actual 'war' is always in the background when compared to other films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill etc. This film is more about a journey into madness. The further away from 'society' they go, the further into insanity they get. It's also worth pointing out that a lot of the visual style as well as the underlining tone of ultimate madness was taken from a Werner Herzog classic called Aguirre, the Wrath of God which is one of my personal favorite films of all time!

[@GF_Baltar]

The hotel room scene at the start of the movie was filmed on Martin Sheen's birthday in 1976. Sheen had already been drinking all day long, so Francis Ford Coppola decided to incorporate his intoxication into the scene; Sheen was so drunk that he actually did cut his hand punching the mirror. Coppola was inclined to stop filming at that point, but Sheen insisted on keeping the cameras rolling to "wrestle with his demons". The raw unedited footage is intense: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hafCiZlsopqGnLc

[@GK-yi4xv]

Mixed feelings about that scene. One of the few issues I have with the film is how improbably 'soft and unimposing' Sheen is physically compared to the character he's playing - a hardened military killer. That scene in his underwear in front of the mirror just calls extra attention to it, imo. He looks more ridiculous than threatening.

[@MortPure]

@@GK-yi4xv Lots of hardened military killers look like regular dudes. Especially in that era. Watch Conan if you wanna see male muscles.

[@michaeldavidfigures9842]

@@GK-yi4xv If you think Martin Sheen doesn't look the part, you should check out the story of Carlos Hatchcock the deadliest sniper of the Viet Nam era. He looks like a very ordinary fellow. That avg. (almost geeky looking) podunk hillbilly from Arkansas had 93 confirmed kills plus dozens of unconfirmeds. A lot closer to Matthew Modeine in Full Metal Jacket than what your imaginary assassin must look like. He is what a real killer looks like.

[@GK-yi4xv]

@@michaeldavidfigures9842 Sure, snipers don't need muscles (maybe even a hindrance). Though Sheen wasn't playing a sniper (and didn't even use a gun to kill his target). (That's kind of the point - even stripped of his weapon, as he was, he needed to be able to 'get the job done', even by hand if necessary.) Obviously, real military killers don't look like Swarzenegger. but the scene where he appears to be trying to do just that - pose like a 'martial arts bad-ass' in front of the mirror, achieves the very opposite effect. It makes him look soft and weak and ridiculous (having nothing to do with his drunkenness). Somewhere between the two, there's a happy (and more likely) medium. Sheen did a fine job generally, but I would have chosen another way to emphasize his psychic pain and resulting alcoholism, one that didn't so highlight his main limitation in that role.

[@GK-yi4xv]

Interestingly, Harvey Keitel was the original Willard, and was cut, in part, because Coppola thought he seemed too much the 'action-only tough guy', whereas Sheen had a more thoughtful, observant air (even down to having wider eyes than Keitel!)

[@hongfang2508]

The End by The Doors is a perfect opening song

[@Ozai75]

Lawrence Fishburne was 14 when he got hired (He lied about his age to get on the film) and because of the troubled production he was *17* by the time filming ended.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Wow that’s wild! Took me awhile to recognize him!

[@JH-lo9ut]

And Dennis Hopper got him hooked on heroin.

[@quietman71]

6:08 "I feel like this is definitely gonna down some weird rabbit hole type of craziness." Oh, you had no idea, did you.

[@Curraghmore]

You mentioned having watched 'Full Metal Jacket' before this was recommended next, and there's a connection between the two films. At 11:25 in your video, the chopper pilot in the dawn attack on the village talking into his radio was R. Lee Ermey, the same guy who played the unforgettable drill instructor in 'Full Metal Jacket'.

[@krxahfb]

My father served in Vietnam and stated that this movie did the best job of capturing the mood/mindset of being their. Wanting to be home when you were over there and not being able to reintegrate with society when you were home also the scene at the bridge, it was rough.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

One of the greatest "Trips" you could ever take... without being on drugs. The reaction was spot on.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Hahaha very good description of the movie!

[@ryanhampson673]

As a Iraq and Afghanistan vet I can say, war is a strange surreal place. Surfing while being shelled, waterskiing behind a patrol craft, weird stuff like this happens...To those that are there everyone tries to normalize what’s happening around them..It’s a surreal, strange, horrible and sometimes in a weird way fun experience. Not to sound cliche but if you haven’t been you can never truly know.

[@OneVoiceMore]

So, was there a lot of surfing and water-skiing in landlocked desert countries? I'd like to see pics.

[@Constable.Chauvin]

​@@OneVoiceMoreyou weren't there man!

[@OneVoiceMore]

@@Constable.Chauvin I asked a question BECAUSE I wasn't there. I wouldn't have gone into Iraq, anyway, tool. I simply asked, because I don't believe these stolen valor morons.

[@Tipi83]

​@@OneVoiceMore Clearly you missed the message...

[@OneVoiceMore]

@@Tipi83 Nah, I recognized it as bullshit. Sit down.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

"Hey, soldier! Do you know who's in command, here?" "Yeah." That line haunts me. Three guesses who...

[@billhicks6449]

Even the look he gives him after answering. Like he should already know who's in charge.... As the lighting goes in and out.

[@billhicks6449]

@@Mr.Ekshin no friend, they were in Hell, and the Devil was dealing the cards.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@billhicks6449 you get me

[@georgemorley1029]

Especially guess number three - which is nobody.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@georgemorley1029 You expect too little, in my opinion

[@PaulBradshawMedia]

This is probably now my favourite reaction channel: an intelligent, articulate couple who’s reactions are truly genuine and who’s film selections are choices are (almost always) excellent. Well done, you both come across so well 🙌

[@SterileNeutrino]

But they have to go easier on the Valleyspeak patterns 😅

[@RETNASCANZ]

It just dawned on me that "Apocalypse Now" is a horror movie

[@jasonm8017]

The Horror..the horror……..the horror

[@mimikurtz4061]

Enton Boothe. It must be comforting to have a ready made simple pidgeon hole for it.

[@rojopo1971]

They keep getting picked off, then the climax

[@josephtome3770]

I saw this film at least six times in theaters when it was first released, including once in a foreign country. In the original theatrical version, the end credits roll over scenes of an airstrike on the temple complex, massive explosions lighting up the dark jungle night. So, at the end, Capt. Willard does call in the airstrike. For a greater understanding of the film's meaning, read the source material: Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, which Orson Welles and others tried to make into a film - and failed. The depths of this film are infinite. The horror, the horror!

[@marknewton6984]

In Conrad's book Marlowe (Willard) survived and lives to tell the tale. Also is the"Intended" really War?

[@ericjohnson9623]

Coppola has said that the footage was simply meant to be the filmmakers destroying the set and having something exciting if there had to be end credits (it was Coppola's preference that it had none). That people thought the airstrike was called in is why any version that does have end credits now has a black screen instead.

[@marknewton6984]

@@ericjohnson9623 I actually prefer the bombing at the end. So do most of the people who saw the original 1979.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The film I saw in Britain way back then had no credits, just a brochure, and ended with a fade-out to black after a series of lap-dissolves of the temple, Sheen and the boat. The last moments of the film are darkness and rain falling; no music. No start or end credits. Later, saw it on TV, and the explosions of the temple being destroyed with some credits were tacked on after silence.

[@shainewhite2781]

9:53, they used the exact same shot in Kong Skull island as an Homage to Apocalypse Now.

[@Wired4Life2]

Which is why I love _Kong: Skull Island_ so much. ^_^

[@andrewwright9378]

And then we did it again and again just the same to innocent Iraqis and Afghanis. But in between we made some films and felt guilty for a few years, so that’s alright, eh?

[@hordaland1]

you should watch Platoon starring charlie sheen. it is considered one of the most realistic vietnam war films out there. it is written and directed by Oliver Stone who served in the Vietnam war in the 25th Infantry division and the 1st Cavalry Division. He received 2 Purple hearts, 1 Air Medal and 1 Bronze star with Valour.

[@tonyyul703]

They've seen it..... Look through their channel

[@hordaland1]

​@@tonyyul703 I have and they have not seen it, so maybe you should look through it before commenting.

[@richardb6260]

There's a fantastic documentary about the making of this film titled "Hearts of Darkness". We learn that Sheen suffered a heart attack while filming the hotel room scene.

[@Flip4910]

Yeah I know he really punched that mirror and was bleeding for real. I know the cow being killed was real as well, some ritual performed by the people that lived there.

[@charlese2714]

And of course the actual book the movie was adapting, Heart of Darkness. Read it in school before ever seeing the movie. Incredible book that is graphic, poignant, and layered in it's intent and themes. Coppola setting his adaptation in the Vietnam War was a masterstroke.

[@georgemorley1029]

@@charlese2714 It’s one of my favourite books.

[@Leege13]

He suffered a heart attack after the scene, but the blood in the scene absolutely was real.

[@orink.1083]

Didn’t his son, Charlie have similar health issues filming “Platoon”?

[@DenCon143]

Chaos... as a Vietnam combat veteran, I can assure you that the chaotic confusion that the movie left you feeling is very close to the chaotic feeling we vets felt during the war... a feeling that we could die at any time, that no one was in control and that nothing, absolutely nothing mattered what we did as there were no consequences for our actions good or bad.

[@miller-joel]

What could possibly go wrong?

[@Dexter-gv4dw]

however, you're all war criminals. All of you. Just like russian forces in Ukraine, just like american forces in Irak and Afganistan, just like serbian soldiers in Yugoslavia and etc.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Kilgore is played by Robert Duvall, considered by many to be a legend in the business. Look up his work, it's worth it! You may remember him as the Consiliari in "The Godfather."

[@paradox5391]

consigliere

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@paradox5391 much obliged!

[@williewilliams6571]

My favorite Duvall film is "Secondhand Lions", first film I saw him in was "To Kill a Mockingbird".

[@greglapointe1311]

@@williewilliams6571 He was pretty good in "Pursuit of D.B. Cooper".

[@gregall2178]

@@williewilliams6571 Hey Boo! Wish they'd react to To Kill A Mockingbird

[@Dacre1000]

Harrison Ford worked quite a bit with Coppola and Lucas before he got big in Star Wars. He has a secondary but important role in Coppolas classic The Conversation and a small role in George Lucas´s American Graffiti.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Yeah, this is a big favorite of mine. Far beyond war, that's just the setting. An existential journey into the nature of morality and humanity.

[@AARONANKRUM]

The search of the sampan was part of the ongoing battle of wills between Capt. Willard and the Chief Petty Officer Philips.

[@sparky6086]

Apocalypse Now is Joseph Conrad's book, "Heart of Darkness" in a Vietnam War setting instead of Africa.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

7:26 -- That's Francis Ford Coppola playing the reporter telling them not to look at the camera. Laurence "Larry" Fishburne was actually 14 when he made this movie. He would go on to play Cowboy Curtis on "Pee Wee's Playhouse." When this was originally shown in theaters, the end credits played over a blazing nocturnal napalm strike on the village. I'm glad you reacted to this version instead of the padded, bloated director's cut.

[@richardb6260]

"Madness" "Bad decisions" "Why are we here?" Well, that's the Vietnam War for you. It's the surrealness of the movie I loved. The deeper you go the more surreal it becomes. BTW, Platoon might be the movie you were expecting with Full Metal Jacket and this film. It's the only film of the three that was made by someone who was actually in the Vietnam War.

[@not.supermario]

This isn't just a movie. It's an experience. First time I got to see it, it was something more than just another war movie. I wish I got to see it in 2019 when it was re-released in IMAX theaters.

[@markhamstra1083]

“…all for surfing…” Not quite. I mean, the point had strategic value, there were Viet Cong with significant weaponry and supplies in the area, villagers cooperating with the VC, etc. All of that would be enough for Kilgore to argue that attacking the point fell within the scope of his orders and the rules of engagement. On the other hand, that was all pretense for what was motivating Kilgore to prioritize taking the point: the surfing. Which is madness. Which is the Vietnam War in Apocalypse Now.

[@GK-yi4xv]

The repeated references to surfers was apparently not accidental. The Southern California 'surfer culture' was supposedly over-represented among US soldiers in Vietnam, or at least they stood out.

[@t.j.payeur5331]

The reason that Kilgore was Authorized to take the point was so that he could drop off a boat at the mouth of the river. The reason that Kilgore Took the point was to go surfing. He was there to drop off the boat, everything else is incidental...

[@stevetheduck1425]

@@GK-yi4xv Confederate flags were popular, too. ;-)

[@conureron3792]

Have you done “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest?” Another classic...and a “crazy” movie. Rollicking ‘fun’, but a depressing ending.

[@marccru]

Every 70's movie had a depressing ending. Even comedies. lol

[@athos1974]

Figured it would take a bit longer to edit this one TBR. Surreal, artistic, confusing, and brilliant all at the same time. A long film that's hard to edit down to the best parts. Good work!

[@TBRSchmitt]

Thank you! Definitely took a little extra time to edit! Some computer crashes didn’t help either lol

[@carty43]

The Redux version did not come out until 20 years later. Turns out the Playboy models had a much bigger part of the original story.

[@wj6604]

The Vietnam War WAS the epitome of chaos and lawlessness, that's one of the reasons why America lost so spectacularly.

[@maceomaceo11]

Wasn't the U.S.'s war. It was Vietnam's Civil War. Kennedy never should have got us involved in the first place. There was no winning or losing in a military sense, the Vietcong were completely overmatched in weaponry and the body count was way more dead Vietcong than American's but that was not the battle. The Vietnamise wanted to stay aligned with China, no amount of military power was going to change that. Why it took 12 years to figure that out falls on our leaders n Washington, not our military.

[@wj6604]

@@maceomaceo11 You lost!!!

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

@@wj6604 the US didn't fight the enemy it fought itself

[@shainewhite2781]

12:54, that's Napalm, "it smells like...victory."

[@m.e.3862]

So many quotable lines in this movie!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

M. E. “You’re an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.”

[@misterkite]

@@m.e.3862 I always liked how Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Suave and Suffocated has a quote by Dennis Hoppers character at the end. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4ecoJhjmKeae8U

[@michaeldavidfigures9842]

I was 21 when I saw this in 1979. Was heavy into drugs then. Done lots of acid, mushrooms, smoking pot, cocaine, all tempered with generous helpings of alcohol. From the opening sequence and the brilliant use of The End to the ceiling fan chopping the air in Sheen's hotel room, I was thrown into the most nightmarish flashback I have ever had in my life. Experiencing this film in the theater was like the worst trip on acid I ever had. I really felt that Viet Nam must have been like hell. That experience sent me into a fit of depression which took me nearly five years to emerge from. Seeing it on the big screen too. So much larger than life, and far more frightening. I have watched it only once since. The scene with chef's death is so brutal. Years later I learned that the movie was inspired by the book Heart of Darkness which was based on a real person, a cia operative named Tony Poe. Knowing that we are all capable of such brutality and violence is one of the constant themes running through the book. It makes me pray everyday that God gives me a loving heart, and forgives me for even the thought of doing wrong. Wm. Sherman once said; "War is all hell. It is a good thing that it is so terrible, lest we grow to fond of it."

[@DreamyWoIf]

Fantastic comment! Thank you for sharing your opinion. Just want to add that the book Heart of Darkness was not based on Tony Poe's life; it's a considerably older book, but still very much relevant.

[@michaeldavidfigures9842]

@@DreamyWoIf I have learned that subsequently. Thanks for the comment.👍

[@williamsherman1089]

I don't remember saying that but it sounds like something I would say

[@michaelwittmann6003]

This is one of the best movies ever made

[@matthewdunham1689]

Indeed

[@edgarcia4794]

PBR 'Streetgang''s' usual mission was to routinely stop small watercraft looking for weapons/ammo and supplies being moved secretly thru the rivers so Chief Phillips was just sticking to his usual job instead of doing what the Green Beret Captain Willard wanted.

[@m.e.3862]

Yes. Those were his standing orders

[@MikeB12800]

Great thing about these times was independent film makers were coming up together, and cared more about the art, than the success! Same with music! The Doors!!!

[@osirispluto8782]

🤟😁

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Viva La DOOOOORS! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHLZioiYqadmqNE

[@MikeB12800]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 not sure if thats sincere, or complete mockery

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@MikeB12800 Sincere, but with a healthy dose of self-mockery. I find it good to laugh at myself, a lot. Especially my past (high-school age) self, who was VERY like that song.

[@MikeB12800]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 lmao, we’ve all been their!

[@emilytrott]

His line near the end "They were gonna make me a Major for this, and I wasn't even in their fuckin' army anymore." said it all for me.

[@Jordy120]

This was based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. One of my favourite movies, for the reasons you guys talk about. The extended version is excellent when you have time. There's also a documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now, which is REALLY good, the $hit they went through to film this was amazing....Martin Sheen had a heart attack during a scene ( I think).

[@osirispluto8782]

I've been meaning to watch that. I heard that Brando was indeed a pain in the ass to work with and wouldn't cooperate (until he read the book which he refused to do at first haha)

[@lynnc5252]

Laurence fishburne was 14 years old and lied about his age. He spent years in the Philippines, alone, while this was filmed.

[@Jordy120]

@@lynnc5252 Wow! Such dedication from a teen.

[@emilj9399]

In the after credits, you could have watched the place getting bombed combined with "the end" from the doors ;)

[@starman6280]

My brother was on a PBR (Patrol Boat Riverine) in Vietnam. He was never the same after 2 tours in Vietnam, and eventually committed suicide. He told me this movie is the most accurate depiction of what went on there of all the Vietnam war movies.

[@teresas8173]

The horror your brother saw, I’m so sorry

[@tomgrant29]

"This is the end" as the jungle explodes is my favourite cinematic moment of all time, gives me chills every single time :)

[@stevetheduck1425]

- and it's the start of the movie, and it's what's happening in the background as Kilgore gives his speech about his war.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Very happy you chose to go with the theatrical cut. Really looking forward to this one!

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Count Drunkula Yeah, that was probably the ‘Redux’ version. The Final Cut contains those scenes with the French plantation & a few extras. I think it slows the movie down & it doesn’t really benefit from those scenes. Of course, that’s just my take. I’m sure people can make great arguments for their inclusion.

[@gravitypronepart2201]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 i agree. I saw this with my brother opening night. I was a teen andIt was the first movie about the Vietnamese war i ever saw. I was mezmrized by it.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Count Drunkula Ok, thanks for checking. I remember watching Redux around the time it was released. I felt the extra scenes really bogged it down. I’m glad he at least took some of them out for the final cut. Honestly, I think these ‘New Cuts’ are mostly done as a money grab, but also a way to increase interest in the movie. After all, it is 41 years old🤣 Not that it needs it. This film is one of the great works of cinema.

[@Vanska0]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 I agree, i wish they had cut out the plantation scene from the Final Cut and it would've been my goto cut of the movie, just like with blade runner. I like the scene in isolation but it comes right when the movie was supposed to increase the intensity and suspense before we arrive at Kurtz.

[@conureron3792]

Theatrical was much better, imo. Editing was spot on.

[@jefmay3053]

Coppola said.... "This film isnt about Vietnam this film IS Vietnam."

[@Rob-eo5ql]

“Terminate with extreme prejudice”

[@jasonm8017]

That weird looking dude was definitely CIA

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@jasonm8017 That's classified.

[@Rob-eo5ql]

@@jasonm8017 the guy playing him was Coppola’s assistant director.

[@jasonm8017]

@@Rob-eo5ql I did not know that.

[@Rob-eo5ql]

@@jasonm8017 Harrison Ford’s character, “Col. Lucas”, is a nod to Star Wars creator George Lucas.

[@sparky6086]

The air cavalry helicopter attack scene to the tune of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkeries" may be the best war movie sequence ever. Definitely a great classical music video.

[@marccru]

No CGI! May be the greatest practical effects scene ever!

[@montanus777]

it originally came from the "deutsche wochenschau" no. 561, when german planes attacked the british in greece in WW2.

[@sparky6086]

@@montanus777 That's interesting. I'll look for that. Thanks.

[@msmilie]

The way I viewed the "drop the bomb, exterminate them all" message in the book was that Kurtz was recording his thoughts in a journal about the war, military etc., and he suddenly had an epiphany that mankind could not be saved from its worst impulses and must be exterminated. He's not talking about just the camp, he's talking about everything and everyone. I used to believe that the movie would have been better if Brando had been in shape and could have been featured more prominently. But now I believe the movie works better with Kurtz shrouded in shadows. What a great film. The other versions are superfluous in my opinion. Walter Murch (the editor) is the real star of this film.

[@trevorsmaurice]

I saw this movie when it came out in 1979 (when I was 19) at the movies here in Australia. I remember going home on the bus and I was SO traumatised. It felt like I was a soldier returning home from war and no one understood me 😱. Looking back, and seeing the film today, I realise what a brilliant movie it was. The duality of Kurtz was unnerving as was the paradigm shift of Kurtz as both insane, and 100% correct! This is evidenced in... "Because there's nothing that I detest more than the stench of lies", AS he was living in a fantasy world. Compare the 'depth' of this movie to the laziness and dumbing down of the modern-day Super Hero movie genre. There is NO comparison, my friends!

[@LS-oq3qh]

If you want to see a war movie that is as intense as "Apocalypse now", i recommend "Das Boot(1981)" and "Thin Red Line(1998)". "Das Boot" is an anti-war movie set in WW2 in which the main characters are German Soldiers where as the other one is about US Army soldiers fighting in pacific front.

[@tolkienismaster]

Das Boot(Director's cut in german). I am dying for someone to react to it. My fav movie.

[@oilersridersbluejays]

*German sailors. They’re in the Kriegsmarine (German navy)

[@djpushplay]

33:04 "Why are we doing this?" Vietnam in a nutshell.

[@shainewhite2781]

10:27, Wagner's Ride Of The Valkyries.

[@hanng1242]

The book was better (Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad). Anyway, I assume the next Vietnam War movie will be "The Deer Hunter" starring Robert DiNero?

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

"Everything just seemed like madness...It was just lawlessness, there was no sense to anything, there was no structure, really..." You know what? I got that very same feeling, reading Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." It's like, among battlefield commanders, the ones who act in good conscience, and/or good faith, are the least likely to be willingly followed...and the ones who act in reckless, selfish, or self-aggrandizinng ways, are the ones that gain the most loyalty from their subordinates. What a crazy dichotomy. It's like, "When in doubt, follow the guy that shouts loudest."

[@bdog1323]

I may have loved the smell of napalm in the morning, but 40 years later, I love the sight of TBRSchmitt in the subscription page.

[@TheRulerRoderickSutton]

to think that this film lost to "Kramer Vs. Kramer" for Best Picture...

[@charlesderosas5577]

Platoon and hamburger hill are Vietnam masterpieces. I suggest you watch those next.

[@aldepal]

Lee Ermey the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket plays a Huey Pilot in this film

[@BaconBeast11]

Thought he was in a little bird

[@darkcornersuk]

Never knew that

[@misterkite]

Growing up in Southern California, it's a bit crazy how many "Charlie don't surf" bumper stickers you'd see at the beach.

[@fredkrissman6527]

Wow! I was a teen/young adult living in SoCal towns like Laguna Beach and Sta Barbara during the Vietnam war, and I never noticed that bumper sticker... But I like it!!!

[@darindonahue5901]

The movie is loosely based on Heart of Darkness (1899) a novella by Joseph Conrad

[@youdoitillwatch]

And the 1991 documentary about the making of this film is called "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse." And it's much better than the actual movie (which is overrated nonsense with a few decent scenes).

[@m.e.3862]

We drove our satire Prof nuts because we kept on comparing the novella to apocalypse now. He was so annoyed, but hey just because we're English majors doesn't mean we don't go to the movies 😛

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

I read another of Conrad's books, "Lord Jim," about a guy who was far better than his humble origins, but also far worse. Never have looked at Hearts Of Darkness, though.

[@jamescole3795]

Is LEON THE PROFESSIONAL (directors cut) aka. One of the best movie ever made on the list ?

[@dvpoolshooter]

The story is that in the first scene where Martin was in the Hotel , the filming was so intense that Martin suffered a Heart Attack, and still completed the scene.

[@tonycardone990]

A true masterpiece. Amazing cast and score.

[@lethaldose2000]

The open scene is just movie platinum. It gets no better cinematography, combined with awesome sound design.

[@nickthepeasant]

"Saigon. Shit" Great opening "The horror. The horror" Even greater ending.

[@Jay-eg4fe]

Ya'll are in for a trip with this one.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Absolutely right on that!

[@allisterfiend_2112]

@@TBRSchmitt One of my favorites, so surreal! This definitely requires a few viewings.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Allister Fiend Was just going to say that. This is a film that really benefits from repeated viewings. It’s an incredibly dense film.

[@phj223]

12:53 That's gotta be one of the best explosions in movie history..

[@shanenolan8252]

In the redux version we meet the playboy bunnies again they ran out of fuel and the captain agreed to give them some in exchange for sex with the bunnies, except for him and Lawrence fishburne who he said was too young, the woman agreed

[@darkcornersuk]

And the captain as there was no mamas

[@shanenolan8252]

@@darkcornersuk yes lol

[@SimoExMachina2]

Dennis Hopper was literally "hopped" on coke while shooting his scenes (the camera guy). He convinced the director he would give a better perfomance that way, so Francis Ford Coppola agreed to that.

[@monsterkhan3414]

My personal favorite Vietnam War film is "Hamburger Hill" (1987). One of the most intense and realistic looks at the Vietnam War ever put on film.

[@TBRSchmitt]

We still need to watch that!

[@samtheking25]

Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, My favourite film of all time

[@louisenglish8069]

For opening scene in motel room, believe Coppola actually got Sheen truly drunk. A lot of personal demons truly on display for Sheen. Truly seriously cut his hand when he punched the mirror

[@fritzk3627]

Sheen was an alcoholic and didn’t Ned Coppola to get him drunk. It was his birthday and he was drinking all day. FFC decided to film him.

[@eatsmylifeYT]

Truly.

[@MetalDetroit]

The bridge is a metaphor for the seige of Khe Sanh. The Marines were cut off for months due to monsoon season. Michael Herr was an author who was at Khe Sanh and was a consultant on the movie.

[@kleberpaulocosta6013]

ultra classic !

[@joerafferty3248]

This is my favourite film of all time. The first time I saw this and the opening scene where the jungle blows up with Jim Morrison's voice singing "The End", I was instantly blown away because I had never seen a film open like that before, and I've yet to see a film that has completely washed over me with the same impact since.

[@Jalerbo]

100% same

[@christinapierce8476]

You guys have to see 2001: A Space Odyssey; it is perhaps Stanley Kubrick’s most acclaimed film, and like the one you just watched, it’ll have your mind racing. Plus, there aren’t many reactors on KZbin who have recorded it.

[@conureron3792]

A Clockwork Orange too....or, for more “war” related, Dr Strangelove. Peter Sellers is masterful, playing 3 characters! Plus, George C Scott was hilarious with his character.

[@darkjedi447]

We studied HEART OF DARKNESS in school and it had a big impact on me as a young teenager. Watching this movie, based off the book, just blew me away as you try to decipher what is crazy and what is sane about humanity. A masterpiece. FUN FACT: did you notice that Harrison Ford's name on his uniform was 'Lucas' ? That was done on purpose by Coppola as a shout out to his friend....George Lucas!! Keep smiling🤘🙂

[@marknewton6984]

Say, whatever happened to Harrison Ford? Did he stay in acting?

[@shanenolan8252]

Thanks guys classic, the making of documentary is amazing the directors wife made it , its arguably better that the movie lots of drama

[@IBTypeR]

The making of this movie was a massive story in it's own right. There is a documentary called Hearts of Darkness about the making of the movie which is TOTALLY worth a watch. The things the cast and crew went through to finish filming was truly epic.

[@m.e.3862]

You should check out the documentary called Hearts of Darkness about the crazy filming of this movie. You actually see FF Coppola will his vision to life!☺️

[@TBRSchmitt]

I’m sure this movie has a fascinating with what I have heard so far!

[@m.e.3862]

@@TBRSchmitt someone uploaded it to KZbin so you can check it out for free ☺️ Also the young 17 yr old black kid is Laurence Fishburne aka Morpheus in The Matrix!

[@L.BCinematography]

Fun fact the cow getting chopped was real. There was a tribe nearby the filming crew and Francis thought he should just film this event.

[@Flip4910]

That execution of that cow WAS REAL. It was like a sacred ritual performed by those people that they filmed

[@FirebirdCamaro1220]

Water Buffalo, not a Cow

[@Hatziman]

The theatrical release we saw in Greece, right after the Cannes Film Festival awards, had a different ending. After the boat leaves, the air strike comes, and we see the scenes that in this version you saw at the start. The napalm explosion followed by the destruction of the temples and the giant statues.

[@gjpyoung]

Yeah, there are a number of different endings over the years. I remember seeing it in London in 1990, and I think it might have been that ending? One thing I should have saved was the credits program they gave out, as this cut didn't roll the credits on screen.

[@scottfrench4139]

The 35mm version has the airstrike during closing credits. The 70mm version has no credits -- they gave us a little booklet that included credits -- and it ends with Williard turning off the radio and steering the boat away.

[@timdyer5326]

I lived in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in the 1990s. The Khmer Rouge civil war was still on. The feeling and sound of watching this film, the killing fields and a bright shining lie. I went to the da krong river, near Khe San, and saw the unexploded ordnance. I saw the aftermath of rocket attack near Pailin. Under the skin, humans are lethal killing machines. South East Asia is really close to it.

[@peterkelley4346]

My friend was living in the Philappines at the time when they filmed there and he was an extra. He said he didn't feel well so he was sitting on a rock wall and the director told him to stay there for the next shot. Robert Duval was putting death cards on the body's he goes over to my friend and says cheep up son! I went home and watched it and i'll be damned it was him!! : )

[@stsolomon618]

The greatest war movie ever. This is why they say war is hell.

[@lauce3998]

Yes.

[@markmurphy558]

The plot of the movie is based on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which takes place in Colonial Africa.

[@charlesderosas5577]

This was one of those behind the scenes drama was endless due to weather, sickness and cast conflicts. Apparently the director nearly committed suicide while filming. There's a documentary called "heart of darkness" about filming this movie where you see the drama behind the scenes. Everyone was boligerant especially the director.

[@zer0tzer0]

This was an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's, Heart Of Darkness, right? That and Ulysses. Kilgore was the Cyclops. The Bunnies were the Sirens. And they weren't pink flares, they were purple smoke bombs. Purple Haze! Much of the cast were on drugs during the filming of this movie, and Coppola was near suicidal. His sets were wiped out by a typhoon. He had put himself in debt to make the movie and Brando showed up unprepared and over weight. He and Dennis Hopper had a fight over James Dean and wouldn't do their scenes together.

[@bsstyle123]

we need platoon next it's just a must

[@GKinslayer]

Big reason to sit on a helmet while riding in a chopper is that the bullets are going to come from below.

[@jonathancunningham8739]

Neat fact the Filipino Military provided the helicopters and plains for the napalm scene making it one of the most accurate in terms of vehicles and Martin Sheen actually punched that mirror for real that blood on the sheets was really his.

[@eatsmylifeYT]

Martian? I didn't know this was a sci-fi movie.

[@jonathancunningham8739]

@@eatsmylifeYT Lol good one I meant Martin it has been corrected.

[@mztweety1374]

My dad bless his huge heart will talk about anything…except Vietnam. His ptsd was pretty tough. He had to come home and fight another war with my mom for custody of me and my bro because she thought a great way to deal with her mental illness was vodka. He’ll always be my hero. Got his associates in electrical engineering just because he felt like it lol. Can find anything. Just a great guy. I’m so glad he made it back in one piece.

[@rx7dude2006]

The Thin Red Line is another amazing war movie.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Definitely on our list!

[@blechtic]

@@TBRSchmitt Is When Trumpets Fade on it?

[@dan2007kohn]

A thinking man’s war movie. 👍🏻

[@barrywentworth4472]

@@blechtic agree

[@fritzk3627]

You missed the ending. As the credits rolled, you can hear him calling in the air strike. Then the explosions start with the Doors “This is the End”. They showed a preview in the very beginning, when Willard was tripping balls in his room. Finally, this is a retelling of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and Dante’s Inferno.