Awe-Inspiring Look into Apocalypse Now Redux

  • Thread starter BicycleTree
  • Start date
  • Tags
    apocalypse
In summary: I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I could feel both impulses rising in me, but with effort I did neither, because it was depiction of human slaughter. Usually when someone says they do not know whether to laugh or cry, it means that something very happy has just occurred relieving a long pain. But in this case, I wanted to laugh at it because it was all so incongruous, so strange, and I felt like crying because it was all so assaultive to the senses, so impossible and shattered.I Love the smell of Napalm in the morning.
  • #1
BicycleTree
520
0
Never until now have I seen Apocalypse Now. It was Apocalypse Now redux, with some extra scenes in it.

This movie is wonderful. Awesomely wonderful. The whole experience is magic. You have to see it and appreciate it.

It does not follow Heart of Darkness very closely. I see that malaria has been replaced by violence and the whole theme of soft decay of human edifice has disappeared, replaced by human insanity. Also, most of the characters have names; a big point in Heart of Darkness was that only Kurtz and one other person (forget who) were named.

The scene where the colonel attacks with his helicopters blaring music is powerful. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I could feel both impulses rising in me, but with effort I did neither, because it was depiction of human slaughter. Usually when someone says they do not know whether to laugh or cry, it means that something very happy has just occurred relieving a long pain. But in this case, I wanted to laugh at it because it was all so incongruous, so strange, and I felt like crying because it was all so assaultive to the senses, so impossible and shattered.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I Love the smell of Napalm in the morning

marlon
 
  • #3
A well written review BT. I think you articulately captured some essential reactions most people have to that movie.
----------

I have an old wallet I stopped using years ago, but tucked into one of the pockets is a very tattered, almost illegible piece of paper, that I was required by law to have with me at all times for a couple years back when I was in high school: a draft card.

The card was proof you were registered for the draft. It wasn't to be feared so much as the ranking of birthdays. A person's chances of being drafted were determined by pulling the days of the year out of a big jar one by one, once a year. If the first date they pulled out was, say, July 4, then all the guys with that birthday who turned 18 that year were dead meat. They were the first ones who'd be drafted that year.

They continued till all 365 days were pulled. The more toward the beginning of the process your birthday came out of the jar, the more likely you were to be drafted. The more toward the end, the safer you felt.

The year I turned 18, my birthday, April 1st, was the 354th birthday pulled. I had almost no chance of being drafted.


--------
As for quotes from the film, this bit of dialog has always stayed with me:

"Are you an assasin?"

"I'm a soldier."

"You're neither. You're a delivery boy, collecting a bill, for a bunch of grocery clerks."

-------
 
  • #4
Charlie don't surf!
 
  • #5
The horror! The horror!
 
  • #6
horror has a second name...
 
  • #7
BicycleTree said:
Never until now have I seen Apocalypse Now. It was Apocalypse Now redux, with some extra scenes in it.

This movie is wonderful. Awesomely wonderful. The whole experience is magic. You have to see it and appreciate it.

It does not follow Heart of Darkness very closely. I see that malaria has been replaced by violence and the whole theme of soft decay of human edifice has disappeared, replaced by human insanity. Also, most of the characters have names; a big point in Heart of Darkness was that only Kurtz and one other person (forget who) were named.

Marlowe was the other character named in Heart of Darkness. This has been my favorite movie (either this or The Graduate) since I first saw it when I was 15 or so.
 

1. What is "Apocalypse Now Redux" about?

"Apocalypse Now Redux" is a 2001 extended version of the original 1979 film "Apocalypse Now" directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It follows the journey of Captain Willard as he travels up the Nung River in Vietnam to find and assassinate Colonel Kurtz, a renegade Green Beret who has gone insane.

2. How is "Apocalypse Now Redux" different from the original film?

The Redux version includes 49 minutes of additional footage that was cut from the original film. These scenes add more depth and complexity to the characters and their stories, as well as provide a deeper look into the madness and chaos of war.

3. What were the reasons for creating "Apocalypse Now Redux"?

Francis Ford Coppola wanted to revisit the film and incorporate some of the scenes that were originally cut due to time constraints and studio pressure. He also wanted to give audiences a more complete and immersive experience of the story and characters.

4. Is "Apocalypse Now Redux" considered a better version of the film?

Opinions on which version is better vary, as some people prefer the original theatrical version for its tighter pacing, while others appreciate the added depth and detail in the Redux version. Ultimately, it is up to personal preference.

5. What themes are explored in "Apocalypse Now Redux"?

The film delves into themes of the horrors of war, the loss of humanity, and the breakdown of the human psyche under extreme circumstances. It also explores the concept of truth and reality, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

Similar threads

  • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
604
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
6
Views
538
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
32
Views
6K
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
41
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
30
Views
3K
Replies
14
Views
3K
  • General Math
Replies
22
Views
3K
Back
Top