Apocalypse Now
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forest , Dennis Hopper Synopsis: Mid-way through the Vietnam War, a troubled US Army Captain, Willard (Martin Sheen) is given the dubious task of travelling up river to Cambodia , to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Kurtz has seemingly gone insane and created a community that worship him and fight the war in their own way. We follow Willard on his journey – both physical and mental to a climax that makes Willard face up and accept the man that he is. Review:After thirty years, Apocalypse Now has lost none of its power or majesty in the history of cinema. Coppola’s grueling gamble on bringing a (what was then) fresh take on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness novella to the screen, using the Vietnam War as a backdrop, still makes for compelling and necessary viewing. This newly restored version brings the movie to life in such a way that it looks like it was released only yesterday. The picture quality is superb and the sound also. Francis Ford Coppola personally supervised the restoration and this shows throughout the movie. For a film that is over 30 years old it looks great! I noticed this as soon as it began, with the yellow smoke wafting across the screen and the whup whup of the helicopters/fan going through the rear speakers, culminating in the napalm hit forest. It’s the most vivid that I've seen this movie. Detail is also impressive. As Apocalypse Now progresses and we get to the more psychedelic aspects of the film, this becomes most important and the images include a vast amount of coloured smoke and machine generated "fog". Vittorio Storaro’s stunning cinematography is paid tribute through the transfer, showing the superb night photography in the way it should be presented, for example. The aspect ratio has been reverted to the original 2:35:1 which also improves the viewing experience. The lossless sound is reference quality and this disc will no doubt be used by television salesmen across the world as an example of why consumers should not be put off of older movies on blu-ray. 
This 3-disc package is called “Full Disclosure” and it’s easy to see why. The second disc is full of extras; featurettes mainly, with interviews illuminating the behind the scenes drama of making the movie. The third disc contains the documentary "Hearts of Darkness" that is almost as dramatic as the movie. It documents the infamous troubled production that the movie had and is a fascinating watch. Summary: Whether you're already a fan of Apocalypse Now or watching it for the first time, this is the definitive release. If you want to experience it at the big screen, it's having a limited run on cinemas from 27th May 2011. 10 out of 10 (Wayfarer) New! CommentsHave your say about this! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
