Apocalypse Now

🏆 2nd Watch | REDUX | Francis Ford Coppola Ranked | War Films This review will not go into the specifics about what I liked about the film (thus, it will be shorter) because I already mentioned what I loved in my review of the theatrical version. Check out my previous review of Apocalypse Now here. It was pretty much a given that the Redux version would be worse than the theatrical. However, this rewatch was more disappointing than I thought it would, even with some of the theatrical scenes. The film was very effective at displaying the horror, the horror,, but this rewatch didn't have as much of an impact on me. Hopefully, this is because I had just watched the theatrical version a little over a month ago. Maybe it was because I was so bored out by the REDUX additions that it was contagious towards the other scenes. Maybe it was also because I was multi-tasking by simultaneously writing my Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 reviews? However, it was more than likely a combination of the three. And funny enough, my biggest criticism of the theatrical version was the segment that people actually enjoy the most: at Colonel Kurtz's camp. I understood its significance, importance, and symbolism on that watch, but it was the only point in the film where it felt slow. However, I shrugged this off because I had already gotten the scene where the captain (SPOILERS) rises out of the water to kill Kurtz. (SPOILERS ENDED). I was very eager to see that scene and did not expect a lot of monologues, which made me just want the movie to get on with the story. However, knowing it was there, I actually enjoyed it a lot more and was able to focus even more on the details, such as the production design, lighting, dialogue, etc. Although the American tourist is still annoying, the final act was much more enjoyable. It was a shame that the other sections of the story seemed to leave less of an impact on me. This seems to be the common consensus for the supplemental material in the REDUX version, but they did not add anything to the story. These scenes only truly accomplished one thing: it showed different perspectives on how the war is affecting different kinds of people. However, what is accomplished on the negative side of the spectrum makes it much less ideal. The pacing was questionable with the theatrical version, almost reaching a point where I would call it slow (although it never reached that point), but these added scenes definitely made the REDUX edition slow. These scenes were boring and uninteresting for the most part. They just totally shut me off from the rest of the film, which was the last thing that Francis Ford Coppola wanted to do with Apocalypse Now. There is a reason why I enjoyed the first half of the film more than the latter half; it simply had less added scenes. I don't remember any added material in the first hour of the film! Even though I said earlier that there was less impact, I still enjoyed those scenes a lot. Also, it was mainly only the Ride of the Valkyries scene that was less impactful, but it's really hard to replicate the success of a scene that easily made your Top 25 scenes of all time. No matter how much I enjoy the film, its technical mastery will still be acknowledged. It has some of the best cinematography, production design, soundtrack, dialogue, and direction of all time. Francis Ford Coppola had ambition and determination with this multi-year project that stretched his limits as a filmmaker. With my experience of the REDUX version, one thing is abundantly clear: I will not watch it again. Why watch that when I could watch a shorter and superior theatrical version? However, before I watch the theatrical version again, I will watch the Final Cut so I can finish the chronological order of release. However, given my disappointment with the REDUX, I don't have high hopes for the Final Cut (since I believe the French plantation scene is still present). If you are considering watching Apocalypse Now for the first time, watch the theatrical version first (even if it's not the most accessible). Also, don't make any assumptions with the story; I guarantee it is something you have never seen before. There is excellent symbolism, acting, direction, production design, editing, and way way more. ⬅ Previous Review: Toy Story 3