Apocalypse Now

“You understand captain that this mission does not exist, nor will it ever exist.”This is quite possibly the greatest war film ever made. This movie is nothing short of astounding. What a monumental achievement in filmmaking. The fact that this film was made in the 1970s doesn’t even compute with my brain. The effects are incredible even by today’s standards and the story manages to keep you absolutely hooked for the entire three hour ride. This is just so perfectly crafted from the writing, to the cinematography, to the direction, to the performances. I also have to commend the film for its outright acknowledgement of many of the issues surrounding America’s involvement of Vietnam. This is especially true in the scenes at the French Plantation where the containment is put on blast through the differentiation of Soviet, Chinese, and Vietnamese communism as well as the use of Bien Dien Phu as a warning to the Americans. The commentary on the subjectivity of the massive number of young, American men who were sent to serve in Vietnam is so strong here as well. Seeing them acting recklessly and almost childishly simply because those they are with do really humanized the depiction of the war for me and reminded me that those boys out there were essentially just kids and didn’t know any better. The establishment of how young and impressionable these men were makes the depiction of the ways in which war can drive people to the brink of insanity even more impactful. No one should have had to endure this, turning to the jungles of a nation they could hardly locate on a map as an alternative to death, let alone an entire nation’s youth. But it must also be acknowledge the devastating effects these reckless young men and the fallout that ensued from their prolonged service had on the country of Vietnam, devastating their nation to an even greater degree than America at the hands of an utterly irresponsible and neglectful American government.