Apocalypse Now

This film just hits you like a tonne of bricks. I mentioned this in my The Shining review, but every once in a while, you come across that film which just has you grasped by its brilliance, and Apocalypse Now does just that. Coppola is a directorial master, the genius behind The Godfather films, and this is an addition to his masterpieces. I’ve heard the backstory on the more or less hell this went through in production, but the fact Coppola managed to ever make it, and make it quite possibly the greatest war film I’ve ever watched, is an unreal feat. But I can’t forget the visuals, genuinely up there with the most gorgeous films of all time. Breathtaking cinematography, some of the best use of lighting, colours, not one shot less than beautiful. But what seals the deal for me, is that ending. It just hit so hard. War is obviously a devastating topic, but that finale is just on another level, and it completely throws you off how you thought the story would go. Apocalypse Now is a war film that transcends the ideas of war, focusing on the horror in a way so incredibly perfect I can’t even think how to describe it.