This week’s discussion post was difficult as I was struggling to pick a film from the list to watch.

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This week’s discussion post was difficult as I was struggling to pick a film from the list to watch. I have already seen a good amount of films on the list and there were even a few that I have always wanted to see. However, I chose to revisit a film that I saw a while ago that I was eager to revisit: Apocalypse Now. When I initially watched this movie, I really enjoyed it and recognized there were deep thematic elements and messages in this film, but I never really never took the time to dig into the movie. After investing some time into the film, I think Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is truly one of the greatest achievements in cinema. It’s a layered war film that takes its time to explore the madness and humanity of those encapsulated in war. 

A group of soldiers is sent upriver to neutralize a rogue American Colonel who has become a prophet to the indigenous people of Vietnam. The journey upriver is grueling and these soldiers lose their sanity. Rather than focusing on the war, Apocalypse Now tells a gripping philosophical story of the internal struggle of the mind. The cast is one of the best I have ever seen; Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen are excellent in the film. Marlon Brando gives one of the greatest performances I have ever seen as the rogue colonel. Besides the excellent writing behind the character, Marlon Brando gives an ominous yet imposing performance that left me uneasy and eager to learn more about him. 

Coppola’s direction and cinematography along with the set design are immersive and transportive. The practicality behind the famous scene with the fleet of helicopters is truly beautiful, despite the dark circumstances of the story. It is one of my favorite sequences ever captured on film. The color palette of cool greens and blues that contrast with warm and intense reds and oranges is unique for the war film. The look is meticulously saturated and the lighting in scenes like the colonel’s quarters is painting-like and so well-crafted. Notably, this style does not seem to be replicated often as more contemporary war films such as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk seem to opt for less saturation. You could argue that a film like 1917 shares this aspect but I think that film uses saturation more sparingly than Apocalypse Now. The art style of Coppola’s film along with the haunting musical score creates a psychedelic fever dream of the Vietnam war. 

Apocalypse Now is a genuine artistic masterpiece that Francis Ford Coppola poured his soul into. Coppola is one of the most talented auteurs cinema has ever seen and his work here is masterful. I believe the film is a must-watch for anyone studying cinema and this film shows everything the art form of filmmaking can accomplish.