The Horror...The Horror...

#30—Apocalypse Now

I think that one of the worst side effects of being a solider is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Men and women from all walks of life sign up to protect their country and sometimes the stress of the mission seems to weigh on their psyche like a 10 ton truck. Though most soldiers don’t show signs of this horrible disorder until after their tour is over, there are some that display symptoms during their tour. Much like the soldiers in the American Film Institute’s 30^th ranked film on their Top 100 list, Apocalypse Now.

Captain Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen The West Wing) is a war lagged officer who seems to feel more at home in the jungles of Vietnam. During one of his leaves, Willard is called upon to head a special mission from Army Command. The mission: discretely travel up the Nung River into Cambodia and assassinate a one Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando The Godfather), who seems to have gone insane and proclaimed himself a god among one of the indigenous tribes in the jungle. During his journey, Willard comes into contact with many different people and their own way of dealing with the terrible effects war can have on a person.

Taking most of it’s cues from Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now is one of the most recognizable films about the Vietnam War. Maybe because of it’s truthfulness about the effects of the conflict or maybe due to the story that mirrors Conrad’s story so well. To watch Apocalypse Now is to take a journey into the psychosis of a soldier who has become numb to the atrocities of the war no one really understood now and in the 60s/70s. There is really no way to prepare someone to watch the mind bending experience, but I can give a little praise to it.

Leading the story is a young Martin Sheen, who seemed to take the role so seriously that he had a heart attack half way through filming. Sheen is the epitome of war-torn. Willard is so ambivalent about his mission due to the fact that he needs to follow orders, but as his mission unfolds Willard starts to understand Kurtz. Not sure why Brando is top billed for this film due to his exceedingly low screen time, however his presence is powerful enough to leave an impression. Brando mostly ad libs his lines and creates a mostly incoherent babble but what is understandable is stuff that will blow your mind. This is one of Brando’s most powerful performances due simply to the impact he has on the film in such a short period of time.

Forget about The Godfather, director Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece is Apocalypse Now. Coppola’s ability to mix many different genres together in this film is amazing. From war film, to drama, to psychological thriller, Apocalypse Now encompasses all of these genres and almost creates one of it’s own. Though The Godfather is an amazing film, Coppola is able to tell this story on so many levels that it shadows any of Coppola’s other films. Coppola is able to take you on a journey that is dangerous to begin with and take you to the edge while keep you suspended there the entire ride.

I’m still extremely perplexed on why this film isn’t any higher on the list simply for the cultural significance it has. Being one of the first films to give a voice to the harsh realities those soldiers had to face and just she torture Coppola went through to complete this film is outstanding. This film is for anyone who wants to take a trip down the psyche of a solider during Vietnam and for anyone who calls themselves a movie fan.

The Verdict: Should Have Been Higher.