Posted by tonester on 1st October 2002 02:34 PM:

Apocalypse Now Redux
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“Everyone gets what he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one”

Apocalypse Now is roundly considered to be THE definitive Vietnam war movie: many pundits place it in the realms of the greatest films of all time. Based on the Joseph Conrad novella Heart of Darkness it follows the voyage through Vietnam of Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), who has been given the task of finding and terminating a renegade green beret, Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has established his own colony of what can only be termed tribesmen to Kurtz’s chief.

Willard is forced to make the journey through Vietnam into Cambodia on a patrol boat, and they take a voyage up the river, and right through the heart of the war. Along the way they strike surf-mad Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), an equally crazy photo journalist (Dennis Hopper), a USO production featuring Playboy playmates (one of the extended sequences) and a band of French colonials (a totally new, and outstanding sequence).

Simultaneously epic and a highly personal journey, the various pitfalls and difficulties of the production are the stuff of movie legend. The result, though, is pure movie magic: not in the sense of, say, The Wizard of Oz, but rather, in terms of what cinema can show us about the nature of man as revealed by war, and Apocalypse Now does this, whilst showing us what this medium of film can achieve in terms of scope and beauty.

The reworking sees an additional 49 minutes of footage added: one entire lengthy sequence omitted from the original, as well as various bits along the way. Now, the running time is at a whopping 3 hours and 16 minutes, something of a commitment, but it’s worth it: it’s not just some hastily prepared cash-in, but rather, the additional scenes really add something in the way of atmosphere and purpose to the already brilliant original. That together with the fact that Coppola and editor Walter Murch went back to the original dailies and reconstructed the movie from scratch, sound mixing and all, mean that this version of the film is a must see for fans, and, with any luck, a new generation of film lovers.


Technical Specifications
Distributor: Universal
Studio: American Zoetrope
Cinema Release: 1979 (original) 2002 (redux)
DVD Release: 2002
Video Format: 2.00:1, 16x9 enhanced
Audio Format(s): Dolby Digital 5.1
Classification: R18+


Video
The transfer is presented at an aspect ratio of 2.00:1, and is 16x9 enhanced. I’ve seen this film in all sorts of contexts: a 70mm theatrical print, a 35mm theatrical print, VHS, and the original DVD release. Let me tell you that this is the best that I have ever seen it: sharpness and detail are absolutely fantastic, and with the exception of the occasional very slight incidence of grain, it is nigh on perfect.

Although the film is approaching it’s silver anniversary, the restoration process has led to it looking like it was made yesterday, and in light of the fact that the redux has been done from the original dailies onward, it is almost as if it was, as I’m sure that Coppola (being in charge of his own independent studio that made this film) has preserved the source materials with as much care as possible.

Another truly stunning aspect of the transfer is the colour: it is incredibly natural, and the vibrancy of the jungle is beautiful to behold, as are the colours of the various combat scenes, in particular, the bridge scene.

Aside from the odd film artefact, there is nothing really to talk about on the defects front: another stunning feat for a movie of this age.


Soundtrack
You can tell from the first second that a lot of work has gone into this soundtrack: remixed to Dolby Digital 5.1, it sounds as if it could have been recorded yesterday. That’s probably because the awesome opening sequence probably was. The Doors sound as good as I’ve ever heard them, and as the choppers were samples in the original, they could redo those as well, and the effect is startling to say the least.

This continues throughout the rest of the film: the ambience of the jungle places you right there, as do the directional effects throughout the combat scenes. The dialogue doesn’t suffer either, as it is crystal clear throughout, with the exception of a little of Brando’s mumbling which I’m sure nobody has ever heard clearly.

This is all round audio assault, with the surrounds and the subwoofer almost constantly going: in total, the effect is a soundtrack that I won’t forget in too much of a hurry: it is a model of what can be done with a remix when effort is put in.



Extras

None of the extras can really compare to the brilliant feature length documentary made by Coppola’s wife, Hearts of Darkness, a Filmmaker’s Apocalypse: it is the ultimate companion to this movie, and anything else pales in comparison to the depth of that movie.

Theatrical Trailer - (2:28) (2.35:1, Not 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby Surround encoded): A good trailer that’s quite grainy and washed out.

PBR Streetgang - (3:57) (1.33:1, Dolby Digital 2.0): Recently made interview clips with the crew of the boat. They are quite philosophical in hindsight, perhaps remembering things that weren’t there. Video is a little soft, but otherwise a worthwhile addition.

Apocalypse Then and Now - (3:33) (1.33:1, Dolby Digital 2.0): Francis Coppola and the editor reflect on the original production and the redux.

Destruction of Kurtz Compound - (5:43) (1.33:1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby Surround encoded): A number of different pieces of footage of a napalm strike that is really a deleted scene set to some very atmospheric music. It can be watched with a commentary from the director.


And The Survey Says...
Apocalypse Now Redux is the definitive version of this movie that appears on countless “best ever” lists worldwide. And this DVD presentation won’t disappoint (the audio and video are truly stunning), especially if the Hearts of Darkness documentary is ever released as a companion piece.


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