Apocalypse Now
Directed by Francis Ford CoppolaAt the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.
Apocalypse Now Ratings & Reviews
- thehave11d agoA war film like no other, a trip into the insanity of war, and the insanity of making this images, amazing sound, superb acting, incredible directing of madness it self.
- ርልዪረFebruary 23, 2025Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Classic - Apocalypse Now, is a dark, ambiguous reflection on the insanity inflicted by the Vietnam War. Having been fortunate enough to have watched the final cut in cinemas, I have to say Apocalypse Now is truly an experience like none other. Its hard to pin down what makes the movie so extraordinary; whether its the impressively put together sets (particularly during the flight of the Valkyries), the breathtaking shots of silhouetted figures in the dark of the jungle, or even the phenomenal use of 'The End' by The Doors at both the beginning and the end of the film. Roughly six months after initial viewing I decided to watch 'Hearts of Darkness', a documentary on the infamous shooting of the movie shot by Coppola's wife Eleanor. It gave me some insight into the chaos that occurred during filming, and the madness that ensued. Martin Sheen, who played Captain Willard, badly wounded his hand upon accidentally breaking the mirror upon shooting the first scene. Drunk and drenched his blood, he then continued to act out the scene in a much more convincing manner that brought out the insanity and misery the of actor and character alike. This is one of the many examples of how each of the members of the cast gradually completely lost their minds, and as a result, were absolutely phenomenal. Even Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper, who are only introduced in the final act of the film, really give it their all. The dialogue in the film (and also the monologues from Sheen), is also fantastic and really gives you a solid understanding of each of the characters. For example; Lt. Colonel Kilgore (played by Robert Duvall), is an insane, reckless warmongering leader who amongst the screams of dying Vietnamese innocents, can only think about whether or not the waves are suitable for surfing. His heartless insensitive attitude is summed up really well by the line "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning", although to my understanding Duvall came up with that line himself. Unfortunately there are a few issues I find with film. The most recent cuts of the movie have added a notable amount of new footage, most of which is great, but I find issue with the whole French family sequence. The idea was to show that despite the fact the war is going on, some people still refuse to accept it, and due to their stubborn nature, dismiss the idea of leaving the country. I understand the sentiment, and that Coppola put a lot of effort into creating these scenes (which is probably why he added it back), but the fact is that they aren't that interesting and completely break up the pacing. However I won't let that detract from the overall score, as this issue isn't present in the theatrical release. Apocalypse Now, is in my opinion nothing short of a masterpiece. Thanks to its haunting narrative, exceptional acting, impressive sets, extraordinary pacing, fantastic use of music and beautiful cinematography, it has become one of if not my favorite move of all time.
- Colonel Ron Aronoff - U.S.A.R.2d agoREDUX version. Based off Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" which describes the insanity that war puts on it fellow human beings. Surfing while in the middle of battle. The whole episode with the playmates at the USO concert. The bridge, built everyday to be blown up every night with nobody who knows who is running the show. The French rubber plantation not admitting that they've been defeated.
- รҡ૨אρƭเ∂March 2, 2025As someone who considers myself an amateur film aficionado it's incredibly rare and even more refreshing to get an opportunity to watch a film of this caliber for the first time at my age. Somehow this film slipped through the cracks and took almost 40 years to make it to my television screen. Like a piece of your favorite discontinued candy lost to the back of your freezer only to turn up ten years later and defrost back to a perfectly preserved piece of time, I savored every moment in watching this knowing the rarity of this unprecedented occurrence. Chock full of some of the artforms greatest contributors in their prime and at their best. These icons act out a historical film of historical relevance yet still manage to stay free of bounds to any particular format. The storyline is unpredictably satisfying with unforgettable scenery and moments. Something like Forest Gump with a bad batch of psychedelic mushrooms 🍄. One of the best films I have every watched. A True American Classic ,Bravo! 👏 9.3/10
- Kristian DiamantisOctober 18, 2025Excellent movie, marred a little bit by an underwhelming last act.
- carlijusticeMarch 7, 2026A truly well done movie. It is a bit of a "down the rabbit hole" experience. Nothing about this movie has been sanitized for our viewing pleasure, but it is well worth the watch. An overall dark piece of American history that has been laid bare for all the world to see in this movie.
- ronniecripeMarch 2, 2026Martin Sheen is a great person and actor.This movie was so stressful that it gave him a heart attack.He was saved and baptized in the Philippines.I wish he wasn't a democrat but the movie is realistic and great.Many River Rats lost their lives in Vietnam.Not all Navy jobs are safe . I met Martin Sheen at a Navy base years ago.
- Robert SemelmannFebruary 22, 2026Apocalypse WOW!
- larryla14February 17, 2026Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen. Enough said.
- ReubenDecember 19, 2025One of the greats, I like 2019's 'The Final Cut' version best. I think this version better shows "the horror" of war and you can feel much better the idea that things are getting darker as they travel further down the river.
- CineMonoNovember 20, 2025I'm increasingly convinced Coppola is not a good director. The Redux cut is IMO does not enhance the story. The addition of the plantation scenes stall the narrative, and while perhaps offering a interesting aside to the colonialism of Vietnam by the French it's placement in the timeline is awkward. It's a stumble right before the crescendo that's been building for 2 hours.
- Sun KingDecember 15, 2025It's the definitive Vietnam War movie.
- burner_account_officialDecember 9, 2025Perfection on every level. Essential coming of age film. Flawless performances by all involved and beautifully directed.
- Elliot047December 4, 2025I don’t think i’ll watch this movie again.
- NotoriousEdgeNovember 10, 2025Francis Ford Coppola guides the viewer through his hellish version of Vietnam in a fantastic and captivating master piece.
Apocalypse Now Trivia
Apocalypse Now was released on August 15, 1979.
Apocalypse Now was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Apocalypse Now has a runtime of 3h 15m.
Apocalypse Now was produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.
The key characters in Apocalypse Now are Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen), Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), Jay 'Chef' Hicks (Frederic Forrest).
Apocalypse Now is rated R.
Apocalypse Now is a Drama, War, Mystery film.
Apocalypse Now has an audience rating of 9.4 out of 10.
Apocalypse Now had a budget of $31.5M.
Apocalypse Now has made $150M at the box office.