Not only has this film been named the best of the 20th century, but it has also been hailed as the greatest war film of all time by a film expert on IMDb. Apocalypse Now stands as a monumental achievement in cinema, praised for its powerful storytelling and unforgettable depiction of the Vietnam War. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in 1979, Apocalypse Now took audiences on a gripping journey deep into the psychological and physical horrors of war.
The film follows Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, as he ventures upriver from South Vietnam into Cambodia to find and confront the enigmatic Colonel Kurtz, played by the famous Marlon Brando. It topped the ranking thanks to its success, popularity, and cinematic greatness, both from a directing and writing aspect.
The film’s impact on cinema is reflected by its remarkable list of awards and nominations. It won two Oscars and received eight Oscar nominations in total. It was also nominated for eight British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), and won three Golden Globes out of four nominations.
The film is inspired by Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness, and shows US Army Captain Benjamin who is sent on a secret mission during the Vietnam War to assassinate a rogue Special Forces officer called Colonel Walter E. Kurtz.
Kurtz has gone completely off the grid and disappeared into the juggle, setting himself up as a god-like figure deep in the Cambodian jungle, leading a private army and waging his own brutal war.
As Willard travels deeper into the jungle aboard a Navy patrol boat with a small crew, he comes face to face with the surreal horrors of war, madness, and moral ambiguity, all leading to a haunting confrontation with Kurtz himself.
The film was so successful and influential that an extended version, Apocalypse Now Redux, was released in 2001. This edition restored 55 minutes of previously cut footage and scenes, offering a deeper look into the characters, themes, and chaos of the Vietnam War.
The film scored an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.4 on IMDb.
One person wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “Visually stunning, excellent performances from Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando and an atmosphere of dread, confusion and insanity so thick you can feel it, Apocalypse Now is undoubtedly one of the greatest films of all time and a powerful look at what happens when we are stripped of our humanity. “
Someone else wrote: “A Must See! Terrific storyline and pacing, presenting you not only a war film… but showing the effects of what war can do to a human being.
“Another gem directed by Francis Ford Coppala, shows the horrors and the darkness of what war and chaos can create. A true milestone of its release and shows another side of the Vietnam War.”