“This is the end, beautiful friend.” While not being the biggest fan of The Doors, Jim Morrison’s lyrics perfectly encapsulate the entire film, in both its content and its production. The opening shot, which these lyrics accompany, of a napalm strike on a forest line, is one of the most spectacular introductions to a film that you will ever come across. From this moment onwards writer/producer/director Francis Ford Coppola manages to draw you in to the hell of the Vietnam War, and he doesn’t let up on you.

The folklore surrounding this film’s initial release in 1979 and Coppola’s many struggles during production give way to an amazing film experience, with a great number of new scenes included for the first time, increasing the length of the film by approximately fifty minutes. Coppola and co-screenwriter John Milius have transplanted Joseph Conrad’s novel, ‘Heart Of Darkness’ into the setting of the Vietnam War, with stunning results. Combining with the additional narration written by Michael Herr (who later worked on Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Full Metal Jacket’), and the stunning cinematography of Vittorio Storaro, ‘Apocalypse Now Redux’ is a slightly more cohesive version of the fantastic film that brought an end to the best decade of American filmmaking.

Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), is sent on a classified mission to “terminate with extreme prejudice” Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a former war hero who has supposedly gone insane in the jungles of Cambodia. Willard must travel through Vietnam and into Cambodian waterways in order to locate and then attempt to terminate the General’s command. Being accompanied by a unique group of soldiers on the supply boat and crossing the paths of some very unique characters, including the crazed Lieutenant Kilgore (Robert Duvall in superb form), Willard slowly discovers more things about both Kurtz and himself during the challenging trip up the river.

While the special features on this DVD may not last for hours, it is true that some effort has gone into their planning. Included in these extra features is information regarding and brief interviews with members of the supply boat cast, some information regarding the film’s initial release, and footage that was not included in the latest version, with optional commentary from Coppola himself. These features are extremely interesting viewing and as an addition to the wonderfully restored ‘Apocalypse Now Redux’, assist in making it a must for any DVD collection.

Scott Townsend

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