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Product Description

Francis Ford Coppola's timeless classic comes to Blu-ray for the first time!

This 3-Disc Full Disclosure Edition includes Apocalypse Now and Apocalypse Now Redux in stunning new transfers supervised by Francis Ford Coppola - and presented for the first time in their original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratios. Also included is the feature-length making-of documentary Hearts of Darkness, presented in a new 1080p HD transfer.

Additional features include a 48-page collectible booklet with never-before-seen archives from the set, over 9 hours of bonus features, plus a storyboard gallery, image galleries, marketing archives and an original script excerpt from John Milius featuring hand-written notes from Coppola.

Amazon.com

Apocalypse Now / Apocalypse Now: Redux
In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of Apocalypse Now as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made. It began as a John Milius screenplay, transposing Joseph Conrad's classic story "Heart of Darkness" into the horrors of the Vietnam War, following a battle-weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret upriver mission to find and execute the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has reverted to a state of murderous and mystical insanity. The journey is fraught with danger involving wartime action on epic and intimate scales. One measure of the film's awesome visceral impact is the number of sequences, images, and lines of dialogue that have literally burned themselves into our cinematic consciousness, from the Wagnerian strike of helicopter gunships on a Vietnamese village to the brutal murder of stowaways on a peasant sampan and the unflinching fearlessness of the surfing warrior Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who speaks lovingly of "the smell of napalm in the morning." Like Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God, this film is the product of genius cast into a pit of hell and emerging, phoenix-like, in triumph. Coppola's obsession (effectively detailed in the riveting documentary Hearts of Darkness, directed by Coppola's wife, Eleanor) informs every scene and every frame, and the result is a film for the ages. --Jeff Shannon

Hearts of Darkness
Hearts of Darkness is an engrossing, unwavering look back at Francis Coppola's chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam production, Apocalypse Now. Filled with juicy gossip and a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the stressful world of moviemaking, the documentary mixes on-location home movies shot in the Philippines by Eleanor Coppola, the director's wife, with revealing interviews with the cast and crew, shot 10 years later. Similar to Burden of Dreams, Les Blank's absorbing portrait of Werner Herzog's struggle to make Fitzcarraldo, the film chronicles Coppola's eventual decent into obsessive psychosis as everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Storms destroy sets, money evaporates, the Philippine government continually harasses the director, Coppola has romantic affairs, and he can't write the story's ending. Everything is captured on film. In the most disturbing scene, we watch Martin Sheen have a drunken nervous breakdown while his director goads him on (he eventually suffered a heart attack, but finished the film).

Other incredible footage is not visual, but aural as the film includes tapes Eleanor Coppola recorded without Francis's knowledge. In them, he truly sounds like a madman as he confesses his fears about making a bomb of a movie. But while Hearts of Darkness is an amazing, voyeuristic experience, its importance lies in the personal reflections offered by those involved. Sheen, Coppola, and Dennis Hopper speak frankly without embarrassment, offering us an essential piece of film history. --Dave McCoy

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 8.8 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 031398126195
Director ‏ : ‎ Francis Ford Coppola
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Blu-ray, Widescreen, Dolby, AC-3, NTSC, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound, Special Edition
Run time ‏ : ‎ 7 hours and 31 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ March 6, 2012
Actors ‏ : ‎ Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando
Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003UESJJC
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3

Best Sellers Rank: #27,592 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #2,868 in Drama Blu-ray Discs

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Customers say

Customers consider "Apocalypse Now" a cinematic masterpiece with outstanding performances and great acting, featuring dazzling photography and superb video and audio quality. The movie receives mixed reactions for its story, with some praising its portrayal of war while others find the ending unsatisfactory. Customers describe the pacing as very intense but note many slow points in the film, and while the documentary "Hearts of Darkness" is highly interesting, some find the movie disturbing and dark.

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Movie quality Quality Cast Cinematography Sound quality Story quality Pacing Suspenseful

793 customers mention "Movie quality"750 positive43 negative

Customers consider this movie a cinematic masterpiece and one of the best war films ever made.

"...He ended making a masterpiece and one of the best war films ever made. This was his last truly great film that will make him be remembered forever...." Read more

"...The film has also been beautifully restored using Technicolor dye-transfer prints, giving the film the Technicolor look of movies from the 40's and..." Read more

"...That made the movie compelling and unpredictable for me...." Read more

"...This example is one of the best I've seen, showing its viewers the wonders involved in the art of making a very dramatic example of what warring..." Read more

118 customers mention "Quality"111 positive7 negative

Customers praise the movie's quality, describing it as one of the best ever made with excellent performances.

"...I have to say that this film is outstanding in every regard. The locations are superb, the acting is amazing and the story is truly one of a kind...." Read more

"...But its dreamlike quality blended in with the growing nightmare to come. This was the last pleasant interlude of the dream...." Read more

"...seen, as it is not a studio-produced advertising tool...it's a dark, gritty, and striking view behind the 'veil' of how chaotic this movie actually..." Read more

"...This film has stood the test of time and infiltrated every corner of our culture as a gentle reminder of how far down the rabbit hole a man can go..." Read more

104 customers mention "Cast"95 positive9 negative

Customers praise the cast of the movie, with multiple reviews highlighting the great acting and elaborate performances.

"...The locations are superb, the acting is amazing and the story is truly one of a kind. Dialogue is profound, funny, thoughtful and simply really good...." Read more

"...The stellar casting accents this further, letting forces like a young Larry Fishburne and an equally young Harrison Ford play side by side with the..." Read more

"...movie is Martin Sheen, who is absolutely great and carries his character in a mesmerizing way...." Read more

"...good, they slow the movie down, and, although they do add interesting character development, they dilute the film's power considerably...." Read more

76 customers mention "Cinematography"76 positive0 negative

Customers praise the cinematography of the movie, highlighting its dazzling photography and latest visual enhancements.

"...in this disc are marketing material, storyboard galleries, photo archives and more...." Read more

"...quot;Apocalypse Now" was always one of the most beautifully photographed films and this new transfer helps justify that...." Read more

"...This is just speaking of picture quality -- the fact that blu-ray is the first time that we have the full & correct aspect ratio is a worthy reason..." Read more

"...It gives a clue about the politics of Vietnam and the war. It's beautifully shot...." Read more

68 customers mention "Sound quality"64 positive4 negative

Customers praise the movie's sound quality, particularly its amazing soundtrack and superb video and audio production.

"...The sound is really well distributed and all sound effects are really crisp. Dialogue is also crystal clear and without any hint of damage or hiss...." Read more

"...The remasterd sound is also spectacular. Murch has done an excellent job of putting the audience in the jungle. Now back to the film...." Read more

"I enjoyed the soundtrack and enjoyed the all-star cast. Robert Duvall's performance really stood out for me...." Read more

"...A lot of references between the movie, literature, and music (good Rock tracks by The Doors, etc.)..." Read more

285 customers mention "Story quality"187 positive98 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality of the movie, with some praising its epic scenes and portrayal of war, while others find the ending unsatisfactory.

"...The locations are superb, the acting is amazing and the story is truly one of a kind. Dialogue is profound, funny, thoughtful and simply really good...." Read more

"Amazing portrayal of a war. The grossness of it. How it makes a person cruel. Very realistic and plausible(which is a must for me)." Read more

"...the US are the bad guys in this war..." Worst of all the scene dragged out and hurt the pacing of the film...." Read more

"...Now I was able to enjoy the realism of the setting and felt a genuine attempt to capture the authentic backdrop of the Vietnam War...." Read more

92 customers mention "Pacing"59 positive33 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the movie, with some finding it intense and capturing raw emotion, while others note that it moves very slowly and has many slow points.

"...The definition, the clarity, the detail, the crispness are awesome. Skin tones are really well defined and not at all artificial...." Read more

"...Alas, they're not very good, they slow the movie down, and, although they do add interesting character development, they dilute the film's power..." Read more

"...The funeral scene also makes a great comparison to how Chief (Albert Hall) death is handled...." Read more

"...I felt the real horrors and believed all the battle scenes could be true reenactments of real battles (or slaughters), as well as the unsettling..." Read more

68 customers mention "Suspenseful"34 positive34 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the movie's suspenseful elements, with some appreciating the documentary "Hearts of Darkness" while others find it disturbing and depressing.

"...Apocalypse Now is an exciting, often frightening ride that is require viewing for everyone. A classic materpiece through and through...." Read more

"...The film's length alone is not for the faint hearted, or for the casual movie-goer who only sees this film in the context of a war flick...." Read more

"...It really gave you an inside look at the Horror." Read more

"...The French plantation scene is both boring and puzzling, the playmate scene is creepy and incomplete, and such business as stealing the surfboard..." Read more

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Don Vito Corleone
The Definitive Edition of a Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2011
Verified Purchase

Apocalypse Now could be labeled the "most difficult production ever". Shooting lasted 238 days, a typhoon struck the sets and Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack. And that wasn't the end of it. Coppola struggled with the ending, the overbudget, Brando's overweight, the bad press surrounding the film and much much more. I have to say that I deeply admire Coppola for making this film and fight all the demons. He ended making a masterpiece and one of the best war films ever made. This was his last truly great film that will make him be remembered forever. Never again he had achieved the level of success that he had on the 70s with his four films (The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather part II and Apocalypse Now) but that's fine because this four films are among the finest of cinema history.

As you may know, Apocalypse Now is set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War where a captain named Willard is sent in a mission to "terminate with extreme prejudice" the reign of Colonel Kurtz who has gone insane and is living up in Cambodia giving outregous orders. The movie it's not so much the destination as is the journey. During his travel, Willard meets a lot of characters including the ones that are with him in the boat, a Colonel Kilgore who assists him to crose to the other side of the river and more.

I have to say that this film is outstanding in every regard. The locations are superb, the acting is amazing and the story is truly one of a kind. Dialogue is profound, funny, thoughtful and simply really good. Some scenes like the "Ryde of the Valkyries", "the meeting with Kurtz" and others are cinema classics that will be long remembered. Apocalypse Now is an exciting, often frightening ride that is require viewing for everyone. A classic materpiece through and through.

Apocalypse Now was released by Lionsgate with new transfers supervised by Coppola himself and the release is a spectacular one.

Video & Audio:

Apocalypse Now comes to Blu Ray for the first time in its original aspect ratio looking absolutely amazing. The definition, the clarity, the detail, the crispness are awesome. Skin tones are really well defined and not at all artificial. There are some scenes with ocassional flickering but it's not at all distracting. There are no signs of compression artifacts and most importantly, film grain hasn't been removed or tampered giving the film a nice real life appearance. An excellent transfer that rivals the ones produced for the Godfather films (and those are also excellent).

Apocalypse Now is credited for creating the 5.1 surround sound and for this release Lionsgate offers a 5.1 DTS-HD MA that's abolutely mesmerizing. The sound is really well distributed and all sound effects are really crisp. Dialogue is also crystal clear and without any hint of damage or hiss. An outstanding audio presentation.

Bonus Features:

Lionsgate released AN in two presentations: a two-disc special edition and a three disc "full disclosure edition" that it's the subject of review here

Disc One:
On disc one you have two versions of the film: Apocalypse Now (1979 original) and Apocalypse Now Redux (2001). Before I bought this set, I've only watched the Redux version which I liked but watching the original it seems to me that the 1979 version is the superior one. Some scenes in the Redux are too long (like the french plantation) but it's not a terrible version like many have point out. Regardless which version you prefer, the good thing is that you can choose (a thing George Lucas does not allow to us). Also both versions have an audio commentary by Coppola.

Disc Two:
Here is where all the good stuff is included. New to this release is an interview with John Milius and Coppola and a conversation between Martin Sheen and Coppola. Both are required viewing because of the stories and the different perspectives they had about the film. Also you have an interview with Fred Roos who explains the casting process of the film and we are treated to some screen tests of the actor.

Then you have the original reading of Hearts of Darkness by Orson Welles in 1938, an interview by Roger Ebert to Coppola in the 2001 Cannes Festival (which is also required viewing), Deleted scenes, a featurette that explains the birth of 5.1 sound, the music of Apocalypse, the color palette, the editing and much much more.

Disc three:
This disc is exclusive to this release which includes the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (in HD). Filmed by Eleanor Coppola during the production of the film, this documentary is one of the finest ever produced. You can watch the film and this documentary and you will not only know how the film was made but know first-hand all the troubles that Coppola faced and his slow descent into madness and obsession to finish the movie. This documentary should be seen by every film student and fans of the film everywhere.

Also included in this disc are marketing material, storyboard galleries, photo archives and more.

This package also includes a nice collector's booklet with annotations by Coppola.

Closing thoughts:

Apocalypse Now is a classic film that is a must-own and deserves a top spot in any film library. Lionsgate and Coppola have done a 5 star release that no one should miss. With an outstanding restoration, 2 versions of the film and hours upon hours of bonus material including the excellent documentary Hearts of Darness, this set is one of the best Blu-Ray releases ever and is highly recommended for everyone.

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R.D. Monsoon
"Apocalypse Now - Redux" -- IT WORKS!
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2001
Verified Purchase
The original cut always felt incomplete. It was a bunch of great vignettes which were just thrown together. The new footage has helped give the film breathing room which was much needed. No longer is the ship raced from one surreal incident to the next. At the same time, the new footage also helps strengthen some of the films themes.
Before I continue, it's worth noting that "Redux" isn't your typical directors cut, where new footage is simply just shoved into the film. Coppola and editor Walter Murch created an entirely new cut of the film using the original negatives. The film has also been beautifully restored using Technicolor dye-transfer prints, giving the film the Technicolor look of movies from the 40's and 50's. The colors are vibrant, rich, lush and blacks and truly black. "Apocalypse Now" was always one of the most beautifully photographed films and this new transfer helps justify that. The Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro said he cried when he saw the transfer. The remasterd sound is also spectacular. Murch has done an excellent job of putting the audience in the jungle. Now back to the film.
The first bit a new footage was an extension of the last scene with Robert Duvall's character, Lt. Kilgore. After giving his famous napalm speech Kilgore is informed that the waves at the beech aren't going to be as big as he expected because the napalm strike has disturbed the wind. This is a nice little touch showing the cause and the effect of the US's actions; no matter what they do, there is a negative effect. After that, Martin Sheen's character Willard, steels Kilgore's surfboard. This was another nice addition. The original version always lacked scenes of Willard before his transformation from going up the river. The scene also helped reinforce the relationship Willard has with the men on the boat; they of course all get a kick out of what Willard does.
The next big addition is the Playboy Bunny scene. This scene helps show how the war has even dehumanized sex. Lance (Sam Bottoms) is in a mud filled tent and is painting the face of the bunny he is with. I thought it was great how Coppola showed how dirty sex had become. Meanwhile, Chef (Frederic Forrest) is transforming the bunny he is with into another bunny by having her wear a wing and pose the same way this other bunny did in her spread. This was a masterful way of showing how incredibly impersonal sex has become.
The last big addition I'll talk about is the infamous French Plantation scene. The scene started off well, but slowly went down hill. In the first part of it, the French help Willard and the men conduct a funeral for Clean (Fishburne). The men do their best job to conduct a funeral, but it's not exactly up to what a typical army funeral is. There's some great imagery in there, like the small shredded American flag which is used. The funeral scene also makes a great comparison to how Chief (Albert Hall) death is handled. By that time in the film, they are so far up the river that the Army's and American values have vanished; Lance is having a fun time with the body (the body's final resting place is the river, not the earth) while Willard and Chief are totally preoccupied.
The plantation scene also helped reinforce the going back in time theme, something which came up a lot in "Heart of Darkness" but never panned out so well in the '79 version of "AP".
After the funeral there is a dinner scene with the plantation heads, and this is where things go down hill. There is just way too much dialogue in this scene and Coppola's intentions are quite transparent. The French basically give a recap of the West's involvement in Vietnam and then talk specifically about the US's presence there. It was like Coppola was saying "Incase you don't know what the film is about and why the US are the bad guys in this war..." Worst of all the scene dragged out and hurt the pacing of the film. Coppola spent the last two hours communicating his anti war message visually and suddenly he just had someone blurt it all.
There's some new stuff at the Kurtz compound, nothing too important but it helps give us some more time to take in the last 3rd of the film; again helping to reduce that rushed feeling.
The end still doesn't quite work, but there is no way to fix this. The Vietnam war had no real ending, there was no climax, there wasn't one last big battle. The US simply accepted it was a war which couldn't be won and pulled out. The ending actually reflects this fairly well. Once the mad Colonel Kurtz is killed, Willard walks down to the boat, leading Lance out, who has become totally wrapped up in the madness. They then peacefully go back down the river. While something like one last battle would have given the film more of a sense of finality, that wouldn't have been staying true to the war.
Overall, "Apocalypse Now - Redux" is an extraordinary film. Coppola never wastes a even a single frame (well there was the dinner scene...) Since this film was made, I don't think anyone has ever asked so much of the audience.

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Susan Bauerle
If you can stomach a graphic war picture
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025
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Amazing portrayal of a war. The grossness of it. How it makes a person cruel. Very realistic and plausible(which is a must for me).

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Dylan M.
Martin sheen please hmu
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2025
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I would marry this movie and everyone in it

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DJ Michi
Ein absolutes Meisterwerk. Ganz ganz grosses Kino.
Reviewed in Germany on March 5, 2015
Verified Purchase

Plädoyer für einen Filmklassiker

Ein Filmklassiker hat derzeit nur die Chance, erneut auf die Leinwand zu kommen, wenn er sich radikal neu verkauft. Das gegenwärtige Kinopublikum ist wenig aufgeschlossen für Filmgeschichte. Es ist daher nicht leicht, für einen 22 Jahre alten Film Interesse zu wecken, noch dazu, wenn er vom Vietnamkrieg erzählt, also von einer Epoche, die für die jugendlichen Kinobesucher sowohl in Amerika wie in Europa in die "Steinzeit" gehört. Wer hat da gegen wen gekämpft?, fragen viele junge Europäer. Das war doch der Krieg, den Rambo für die USA gewonnen hat, mögen viele junge Amerikaner denken. Die PR des Neustarts von Apocalypse Now Redux kann solche Barrieren vielleicht durchbrechen und Interesse für ein wichtiges Kunstwerk wecken.

Apocalypse Now Redux
Lichtspiel und Hörspiel

Dieser Film braucht unbedingt die Leinwand. Sie ist das einzige Medium, das seinen Licht-Bildern gerecht wird. Nie war das Wort vom Lichtspiel so gerechtfertigt wie für die Kameraarbeit von Vittorio Storaro. Sie löst, ganz im Sinn des inhaltlichen Programms von Coppola, konkretes Geschehen in irreale Lumeniszenz auf. Das kommt jetzt erst in der digitalen Neubearbeitung mit neu hinzugefügten Naturstimmungen auf den Riesenwänden der Multiplexe richtig zum Ausdruck. 1979 dagegen war die Zeit liebloser Projektion in Schachtelkinos. Ebenfalls eine neue Dimension für den Film eröffnet die fortgeschrittene Tontechnik. Denn Apocalypse Now Redux ist nicht nur Lichtspiel sondern auch Hörspiel. Die Tonspur ist höchst differenziert gemischt. Geräusche und Musikzitate (Dschungellaute, Helikoptergeknatter, Granateneinschläge, "The End" von den Doors, "Satisfaction" von den Stones) haben keine die Bildwirkung bloß verstärkende Funktion sondern sind eigenständig und wesentlich für die Interpretation.

Im Seelenkern: die Steinzeit

Die Interpretation des Vietnamkriegs durch Coppola ist zutiefst existentialistisch. Sie ist nicht vordergründig antimilitaristisch. Sie ist kaum politisch. Sie sagt vielmehr: Der Krieg führt den Menschen auf seinen innersten Kern zurück. Und dieser Kern ist hilflos einer Welterfahrung vor dem Primat der Vernunft ausgeliefert und atavistisch (Rückfall auf frühere Entwicklungsstufen der Menschheit). Er lässt den Steinzeitmenschen durch die dünne Schale der Zivilisation brechen.

Apocalypse Now Redux
Reise in den Wahnsinn

Die Filmhandlung illustriert diese These mit der Reise von US-Captain Willard über den Nam-Fluss. Er hat den Auftrag, den abtrünnigen Colonel Kurtz zu eliminieren, der im Dschungel ein Willkürregime errichtet hat. Apocalypse Now Redux ist eine Reiseerzählung. Aber jede Station dieser Reise ist eine Station des Wahnsinns. Auch die beiden neuen Sequenzen, die in den Film eingefügt wurden, beschreiben Haltepunkte an solchen Stationen.

Das Hospital im Regen

Die erste dieser neuen Stationen ist eine Art Dschungelhospital in prasselndem Tropenregen. Dort ist der Helikopter mit den Playmates niedergegangen, die mit ihrer Show zuvor die GIs aufgegeilt hatten und vor deren Zudringlichkeit fliehen mussten. Mit zwei der Mädchen versuchen die Leute von Willards Bootsmannschaft Liebe zu machen. Aber die Mädchen sind psychisch völlig verstört. In einem Koffer führen sie eine Leiche mit sich. Das Dschungelhospital im Regenschlamm ist ein Ort äußerster Absurdität, wie ihn Samuel Beckett entworfen haben könnte. Eigentlich sind wir schon da im Herzen der Finsternis angekommen.

Einer, der liebt und einer, der killt

Die zweite neue Station wirkt dagegen wie ein verlorener Hort der Zivilisation. Das Boot landet an einer alten französischen Plantage. Hier unterbricht Coppola die Reise ins Absurde mit einem politischen Akzent. Die kolonialistischen Franzosen, bereits 1954 vom Vietcong besiegt, sagen den Amerikanern bei einem feierlichen Abendessen, sie hätten hier nichts verloren, sie kämpften nur für ein großes Nichts, sie hätten nicht aufgebaut, im Gegenteil, sie hätten den Vietcong zunächst finanziert, der jetzt ihr Feind sei. Aber auch diese Sequenz endet nicht im politischen Diskurs, sondern legt eine Sonde in die Seele. Eine französische Witwe, die mit Willard Opium raucht und zärtlich ist, verweist ihn auf seine zwei Identitäten: eine die liebt und eine die mordet. Apocalypse Now Redux führt die Wesen ein, die Apocalypse Now gar nicht kannte: Frauen.

Im Herz der Finsternis

Die Opium-Szene könnte bestätigen, was viele von dem Film sagen: Er sei die Visualisierung eines Drogen-Trips, weil auch der Vietnamkrieg ein Drogenkrieg war. Doch Apocalypse Now Redux ist eher die Visualisierung eines schamanischen Rausches. Denn die Reise führt schließlich aus der Zeit heraus. Ein Mitglied der Bootsbesatzung wird von einem Speer getötet. Im Lager des Colonel Kurtz sind die meisten Menschen nackt und tragen magische Bemalungen. Die Reise endet in der archetypischen Welt des Schriftstellers Joseph Conrad, dessen Novelle "Herz der Finsternis" Coppola zur Folie seines Films genommen hat.

Schuld und Sühne

In der neuen Version bekommt Kurtz (dargestellt von Marlon Brando) mehr Szenen als in der ersten Fassung. Das macht die Figur aber nicht klarer. Sie ist einerseits der Vernunft verhaftet, die auf die groteske Doppelmoral von Existenz und Krieg verweist. Andererseits ist sie als mystisches Schattenwesen inszeniert. Klarer wird nur, dass es Kurtz ist, der Willard aus dem Gefängnis befreit und so quasi Selbstmord begeht. Aber wenn Willard ihn mit einer Machete abschlachtet, ist das ein Opfer (in Parallelmontage wird ein Stier rituell erschlagen). Und ein Opfer hat den Sinn, von Schuld zu entsühnen: von der Schuld des Mörders Kurtz und von der Schuld des Soldaten Willard, der dem Morden keinen Einhalt gebot – und von der Schuld aller in die Verstrickungen dieses Krieges.

Apocalypse Now Redux
Die Maske der Gottheit

Doch es sieht nicht so aus, als würde Willard durch den Tötungsakt frei. Er tauscht nur die Identität mit Kurtz. Zwar legen in Apocalypse Now Redux seine "Untertanen" die Waffen vor ihm nieder. Doch die Szene wirkt nur traumhaft, nicht pazifistisch. Dann geht Willard aufs Boot zurück. Er fährt in den Schatten und sein Gesicht verschmilzt mit der Maske einer Gottheit. Das ist der Schluss, den Francis Ford Coppola für diese wohl endgültige Version gewählt hat. Er beendet mit einem mythischen Bild einen Film, der nicht zu begreifen ist, wohl aber zu erfühlen.

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frédo B.
Le chef-d'œuvre ultime !!
Reviewed in France on June 11, 2025
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Pour moi la référence de tous les types de films.
Évidemment un indispensable pour un amateur de cinéma qui se respecte😁👍

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Fulvio Manini
Finally!
Reviewed in Singapore on March 7, 2022
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I have been looking for the original version on DVD or Blue-ray for ever and finally here it comes with a very nice and original packaging. The extra dossier with comments from Coppola is the cherry on the cake.

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Didier Wauty
Apocalypse now est selon moi le plus grand film américain toutes époques confondues.
Reviewed in Belgium on August 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Coffret dans un état , comme neuf !
Remasteriser par F.F.Coppola les deux versions sont remarquable, quel boulot ! Et puis Palme d or au festival de Cannes c'est vraiment le film à ne pas rater !
Avec un produit de cette qualité, le client est respecté ! Merci Amazon belgique.

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Didier Wauty

Apocalypse now est selon moi le plus grand film américain toutes époques confondues.

Reviewed in Belgium on August 7, 2024
Coffret dans un état , comme neuf !
Remasteriser par F.F.Coppola les deux versions sont remarquable, quel boulot ! Et puis Palme d or au festival de Cannes c'est vraiment le film à ne pas rater !
Avec un produit de cette qualité, le client est respecté ! Merci Amazon belgique.

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loew
Hollywoods Beitrag gegen den Vietnam-Krieg
Reviewed in Germany on November 9, 2012
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Bei Wikipedia wird der Film als Kriegsfilm kategorisiert. Er ist das Gegenteil: er ist ein bildgewaltiger Anti-Kriegsfilm gegen den Vietnam-Krieg der USA.

Der Protagonist Willard (Martin Sheen, später demokratisches Schwergewicht in Hollywood) bekommt den Geheimauftrag (Harrison Fords erster großer Kinoauftritt), den aus dem Ruder gelaufenen Offizier Kurt(Menschenrechtskämpfer Marlon Brando), der im Dschungel des Nachbarlandes Kambodscha seine eigene Kriegsführung verfolgt, zu liquidieren. Schon in der ersten Szene spielt Sheen so unglaublich überzeugend einen Offizier, der versucht, mit Alkohol seine Flash-Backs (blitzlichtartige Gewaltphantasien als Ausdruck posttraumatischer Belastungsstörungen) zu unterdrücken. Vor seinen Alpträumen ergreift er die Flucht nach vorne - ein "Road-Movie" auf einem Boot im Dschungel beginnt. Willards Reisebegleiter haben jeder für sich andere Gründe, in diesen Krieg gezogen zu sein, jeder stellvertretend für unterschiedliche Persönlichkeiten und deren oftmals absurde Versuche, im Alptraum dieses Krieges zu bestehen. Robert Duvall als Kilgore spielt dabei wohl deren beeindruckendster und grauenhaftester Vertreter: ein verkrüppeltes Seelchen mit Freude an Vernichtung. Von amerikanischer Seite aus wurde der Krieg mit Hubschraubern und Napalm-Bomben gefüht - im Film gibt es dazu nervenaufreibend mit Wagners Walkürenritt unterlegte Hubschrauberszenen. Eine weitere Station unterwegs ist bei einer französischen Familie, deren Vergangenheit als koloniale Übermacht anachronisch in der amerikanischen Apokalypse hilflos untergeht. Marlon Brando war wohl damals der einzig bekannte Schauspieler beim Dreh. Viele andere, wie Sheen und Duvall, sind es mit "Apokalypse Now" wohl erst geworden. Brando wird nie komplett gezeigt, immer nur ein halb beleuchtetes Portrait. Angeblich war er zu dick geworden für seine Rolle. Doch die Kameraführung auf Brando bewirkt beim Zuschauer den vergeblichen Versuch zu verstehen, wo die Perversität des Krieges nicht mehr zu verstehen ist. Das Flammenmeer am Ende des Filmes lässt dem Zuschauer den Atem stocken.

Dieser Film war höchstwahrscheinlich eine Steilvorlage für Werner Herzogs "Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes" mit dem unvergleichlichen Klaus Kinski gewesen. Wie "Im Westen nichts Neues" die Absurdität des Stellungskrieges im 1. Weltkrieg zeigt oder aber in Bernhard Wickis "Die Brücke" (Fritz Wepper, nie wieder so gut wie dort!) das "Kanonenfutter" gegen Ende des 2. Weltkrieges, so zeigt "Apokalypse Now" die sehr spezielle Kriegsführung der USA mit Hubschraubern und Napalm gegen Vietnam: macht daraus einen Parkplatz!

Bitte sehen Sie sich nicht "Platoon" an, wo Martin Sheens Sohn Charlie, damals noch nicht das Hirn versoffen, die Hauptrolle spielt. "Platoon" ist einige handwerkliche Kategorien schlechter; zudem wird dort Krieg als Weg zur Selbstfindung stilisiert.

Ein Spielfilm aus dieser Zeit, aber aus der Sicht der Vietnamesen, muss erst noch den Weg in unsere Kinos finden.

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Format	Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Blu-ray, Widescreen, Dolby, AC-3, NTSC, Subtitled, DTS Surround Sound, Special Edition See more
Contributor	Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando
Language	English
Runtime	7 hours and 31 minutes
Number Of Discs	3

Apocalypse Now (Apocalypse Now / Apocalypse Now Redux / Hearts of Darkness) (Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition) [Blu-ray]

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Edition of a Masterpiece

5.0 out of 5 stars "Apocalypse Now - Redux" -- IT WORKS!

5.0 out of 5 stars If you can stomach a graphic war picture

5.0 out of 5 stars Martin sheen please hmu

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5.0 out of 5 stars Ein absolutes Meisterwerk. Ganz ganz grosses Kino.

5.0 out of 5 stars Le chef-d'œuvre ultime !!

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!

5.0 out of 5 stars Apocalypse now est selon moi le plus grand film américain toutes époques confondues.

Apocalypse now est selon moi le plus grand film américain toutes époques confondues.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Hollywoods Beitrag gegen den Vietnam-Krieg

The Definitive Edition of a Masterpiece

"Apocalypse Now - Redux" -- IT WORKS!

If you can stomach a graphic war picture

Martin sheen please hmu

Ein absolutes Meisterwerk. Ganz ganz grosses Kino.

Le chef-d'œuvre ultime !!

Finally!

Apocalypse now est selon moi le plus grand film américain toutes époques confondues.

Hollywoods Beitrag gegen den Vietnam-Krieg