• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Apocalypse Now Overrated?

I didn't like it when it 1st came out,
I was young didn't understand a lot of the intricacies of war then

not a big Martin Sheen fan either (runt)
Marlan Brando is way over rated too (my opinion)

Now I watch it when it comes on TV (more nostalgic now thou)
the (Robert Duval) Col. on the beach is the best part, them surfing
& then the Valkyries playing when they were flying,
cool 60's/early 70's music soundtrack

Smiley I love the SOUND of Mopars in the Morning it SOUNDS like VICTORY.jpg


too much portraying the drugs & dopers crap for my tastes,
even if that was what it was

I don't do anything NETFLIX, it's all way, way too woke for my tastes
 
Last edited:
Apocalypse Now is as much of a pseudo acid trip as it is a war movie.
 
I recently rewatched it and emailed these thoughts to some friends:

I paid close attention to Colonel Kurtz's monolog in Apocalypse Now and I learned something.

"You have to have men who are moral… and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling… without passion… without judgment… without judgment. Because it’s judgment that defeats us.”

Could have the Allied Powers won WWII in today's world? Could we have bombed civilian cities in Germany and Japan and forced a surrender?

When we fought in Vietnam there was so much talk about trying to win with one hand tied behind our back, and we eventually lost. The enemy didn't play by the rules.

I see the same thing with Israel and Hamas. The US is trying to tell Israel they have to win a war and at the same time not hurt any civilians. Of course, Hamas knows this so they hide behind their civilian population. I don't think you can fight a war and win when you are being judged by non-combatants. Hamas of course wants to kill civilians.

I thought it was interesting how this concept from 45 years ago applies to modern warfare.

Now, the director, Francis Ford Coppola was not on the side of Colonel Kurtz. He was portrayed as insane. The whole war was shown as insane. I don't know if this monolog was taken from the original book, The Heart of Darkness.
 
Related from the movie Lawless:

We Control Fear​

"It is not the violence that sets men apart. It is the distance that he is prepared to go. Jack, look at me. We are survivors. We control the fear. But without the fear, we are all as good as dead."

It's the same thing Kurtz was saying.
 
Crank the stereo (you gotta have it in stereo).
Turn out the lights.
Spark one up.
Immerse.

...and just shake your head at the end.


That's what that film is supposed to do.

...and it does.
 
I recently rewatched it and emailed these thoughts to some friends:

I paid close attention to Colonel Kurtz's monolog in Apocalypse Now and I learned something.

"You have to have men who are moral… and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling… without passion… without judgment… without judgment. Because it’s judgment that defeats us.”

Could have the Allied Powers won WWII in today's world? Could we have bombed civilian cities in Germany and Japan and forced a surrender?

When we fought in Vietnam there was so much talk about trying to win with one hand tied behind our back, and we eventually lost. The enemy didn't play by the rules.

I see the same thing with Israel and Hamas. The US is trying to tell Israel they have to win a war and at the same time not hurt any civilians. Of course, Hamas knows this so they hide behind their civilian population. I don't think you can fight a war and win when you are being judged by non-combatants. Hamas of course wants to kill civilians.

I thought it was interesting how this concept from 45 years ago applies to modern warfare.

Now, the director, Francis Ford Coppola was not on the side of Colonel Kurtz. He was portrayed as insane. The whole war was shown as insane. I don't know if this monolog was taken from the original book, The Heart of Darkness.
From what I remember, The Heart of Darkness doesn’t bear a real strong resemblance. Other than the river and a boat.
 
I think we all need to be real careful about trying to draw wisdom from movies or music lyrics.
 
If it provokes thought, poetry, movies, literature, and music are worth considering. We might not agree with the author but then it's even more important to consider. Basically, I'm disagreeing with Francis Ford Coppola and saying Kurtz is right.

Soldiers in Vietnam were branded as baby killers. We admire the soldiers of WWII but they were also baby killers. Dresden, Nagasaki, Hiroshima. We bombed civilian targets. My point was can you win a war without killing civilians?

My ex-wife's grandfather fought in Korea. He said the NK marched civilians in front of their troops. He had to shoot the civilians first.
 
Last edited:
if anyone is going to Rewatch Apocalypse Now, be sure to watch the Extended version. apparently all the show singers r really *****......
 
if anyone is going to Rewatch Apocalypse Now, be sure to watch the Extended version. apparently all the show singers r really *****......
More like prostitutes. (You mean the Bunnies, right?)
Lot of weird stuff, the French plantation owners, not very believable.
 
Here's what Inspired my comment... Just watched Directors cut. An extra 40 mins (or whatever it was). In the end.... NOT WORTH IT
 
My favorite Vietnam movie is "We Were Soldiers" We Were Soldiers (2002) ⭐ 7.2 | Action, Drama, History It gets good reviews for its realism from people who were actually there (I wasn't, too young) I know my uncle Frankie who did 2 tours as a Green Beret then got Malaria and couldn't pass the physical so retrained as a medic and did one more tour as the medic on a helicopter evac crew. Brave dude you really didn't want to mess with!
 
Trivia;
Scott Glen has a bit part.
Anyone know his character without googling it?
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top