Apocalypse Now: Best Vietnam Flick Ever

Way better than platoon. if you took the entire online community of 12 OZ Prophet, gave'em guns and set them down in the jungle, you'd have Colonol Kurtz's headquarters for the new millenium.

What an excellent movie, I just picked up the Redux edition and what an excellent, excellent movie

Top Scenes

1.Surfing during the middle of a massive firefight

2.The napalm drop

3.The vietnamese chick who blows up the helicopter and afterwards Kilgore says "holy christ, she's a sap! i'm gonna get that dink bitch!" after which said girl along with two innocent old folks are mown down without mercy.

4.Captain Willard Toking opium at the french plantation

5.Lance dropping acid and loighting off smoke flares

6.The loked out black dude with the bone necklace and tiger striped grenade launcher taking out the wounded V.C. in the dark

Awww ahit, just about every scene in that movie is dope

"Terminate, with extreme prejudice."

"Never get out of the boat."

Post your fav Apocalypse Now quotes, pictures and scenes

i wouldn't call it the best, but it certainly ranks.

Ever!

its tight son.

this is my favorite vietnam movie too. haven't seen the redux version yet. that one scene in the hotel room where he breaks the mirror.. he was really actually wasted in that scene and just went off... crazy shit, crazy movie.

Apocalypse Now ruled in 1977

But it had massive problems with fantasy bullshit. All that hocus-pocus bullshit with the white-face painted tribe SUCKED A BIG ONE. Marlon Brando supposedly turned in a great performance. I don't know what yardstick they used, but I thought it blew. Dennis Hopper is one of my favorite actors, but I thought he blew one too. In fact, the entire wierd-ass tribal scene sucked. They lost me as soon as they started depicting the forward fire base as totally out of control, and without leadership. Such a depiction of Vietnam combat troops is MORALLY DISHONEST and says a shitload more about the liberal bias of the writer, director and principal actors than it does about Vietnam, the Army or even the antiwar movement.

I HATED the war in Vietnam. I did everything I could to oppose U.S. involvement in that war, and refused to serve in any capacity within the U.S. military during Vietnam.

But Apocalypse Now! sends a morally dishonest message about the men who served there, their commitment to the war, the way the war was conducted, and their success in battle. If you want to see an honest depiction, go see "We Were Soldiers." That is a HISTORICALLY ACCURATE and morally true movie. It was the first time that U.S. troops faced North Vietnamese regulars in battle. The 7th Cavalry was grossly outnumbered, and they fought heroically. It is a much truer treatment of the Vietnam War. The sacrifice of those young Air Cav troopers was unnecessary and unwarranted, but they could not retreat without being massacred. The only way they could get out was to win the battle. The scene between the (real) news photographer, Joe, and the (real) commander is a much, much, much better representation of the Vietnam War than anything in Apocalypse Now!

"Full Metal Jacket" is even a much more morally honest movie about Vietnam than was Apocalypse Now!, and I thought FMJ had serious problems too.

If you want to see a morally accurate movie about the Vietnam anti-war resistance, go see "Coming Home" with Jane Fonda ("I ain't Fonda Hanoi Jane",) Bruce Dern and Jon Voigt (1978.) Or better yet, that old TV special, "Katherine," about the Weatherman Underground Organization (also starring Fonda, if memory serves.) (Edit 10/02: nope, Sissy Spacek played Katherine.) Best of all, watch old newsfilm of the street battles between the demonstrators and the cops. ("The Whole World is Watching!") Or maybe "Born on the Fourth of July" with Tom Cruise. I actually met Ron Kovic in California in 1971, and he was very much the way he is depicted in that movie, full of self pity and bitterness. Fortunately, he got better, later.

it is just a movie... so it will glorify and lie for entertainment value and reflect creative and personal values of the director, writer, etc....

True

That's why American Hollywood films SUCK A BIG DICK. The only American films worth my time are indies. I'd throw my TV away if it weren't for the Sundance channel.

but this film was made in 1979, when the film industry was not a complete sell out... i thought it was quite an interesting twist on the same ol' same ol' cliche war film, realistic or a bit of a strech.

Originally posted by nomadawhat

i thought it was quite an interesting twist on the same ol' same ol' cliche war film, realistic or a bit of a strech.

Straight up. Apocalypse Now is and will always be the definitive movie about vietnam. Everyone involved in that movie went all out on the acting and it's a testimony to great filmaking. If you ever have the time, rent "Hearts of Darkness" which is a fascinating documentary about the making of the film.

"But Apocalypse Now! sends a morally dishonest message about the men who served there, their commitment to the war, the way the war was conducted, and their success in battle. "

Morally dishonest? Yeah, I guess dumping jellied gasoline on villages, the slaughter at My Lai, Saigons police chief executing a vietcong soldier on live television, U.S. troops getting stoned and fucked up on patrol.....yeah, that real committment, a real solid way to conduct a war. mmm hmmm.

If anything, Apocalypse Now accurately depicted the effects of war in a foreign land on troops used to apple pie and a stand up fight. Maybe a little far-fetched but do you really expect us to believe

that U.S. troops upheld a moral standard over there especially when some of them hadn't been out of the jungle for months at a time?

We Were Soldiers- right in the garbage

Apocalypse now- on the mantle next to the petrified ear necklace

Re: True

Originally posted by KaBar2

That's why American Hollywood films SUCK A BIG DICK. The only American films worth my time are indies. I'd throw my TV away if it weren't for the Sundance channel.

Then go back to Russia if you love it so much. mm,sundance channel...suitable for extracting state secrets from foriegn diplomats in unmarked basements in nondescript buildings. ministry of love anyone?

Classic shit

That movie warped my brain in ways i'll never fully understand.

Remember, when Kabar says that accurate depictions of war show Americans fighting heroically, then it must be true.

Yeah I`m with Kabar, "Full Metal Jacket"..

Apocalypse now is the ultimate war film ever...you should all read the book its based on..its called Heart Of Darkness by J. Conrad and it has nothing to do with the vietnam war.

i LOVE this movie. and i LOVE LOVE full metal jacket too. all those war movies...thanks to my hubby.

my favorite part was when they were all going to invade and they started playing that music really loud.....don ta ta tan don ta ta tan.

"you smell that? do you smell that? ...napalm, son. nothing else in the world smells like that. i love the smell of napalm in the morning."

"charlie dont surf."

i'm a fucking geek.

and full metal jacket....self explanatory. one of the best.

http://www.kubrick-web.co.uk/fmj/fmj%201.jpg'>

"What's the best film you maggot?"

Full Metal Jacket

Has the most realistic portrayal of Marine Corps boot camp ever put on film. That's because R. Lee Emery was a real Marine Corps drill instructor. He was hired as a "technical consultant," but they could not achieve the right tone from the actor playing the drill instructor, and when Emery gave the director a demonstration of the real McCoy, they said, "Hell, we're just going to use you. Go suit up!" Emery was a career Marine, but was discharged due to a medical disability. He then went on to a career as an actor, and a pretty damned good one.

Emery argued long and hard about the scene where Pyle shoots the drill instructor. This has NEVER OCCURRED, not in 228 years of Marine Corps recruit training. Emery argued that it was dishonest to indicate that it had occurred, and that instead, Pyle should have been depicted as shipping to Vietnam as a mentally ill time bomb, a massacre waiting to happen, which was a great deal more honest. He lost the argument, because it did not suit the writer's and director's political message. They sign the checks, so Emery just did the best he could. Marines love Full Metal Jacket.

Another scene that I felt was inappropriate was the squad leader (always a sergeant) picking up a stuffed bunny in a combat zone. No Marine NCO would ever do that, especially not a seasoned combat veteran. In general, you consider EVERYTHING to be booby-trapped until you know otherwise, especially attractive things like an abandoned weapon, a good war souviner, obvious valuables, or dead or wounded soldiers in the enemy's area. The Viet Cong would booby-trap wounded CHILDREN, in the hopes of killing the American medics and hospital corpsmen, because they knew that Americans have a soft spot for kids, especially kids that are hurt. Very pragmatic. Also pretty much inhumane as it gets.

And as for dropping napalm on villages, etc., I'm afraid I don't get the point. They did that, if they were attacking enemy forces in the village. Show it in a movie, honestly. There wasn't a single tribe of face-painted goofball tribesmen in the entire country of Vietnam. The montagnards are about as close to that as exists. Want to see some? Go to Minneapolis. There are thousands of Hmong living there, brought to the U.S. by the CIA to keep them from being massacred by the Communists once the U.S. pulled out. Most of them are on welfare, unfortunately.

"We Were Soldiers" accurately portrays the use of napalm against the North Vietnamese, and the true fact that at least one drop missed it's target and killed American soldiers too. I don't think I'll ever forget that scene of the photographer trying to load the burned Asian-American trooper onto the helicopter. Horrible. But probably accurate.

Seems like you need to clarify the line between a movie and a documentary..art and science.

Ill agree with you on We were soldiers..fantastic movie and moving as all hell.

I started to read but never finished I think it was called We were soldiers once and young I probably should finish it....I like war movies, realistic or not, but we were soldiers ranks up as one of the best ive seen.

Full Metal Jacket is the best no questions asked. Kubrick.

But I will always hold Apocalypse Now dear to my heart as it was the last movie my parents watched before giving birth to me.

* His name is R. Lee Ermey.

My point I was trying to make with the whole uber cliched list of vietnam attrocities (I was too lazy to look up the more obscure events) was that I was under the impression that you were trying to hold the men who fought in vietnam up on some high and holy moral pedestal. I won't disagree that there were men there who fought gallantly and risked their sanity and physical forms to defend what they saw as a noble cause. But, there were others that used said conflict as their own personal playground amid a backdrop of napalm, dangerous drugs, isolation and the green inferno known as Vietnam.

I find myself more fascinated with the latter group of soldiers who dropped acid while on ambush, looted enemy corpses, indulged in violent excess (Such as the helicopter gunner in FMJ "Get some") or took part in any other sort of activity that failed to strengthen the resolve and moral strength of the armed forces.

And that is why I love Apocalypse Now so much. I'm not looking for historical accuracy. I am looking for a window that let's me look into the darker side of human nature and how it influences even the very environment one finds themself in.

Another good quote from A.N. Redux

This comes after Kilgores surf board is stolen by captain Willard

"I will not hurt or harm you. Just give me back my board lance. It was a good board and I liked it. You know how hard it is to find a board you like."

i vote platoon for best simply because its a no bones about it vietnam movie.

however, i vote FMJ and apocolypse as better than platoon in general. i have a hard time picking between the two but i'd probably side with FMJ.

my neighbor is a 50 year old prison vet.

He said Oz, the TV show...is a crock of shit.

So, I believe Kabar on this one.

Also, I have a friend, whose father

was in Nam. He said FMJ was pretty

on point, some parts werent, and the

same with platoon. He cries, because

it brings back memories of his friends

dying in battle, right in front of his face.

fuck apocalypse now.

http://www.indelibleinc.com/kubrick/films/fmj/images/fmj.gif'>

can someone please explain the fucking duality of man?!?!

I hated that scene at the mass grave with lime on the bodies

The actor that played the Marine officer was a.) way too old, b.) way out of shape, c.) had hair that was way too long for a Marine officer, and d.) obviously had never seen a genuine Marine combat officer in the flesh.

The general tone of his remarks wasn't completely inappropriate, but close. Staff officers virtually never raise their voices. They have a sergeant major (a high-ranking NCO) for that. That entire conversation would have gone something like:

COL: Sergeant major, what is that on that Marine's flak jacket?

SGT MAJ: I'm sure I couldn't say, Colonel.

COL: It looks like it might be a peace symbol.

SGT MAJ: Surely not, sir, that's a Marine corporal, not some Army puke.

COL: Check it out and let me know.

SGT MAJ: Aye aye, sir.

SGT MAJ: Marine! Come here.

Joker: Yes, sergeant major.

SGT MAJ: What is that on your flak jacket, Marine?

Joker: A peace symbol, sergeant major.

SGT MAJ: A peace symbol.

Joker: Yes, sergeant major.

SGT MAJ: WHATTHEFUCKIS A MOTHERFUCKING PEACE SYMBOL DOING ON YOUR GODDAMMED FLAKJACKET YOU COMMUNIST MOTHERFUCKER? GET THAT SHIT OFF THAT GEAR IMMEDIATELY YOU MISERABLE FUCKING COME BUBBLE!!!

Joker: AYE AYE, SERGEANT MAJOR!

SGT MAJ: GET THAT SHIT OFF OFF OFF MY MARINE CORPS FLAK JACKET, PRIVATE!!

Joker: IT'S OFF, SERGEANT MAJOR!!

SGT MAJ: You Communist cock sucker---if I EVER see you with a GOD DAMNED PEACE SYMBOL on a piece of United States Marine Corps property again, I will KILL YOUR MOTHER FUCKING ASS MY SELF DOYOUUNDERSTANDME!!!!???

Joker: YES, SERGEANT MAJOR!

SGT MAJ: YOU ARE BUSTED TO PRIVATE! I WILL PERSONALLY SEE YOUR ASS FRIED IN OFFICE HOURS, DOYOUUNDERSTANDME?

Joker: Yes, sergeant major!

SGT MAJ: GET YOUR ASS THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!

Joker: YES, SERGEANT MAJOR!

Rafterman: Man! I told you that shit was going to get you in a bunch of trouble!

Joker: Shut the fuck up, Rafterman.

Rafterman: Fuck you, Joker. It's Lance Corporal Rafterman to you, Private! Asshole. From here on out, you scrub the shitters during Field Day, you got it, shitbird?

Joker: Fucking Marine Corps. Fucking Vietnam. God dammit, I hate this place.

Rafterman: Here. Now you're the fucking photographer, and I'm the fucking combat correspondant. Saddle up, Marine. And be fucking quick about it. Are your canteens full? Are your magazines full? I bet you didn't bring any goddamned LSA or RBC, did you? Put on your helmet. And lace up those fucking boots, you ain't no goddamned civilian.

COL: Sergeant major.

SGT MAJ: Yes, sir.

COL: Did we find out if that Marine was wearing a peace symbol?

SGT MAJ: Yes sir. It wasn't a peace symbol, it was a Navy Relief Fund donation pin, sir.

COL: Excellent. Looks like morale is improving.

SGT MAJ: Absolutely, sir. And I think it will continue to improve, sir, due to the Colonel's excellent plan to distribute copies of Chesty Puller's biography with the ammo resupply.

COL: Splendid. See that the men take their malaria pills, and don't accept that diarrhea excuse.

SGT MAJ: No sir. Sick bay stats for malaria are down too.

COL: Outstanding.

Oh my god...KaBar, you are my new hero. That dialoge you wrote was fucking brilliant. I apologize for telling your to go back to russia.

DAN DALY !