Apocalypse Now Redux

I LOVE this movie. And the Redux version only added tons of good stuff to the original. Some say that Redux cuts the pace of the original AN, but I see it as the definite masterpiece. The DVD is essential: it even has the destruction of Kurtz's camp (NOT an alternative ending). All the extra footage of Kilgore (the body cards, the steal of the board by Captain Willard, etc) is great. The French plantation scene gives an insight on Vietnam and why the americans were there. The only thing that I feel that wasn't necessary was the playboy girls scene: it adds nothing to the story and I can't picture someone like Willard (awsome Martin Sheen) trading fuel for "a couple hours with the bunnies".

Interesting fact: during the shooting, Coppolla said he was going to kill himself and Martin Sheen had a heart attack. They weren't smoking only tobacco

 

The French Plantation scene is a puzzler I think. In the documentary Hearts of Darkness, Coppolla clearly hates it.

But I agree that this version is better than the original. Less confusing too I think.

 

I actually talked about this in my film in my class. Coppola used real bodies from the morge in one of the sceens.

Film teachers don't tend to like a lot of the stuff that everyday people like. They enjoy the first cut but the second the think is silly. I've only seen the original cut.

 

^^^^^yeah and the caribou scene is also real: it was a religious ceremony of Philippines's indians. The caribou is killed and eaten afterwards.

The thing that I like in AN is how the war is shown in all its beastiality and surrealism. This is specially seen in the Du Long bridge scene. The Ride of the Valkyries scene is in movie history. And the quotes: beside the one in my sig, "charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500", "I say its safe to surf this beach Captain, then its safe to surf this beach. I mean I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'll surf this whole ****ing place! ", "we train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write "****" on their airplanes because it's obscene"....


EDIT: look what I found in imdb.com (alternative versions section):
A 289min long workprint version exists. It has never been officially released but circulates as a video bootleg. The bootleg contains the following extra material not included in either the original theatrical release or the "redux" version.

A longer opening montage, the entire 10 minute song "The End" by The Doors is heard.It intercuts longer helicopters/jungle images with Willard in the hotel room in a drunken rage, as well as a scene where he is with a prostitute. There are various shots outside depicting the streets of Saigon.

When the two soldiers pick up Willard in the hotel room there is a brief conversation while they help him shower and shave. They notify him that his wait for his new mission is now over.

The scene where Willard is given his assignment is longer and contains much more dialogue. The general informs Willard that the mission is purely voluntary and he can decline it. The general also offers Willard a promotion to major upon completion of the mission. For some reason Colonel Kurtz is referred to in this scene as "Colonel Leevy". There are some external shots of the military base.

A brief scene where Willard is introduced to the crew of the Navy P.B.R.

Carmine Coppola's score is not present in this version. Many more songs by The Doors are played throughout the film instead.

None of the narration or dossier voiceovers are in this version.
There is no audio dubbing in this version. All the audio is from the sound recorded during the actual filming. Much of Robert Duvall's dialogue is unitelligable due to the sound of the helicopters in his scenes.

A much longer first cavalry "Ride of Valkyrie" attack scene (30+ mins)showing much unused footage and alternate takes.
A much longer playboy bunnies performance.

Various extended scenes on the boat, and alternate takes and shots.
A scene where a miniature toy boat passes the Navy PBR. Lance tries to grab it out of the water. The Chief yells at him to leave it alone claiming it's a booby trap. To prove it the Chief fires some shots at it to which it explodes.

When the P.B.R. reaches Do-lung bridge, the soldier that greets them gives a more detailed explanation of the chaos around the bridge.

When Lance is reading his letters on the boat, he suddenly stops to machine gun a water buffalo on the shore. The Chief yells at him to stop.

The sequence where Clean is killed is omitted.

A slightly longer French plantation sequence. After the French woman strips she crawls into the bed with Willard and they begin kissing.

The sequence where the Chief is killed is omitted.

More dialogue between Willard and the photojournalist when they first reach the Kurtz compound. The Journalist reveals that it was HE who was able to get the montangnards to break off their attack on the boat in the previous scene. Willard repeatedly asks the Journalists name but he refuses to answer.

The character of Colby, (the soldier who was sent before Willard to kill Kurtz, played by Scott Glenn) has a much more substantial role in this version. As Willard inspects the compound, Colby tells Willard that the night before, NVA soldiers had attacked (which explains all the bodies laying about the compound). Wi

 

I'd like to get my hands on THAT!

Although I think it was good that they removed the Colby part where he talks about the NVA attacking, as it lends a lot more weight to the insanity and (as Chef puts it) evil of the place to have it littered with corpses.

Speaking of insane, in the hotel room scene in the beginning, Martin Sheen was actually drunk and coked up, as it was his (30th?) birthday. The part where he punches the mirror? Real. Unscripted. He slashed his hand up pretty bad apparently. Now THAT'S an intense movie. A friend once asked if it was violent, and another friend replied "not too violent. It's more like psychological violence that sticks with you forever."

 

I've seen both the Redux cut and the original a number of times, but I still prefer the original cut...

I like some of the new stuff added, but I think the stealing of the surf board and the bunny scene were unnessecary to put into an already perfect film, it breaks both the mood and the pace I think.

 

I have Redux on DVD, and though there's some good inclusions, I find that most of it simply interrupts the story and slows the pacing of an already slow paced film.

The new playboy bunny scene is great for some gratuitous use of T&A, but it's a diversion from the story. It makes no sense either. Why would the bunnies be hanging around that camp? It's run down, has no chain of command, is in the middle of nowhere and would be extremely dangerous. The girls wouldn't be there.

The second silly inclusion is the French plantation. It's pointless and simply interrupts the story right where it is building tension to a fever pitch. More T&A which you can't really argue with, but it's a bit superfluous.

On the other hand anything that gives us more Lt. Col. Kilgore and more Colonel Kurtz can't be all bad.

 

Redux is great, but the addition of the stupid second bunny scene and Planation scene, hurts it. I love the rest of the new stuff.

 

I saw the second half of Redux when it was on TV once. The plantation scene didn't really do anything for me and I can't even remember the bunnies scene well enough to comment.

The original cut I've seen many times and it's one of my favorites. I always loved how the trip just gets more and more surreal the further upriver they get. The scene with the bunnies dancing always disturbs me the most for some reason; it's just so alien, the whole spectacle, the rock band, the market atmosphere, in the middle of this war. And the scene of the battle with no commanders, everything directionless, fuzzed-out guitar on the radio... When you finally get to Kurtz, it's a relief. I rented the movie once years ago and my dad watched it. The next day we were in the car and my dad, who doesn't really offer his opinion on things very often, turns to me and says, "Man, that movie was ****** up." He was really freaked out by how surreal it was.

During the Ride of the Valkyries, there's this one helicopter pilot (the guy in the small scout copter, I think) who has this expression on his face where he gets all bug-eyed and bobbles his head around. That always stands out for me.

 

Although I agree that the Playmates scene was uncalled for, the French plantation is essential. The scene of the dinner is superb: the french actors are great. And I specially like when only Roxanne, Willard and the "leader" of the family are there and the latter says that Vietnam "keeps our family together" and then cuts to view of the deserted dinner table with only the 3 of them.

The scene in the bed "one that kills and one that loves" shows that Willard isn't completly lost to the world.

 

Uruk-Hai was asking about the extra bunny scene and why they were still at the medevac camp? I was under the impression they were stranded there without fuel, which is why Willard was offered the fuel trade.

I like the plantation scene and the mood which envelops it, but it does seem out of place. It breaks the journey up the river. For most of the time they never leave the vicinity of the river from when Chef encountered the tiger. "Never get out of the boat". All the stops, if I recall correctly, are to get fuel to continue the journey or obtain information for the mission. The plantation scene does not fit into the progressive darkening of the story. Its an aside.

 

The plantation scene does not fit into the progressive darkening of the story. Its an aside.


True, but it's a good and informative aside. And what about the scene of Lawrence Fishburn's character's funeral? The Chief is amazing in there.

 

i actually just wated the OG one last night for my film class.

Its been a while since i saw redux but i may try and and get my hands on it soon. That movie disturbes me greatly. Its just bizzare. I relly like it though.

We are watching the documentary on tuesday.

 

True, but it's a good and informative aside. And what about the scene of Lawrence Fishburn's character's funeral? The Chief is amazing in there.

It wasn't necessary. The story is progressing rapidly at this point, like it's being swept up the river towards Kurtz and then clunk! we get sidetracked in the plantation to listen to a bunch of wealthy farmers whine about what's happened to them. It slows the narrative too much.

Seeing Clean's burial isn't required either.

Remember, never get out of the boat.