The epic film about the Vietnam War, shot by the legendary American director Francis Ford Coppola, became a grandiose event in the history of world cinema. The painting "Apocalypse Today" is unique in every sense. In the plot, based on the famous literary work of the early twentieth century, “Heart of Darkness,” reality is intertwined with fantasy, and the images of the main characters embodied on the screen some of the most talented actors of that time.
The background of the film
The script for the picture was written by Hollywood director and producer John Milius, when the war in Vietnam was in full swing. The original idea was to make a film directly in the real combat zone, but not a single film company decided to take such a risk.
A few years after the war ended, Coppola took up the screen version of this script, whose directorial talent had already been universally recognized by that time. The actors of the film "Apocalypse Today" in 1979 did not have to risk their lives. The Philippines was chosen as the filming location. The nature of this country was practically indistinguishable from the Vietnamese jungle.
Despite the fact that the script did not contain any pacifist ideas, thanks to the creative approach shown by the director and actors, the 1979 film “Apocalypse Today” became one of the most striking anti-war films in the history of cinema.
Plot
US Special Forces Officer Benjamin Willard, suffering from deep depression and excessive drinking, receives a secret and sensitive mission from his command. He must eliminate the US Army Colonel Walter Kurtz, who went crazy and organized in the jungle of Cambodia from representatives of local tribes a cross between a partisan detachment and a totalitarian sect.
Traveling through a war-torn territory where the price of human life is zero, Willard witnesses senseless bloodshed and meets strange personalities driven to insanity by the war. Gradually, the main character also begins to lose a sense of reality. He manages to survive and eliminate the out-of-control colonel. In the finale, Willard realizes that any war will inevitably lead to a dead end.
main characters
Many of the actors in the 1979 Apocalypse movie later claimed to have played roles in the film to the limit of their creative abilities. The image of Benjamin Willard was embodied on the screen by Martin Sheen, the founder of the famous cinematic dynasty. Playing a character abusing alcohol, he really was intoxicated. From overvoltage during the filming, Shin suffered a heart attack.
The most legendary person among the actors of the movie "Apocalypse Today" in 1979 was Marlon Brando. He played the role of the mysterious Colonel Kurtz. Brando refused to follow the script and improvised almost all of his text. In order to hide the excess weight of the movie star, which did not correspond to the appearance of the hero, the cameramen tried to shoot only his face.
Of all the actors and roles of the film "Apocalypse Today" in 1979, such a bright character stands out as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore, brilliantly played by Robert Duvall. This hero is a war-obsessed madman who pronounces a cult phrase later about his love for the smell of napalm.
Among the names of the actors of the movie "Apocalypse Today" in 1979, there are even such stars as Harrison Ford and Lawrence Fishburne. They played episodic roles in the film and at the time of filming were still little known to the public.
Interesting Facts
Instead of the planned six weeks, the process of creating a cinematic epic stretched for sixteen months. There are legends about what a difficult test the film "Apocalypse Today" has become for Coppola. Actors who starred in the film in 1979 talk about how several times the director threatened to commit suicide out of despair. Coppola fully financed the picture at his own expense, laying all his property for this. A failure at the box office would mean bankruptcy for him, but, fortunately, the film paid off and brought a lot of profit.
The work on the painting was hindered by extreme weather conditions. Once a typhoon completely destroyed the set. The filmmakers managed to agree with the Philippine government on the provision of military helicopters and pilots, but the army command often recalled them to participate in real hostilities against the rebels.
Critic reviews
Opinions about the artistic merit of the picture were divided. Some critics called the film a breathtaking sight, while others spoke of its emotional dullness and intellectual emptiness. The picture received two Oscars: for camera work and sound. "Apocalypse Today" takes 28th place in the list of the hundred most outstanding films of the twentieth century.