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Apocalypse Now

  • 19791979
  • RR
  • 2h 27m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
651K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
282
17
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Trailer for Apocalypse Now
Play trailer1:31
9 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Mystery
  • War

A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.

IMDb RATING
8.5/10
651K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
282
17
  • Director
    • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Writers
    • John Milius
    • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Michael Herr(narration)
  • Stars
    • Martin Sheen
    • Marlon Brando
    • Robert Duvall
Top credits
  • Director
    • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Writers
    • John Milius
    • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Michael Herr(narration)
  • Stars
    • Martin Sheen
    • Marlon Brando
    • Robert Duvall
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.3KUser reviews
    • 298Critic reviews
    • 94Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #55
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 21 wins & 33 nominations total

    Videos9

    Apocalypse Now: Blu-ray Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition
    Trailer 1:31
    Apocalypse Now: Blu-ray Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition
    Jeffrey Wright on Why 'Apocalypse Now' Changed His Life
    Clip 1:01
    Jeffrey Wright on Why 'Apocalypse Now' Changed His Life
    'Apocalypse Now' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:38
    'Apocalypse Now' | Anniversary Mashup
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes
    Clip 1:58
    Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks Give Movies Lego Remakes
    Apocalypse Now
    Promo 1:30
    Apocalypse Now
    See What the Original Karate Kid Is Watching
    Video 0:56
    See What the Original Karate Kid Is Watching
    Jeffrey Wright's Top 3 Films on Veterans and Their Military Experience
    Video 2:00
    Jeffrey Wright's Top 3 Films on Veterans and Their Military Experience
    Sneak Previews Season 2 Episode 9
    Video 28:09
    Sneak Previews Season 2 Episode 9

    Photos349

    Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Sam Bottoms, Jerry Ross, and Kerry Rossall in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Kerry Rossall in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, James Keane, and Kerry Rossall in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Martin Sheen and Aurore Clément in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now (1979)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Martin Sheen
    Martin Sheen
    • Captain Benjamin L. Willardas Captain Benjamin L. Willard
    Marlon Brando
    Marlon Brando
    • Colonel Walter E. Kurtzas Colonel Walter E. Kurtz
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgoreas Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore
    Frederic Forrest
    Frederic Forrest
    • Jay 'Chef' Hicksas Jay 'Chef' Hicks
    Sam Bottoms
    Sam Bottoms
    • Lance B. Johnsonas Lance B. Johnson
    Laurence Fishburne
    Laurence Fishburne
    • Tyrone 'Clean' Milleras Tyrone 'Clean' Miller
    • (as Larry Fishburne)
    Albert Hall
    Albert Hall
    • Chief Phillipsas Chief Phillips
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Colonel Lucasas Colonel Lucas
    Dennis Hopper
    Dennis Hopper
    • Photojournalistas Photojournalist
    G.D. Spradlin
    G.D. Spradlin
    • General R. Cormanas General R. Corman
    Jerry Ziesmer
    Jerry Ziesmer
    • Jerry, Civilianas Jerry, Civilian
    Scott Glenn
    Scott Glenn
    • Lieutenant Richard M. Colbyas Lieutenant Richard M. Colby
    Bo Byers
    • MP Sergeant #1as MP Sergeant #1
    James Keane
    James Keane
    • Kilgore's Gunneras Kilgore's Gunner
    Kerry Rossall
    Kerry Rossall
    • Mike from San Diegoas Mike from San Diego
    Ron McQueen
    • Injured Soldieras Injured Soldier
    Tom Mason
    Tom Mason
    • Supply Sergeantas Supply Sergeant
    Cynthia Wood
    • Playmate of the Yearas Playmate of the Year
    • Director
      • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Writers
      • John Milius
      • Francis Ford Coppola
      • Michael Herr(narration)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    It is the height of the war in Vietnam, and U.S. Army Captain Willard is sent by Colonel Lucas and a General to carry out a mission that, officially, 'does not exist - nor will it ever exist'. The mission: To seek out a mysterious Green Beret Colonel, Walter Kurtz, whose army has crossed the border into Cambodia and is conducting hit-and-run missions against the Viet Cong and NVA. The army believes Kurtz has gone completely insane and Willard's job is to eliminate him. Willard, sent up the Nung River on a U.S. Navy patrol boat, discovers that his target is one of the most decorated officers in the U.S. Army. His crew meets up with surfer-type Lt-Colonel Kilgore, head of a U.S Army helicopter cavalry group which eliminates a Viet Cong outpost to provide an entry point into the Nung River. After some hair-raising encounters, in which some of his crew are killed, Willard, Lance and Chef reach Colonel Kurtz's outpost, beyond the Do Lung Bridge. Now, after becoming prisoners of Kurtz, will Willard & the others be able to fulfill their mission? —Derek O'Cain
    • vietnam
    • vietnam war
    • jungle
    • insanity
    • secret mission
    • 213 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The Horror. . . The Horror. . .
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Mystery
      • War
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The United States military refused to lend Francis Ford Coppola any military equipment, due to the order to "kill Colonel Kurtz". Coppola instead had to borrow local military equipment.
    • Goofs
      When Captain Willard first meets Colonel Kilgore, they exchange salutes while they are still in a combat zone. It is usually military protocol not to salute in a combat zone. Saluting would show a possible sniper who the commanding officer is. (e.g. in Forrest Gump (1994) Lt. Dan correctly instructed Gump and Bubba not to salute him in the field.)
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Kurtz: [voiceover] The horror... the horror...

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits in the film. The title can be seen as graffiti in the Kurtz compound late in the film.
    • Alternate versions
      The theatrical and Redux DVDs released by Paramount Pictures and Lions Gate Studios in the United States, as well as the earlier letterbox VHS and LaserDisc releases, were re-framed in DP Vittorio Storaro's preferred 2.00:1 "Univision" format. The Lions Gate US Blu-ray release, however, restores the film's original 2.39:1 aspect ratio (although the packaging reads 2.35:1).
    • Connections
      Edited into Apocalypse Pooh (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      The End
      by Jim Morrison (as The Doors), Ray Manzarek (as The Doors), Robby Krieger (as The Doors), John Densmore (as The Doors)

      Performed by The Doors

      Courtesy of Elektra/Asylum Records

    User reviews1.3K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    You love it, or you hate it....
    As I peruse through the hundreds of comments that loyal readers of the IMDB have posted on this film, I find it very interesting how few ,"middle of the road" comments there are. Everyone either loves it, or they hate it. Having seen Apocalypse Now approximately 30 times, and having recently dissected it on DVD (how did we ever live without those magical digital machines?????), I can say without hesitation that I am one of those who have a very special place in my heart for this film. "Why would you like a film that's so confusing?" ask many of my associates. The answer is this: Forget the war, forget the brutality....This is a classic story of society protecting itself from those that refuse to fall in line with the status quo. Brando represents the individual that has his own way of getting the job done. They (Big Brother) sent him out to do the job, he does it too well, without adhering to the accepted "standards" of death and destruction (Am I the only one who's troubled by the fact that we have 'standards' for death and destruction????), so they send the "Conformity Police" out to eliminate the individual. Hmmmmmm....Draw any parallels between this and things you see every day? With the deepest respect to Mr. Coppola, whom I believe is one of the best directors of all time, I think he transcended his original intent of the movie, and probably didn't even realize it until after the movie was released. The subtle sub-text that permeates the entire movie has way too much to it to have been planned and portrayed; instead, it seems to have 'grown' itself, like some wild flower in the middle of a vegetable garden. Again I must reiterate: I think FF Coppola did a bang-up job on this entire production, as did the cast and crew, but the sum of the movie exceeds the individual efforts ten-fold. So if you haven't seen the movie, rent it, watch it, then watch it again, and maybe a few more times, and look for all the generic parallels to everyday life. Only then make a judgment on the quality of the film. Those of you that have seen it, watch it again with the mindset previously described. I think you may just have a whole new appreciation for the film. Or maybe not! No matter whether you love it or hate it, be sure and give credit to Coppola for his masterful story-telling style!
    helpful•360
    156
    • Cinema_Hound
    • Jun 25, 2001

    FAQ20

    • Where did the mail letters and packages come from after they crossed into Cambodia?
    • Why is "Heart of Darkness" not credited as the source material?
    • Why does Willard dispose of Kurtz's dossier before arriving at the compound?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 15, 1979 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • American Zoetrope
      • Official Site: Final Cut
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • Apocalypse Now: Final Cut
    • Filming locations
      • Baler Bay, Baler, Aurora, Philippines
    • Production companies
      • American Zoetrope
      • Zoetrope Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $31,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $83,471,511
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $118,558
      • Aug 19, 1979
    • Gross worldwide
      • $92,158,064
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 27 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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