When he says “To bring the enemy to a point where he simply will be unable to continue fighting” as the Vietnamese children slowly multiple around him. Symbolizing an essentially unlimited supply of future warriors. Shows how ludicrous the idea of a conventional ground war is against a guerrilla force of true believers. In their homeland none the less. Love this scene.
Very well put.You hit it right on the button. My father was a veteran and I've been realizing that I could love both sides because both sides were being subjugated
This scene never should have been cut from the original version. It is one of the most important parts of the story...Kurtz exposing/indicting those who sent Willard to kill him.
it doesn't fit with the rest of the film - it gives us a look into his demented human side, rather than the "kill with extreme prejudice" order of the original mission
@@AlonsoRules it's perfectly in sync with his other monologue about Willard being a clerk sent to collect a bill. I think it got cut because it was a bit repetitive of that same narrative, actually.
@@ernestodelaserna9494 its kind of an awkward scene. Plus Kurtz shouldn’t be on broad daylight like this. In the movie he was always hiding in the shadows.
@@kevinc.cucumber3697 not awkward at all compared to the ad-libbed diatribe about "a pile of little arms", "I wanted to tear my teeth out" etc. The daylight is actually appropriate here since Kurtz is shedding a whole bunch of daylight onto the shady PR that the "corporation" was spewing in the press during the ramp up and prosecution of the war.
This is arguably the best and most pertinent scene in the movie, particularly as its themes of hollow circularity apply directly to our efforts in Afghanistan.
This is probably the only scene that needed to STAY in the final cut, while the rest of the useless crap that eventually made it into "Redux" should have stayed on the cutting room floor.
that is why i didn't believe my dad appeared on this film because this scene was cut and when i got the uncut version of the film i immediately recognized my dad as one of the kids with brando
1:12 - Brando pushes one of the little kids aside so his shot isn’t messed up. I wonder how many takes getting the kids to not block the shot or not look at the camera this took . Cool for sharing about your dad. That is awesome.👏
@@TheDonDaDa707 that doesn't look anything close to a push. Looks like a gentle "let me talk to that guy" gesture. Added to the character of Kurtz. There was no Brando in that scene. He WAS Kurtz.
This has always been one of the best scenes for me, simply because of the way it’s shot. Shooting low (to hide Brando’s weight) & surrounding him by children really make him seem like a man of imposing & impressive stature, and whilst not perhaps intentional his hand movement when he opens the container door gives a real sense of strength to the character...the implication being that door probably weighs a fair bit but he just moves it with a wave of his hand
This might be just me, but I really am fascinated by Kurtz, so enigmatic and philosophical, and he wishes to explain how and why he became disillusioned by his government in their handling of the war. I would love to listen to him more. I love the shot at 0:00 to 0:07, the way the camera looks up at Kurtz like a god and how he opens the doors, even his presence feels hypnotic. And to note, I am 28, I first saw this movie when I was 16, I had been fascinated by Kurtz ever since, he is like my all-time favorite character, I wouldn't even dare to call him a villain, more like an honorable man whose tragically lost his way.
I dunno. When you've got decapitated heads and mutilated civilian bodies everywhere, and people viewing you as an unquestionable deity of some kind, it usually means your a villain. He's not wrong about the people he used to serve, but the methods and the bloodlust make him a villain. Don't matter cause, don't matter crazy, or honour, or duty or any of the rest like revenge etc.
He was driven insane by American exceptionalism and couldn't bear the thought of losing the war.....i've read the 1969 version and that Kurtz needed a strait jacket and rubber room.....he was TOTALLY nuts
the complete and utter disillusionment of the human spirit in the face of senseless war is better portrayed by Apocalypse Now than any other film before or since; the total combination of Coppola's vision and the incredible performances of every single actor in every single part large or small... absolutely beautiful and haunting at the same time
I wasn't entirely taken with all the added content in the Redux version, but this scene is a highlight. The "rebirth" of Willard into Kurtz's compound, the symbolism of the children and the very sound and light of the whole scene. And superb acting with the stoic presence of Brando and the silence-speaks-volumes of Sheen.
A lot has been said about Brando’s weight. For me, he has the broad physique to carry it. The shot of him turning his head when Willard appears to kill him is a good example. I think it fits with the narrative of a patriarchal despot. Reminds me of Autumn of the Patriarch.
Though it also works with Kurtz as a character. That he’s no longer the physically fit disciplined soldier, that he’s let himself go, lost all restraint, living in the jungle like some renegade despot.
Marlon Brando actually wanted to be called a different name the Kurtz in the movie. But while on break during the movie He read the Heart of Darkness and he's told the director Call me Kurtz. I got it and my god he did he delivered a masterpiece
Amen. Brando came from the ranks of the true actor. He went from the sexy, handsome hardcore dude ( Street Car...) to a ruthless, tired and bizarre character in Apololypse Now! to only mention a few of his great film acting. He had the ability to span such a vast range of characters. RIP A great actor.
Everyone says this is a was movie, but to me it's more if a psychological horror like the shining. Even though it takes place in Vietnam during the war it's really not really about the war. But more about the psychological effects of any war can have on the human mind. Its isnt even really an "anti-war" film. The screenplay director had very "hawkish" feelings about Vietnam. But he didn't want to shy away from the ugliness of what war was.
It depends on the ending. The common one we see today is a psychological descent into insanity. The ending where he blows up Kurtz compound brings it all back to being a war movie. Especially if you add the French scene.
Matthew Smith, don't you realize that this film was inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella, "Heart of Darkness," (1899) about the European incursion into Sub-Saharan Africa? In that story, Kurtz is an ivory trader who believes that he is bringing civilization and progress to the African natives, only to descend into barbarism himself. Another white man (Sheen's character) travels into the interior up a river to locate Kurtz, and he is appalled by Kurtz' behavior, not knowing what to make of it.
Brando presence in this movie is amazing , special forces colonel Insane , the assassin sent before you is there gone insane , so has the whole special forces team that's a tough place to be.
Kurtz is not insane or is Willard. Kurtz just realises the war in Vietnam is a waste of time and life and a lie. Willard is just a soldier carrying out orders.
Kurtz seems rather fatherly here. The way the kids gather around him kind of makes you forget that he's a mass murdering lunatic. The most unsettling part of this scene is that the kids know he's a mass murdering lunatic, yet they're completely comfortable with him even though he's slaughtered members of their families.
Genius...how things became more deranged as they got further and further down the river heading toward Kurts, until they reach Kurts, and complete derangement. Pure genius.
I see at a story similar to the Greek Odysseus story about the ship that gets lost and has travels to diffrent crazy mythical islands whilst trying to find their way hack
The shot of this are brilliant. So natural of how the children are comfortably accompanied with the strange yet interesting bulky man. When he sits, the kids settle. As he speaks, they are interested. This man, Kurtz, were a philosopher of war who can explain words that makes you feel in his time and place. What he saw, heard, felt and smelled would be long enough to write novels. His voice & insight of the irony on human behavior would stop others, only to open their ears along mind. Walter Kurtz's name was on main-priority to be executed due to his war crimes and excessive documented data; which were filed up in category to attack the politicians & government for their secrecy. The media may (within possibility) tampered the American reports from the proposed actions and conditions of the war; let alone soil of Vietnam and it's citizens. Kurtz, who has lived/witnessed the monstrosity conditioned by human behavior by all sides of the enemies had Kurtz weld a solid conclusion of the truth, and nothing but the truth. The truth to the dark side of the heart we all possess for the art on war. Politicians lie. Medea lies. Military lies. Government lies. Kurtz knew it all, he may have been driven mad but he solely lived in the truth, and he documented it all. Target's marked on his head. To be put down for the war crimes he committed which are no different to all others. It was all about concealing the truth.
He's like Watchmen's Comedian. Somebody who embraced the madness of society and chose to become its parody. He didn't enjoy himself like Eddie Blake did, though.
Was he driven mad or concluded that human madness is easier to deal with when it is out in the open rather than behind the veneer of 'neutrality' & 'due processes' ?
great scene..added in "redux" ..I love how surrealistic it is when Brando opens the container doors - everything...the trees, smoke, fog, sound design, is dreamlike, kind of like a trippy cartoon!
They’d have had to film him in a similar way to how they did here though, Holden is described as a giant and Brando is only quite short, he would have definitely nailed the persona of The Judge though.
@@boxmad5523 Yes, they would have had to do some camera trickery to make him appear much larger. I suspect if Blood Meridian is ever filmed, they will have to use CGI to achieve the judge's size.
@@gltwn to be honest as great as the novel is I just can’t for the life of me really see how it would work as a movie, same with The Catcher in the Rye.
And those were the best things in Redux, too. Why would Coppola cut out the best stuff from Redux but keep the less interesting stuff, like the draggy French plantation sequence, or Willard moronically stealing Kilgore's surfboard? He just can't let go of his masterpiece, it seems.
@@adamzanzie Not sure. Either edition, it's still a masterpiece. Don't know why he would leave it out, but those were good scenes. Seen it in IMAX and it was great regardless.
He's talking about Kurtz' own initial report to the Chiefs of Staff about the situation in Vietnam. Kurtz obviously told them how dire it was and how they needed to do much more but they covered it up as evidence of positive feedback.
For me Marlon looks so beautiful in the scenes. His sensual lips are always the eye catcher! 🤩 The mysterious role suits him well, as he always exudes something mysterious throughout his life. He's not acting. He IS the character. When he speaks in Apocalypse I'm so focused. I'm sitting right in front of him, not Sheen 🎉 RIP my friend. 🧚♂️💫 Love you 💞
To any Apocalypse Now fanatics...does anyone know what version of this movie, and at what time the infamous ear necklace scene is in, and who is wearing it? I've seen the Redux version of this movie many times and unless I'm missing it, I've never seen the ear necklace, though I heard it was in the movie. Thanks in advance! Great movie!
How can somebody see Kurtz radiate in his every word the pain and horror he felt towards what he did, hear him calling it all a necessity, and yet say this is not an anti-war movie...
this should've stayed in the Final Cut I reckon. it deals with the utter hypocrisy of war, which is a subplot throughout the film, but in this scene it becomes much more obviously (and visually) explicit.
Brando was a realist, he never read the script before shoot, se he always had cue cards set up for him to read while doing scenes. There are few scene where this is quite obvious for the viewer. For instance in Godfather -The Garden scene when he sits in the garden talking to Michael, you see he looks away from Michael half the time. He was in fact reading his lines.. But he was such a master at it that he made it part of the act.
Marsha Janulis Not atall, infact he actually showed up last minute onset and completely overweight and unprepared but when the camera started rolling, he blew it out of the water. He was a master at his job
This must be from "Hearts of Darkness" the "Apocalypse Now Redux", as I don't remember this scene from the original film, but I really like it. The older I get, the more like this scene and understand "Col. Kurtz" as being not as evil as he was supposed to be; but rather to have gained a full grasp of the total situation of the entire Vietnam situation, bot militarily and politically. He was wanted dead because he was clear on how to end the war quickly, which the politicians and military industrial complex didn't want, because it spelled the end of their profiteering regardless of the expense of countless lives, both U.S. and Vietnamese. Sad! And the idiots kept sending Special Forces operators, men of his ilk, intellect, training and mindset to kill a man who could easily manipulate those men's thinking into working and siding with him, as the were slowly brought full circle of the bullshit they'd been led to believe and what he was trying to do to throw a monkey wrench in the military industrial complex's master plans.
I think it's more that Vietnam could not be ended with a "Kill everyone that doesn't accept us" because that would make the Americans feel like they were just like the Europeans, violently creating an empire. The self delusion was more important than winning. In reality, the cold war was just another great game and that was behind most of the thinking going on. Ideologies about freedom were all a lie. The Americans chose to support their Colonial allies when it helped them. Lamamba was murdered with the support of the Americans while vietnam was getting going. The Soviets were bastards and just wanted it all for themselves.
How do you feel about Ukraine? Maybe we should just give Putin the eastern third of the country and declare a peace. That’ll put a monkey wrench in the profiteering of the MIC.
Look at capt.Willard eyes “this mission ain’t over till your dead” I think Kurtz knows that his days are numbered anyway and no matter what he’s got one foot in the grave
They filmed this in the Phillipines. I only just learned that yesterday. When I was in 1st grade we visited Manilla during Christmas. It rains a lot around that time. And believe you me, it was so unbearably hot when we landed off the plane, I asked my mother, "Mom, can we go home?"
This should have been the first scene appearance with Brando. Instead it was cut and not shown until redux. This scene is probably the most important scene in the movie.
I disagree with the idea of this scene being the first scene with Brando, his introduction with "Errand Boy" was perfect, keeping him lurking in shadows until he reveals his face.
Coppola kept this out of the latest cut because he said the point of this scene was to criticize Time magazine for their propaganda during the war, and it doesn't translate as well through a modern lens because Time isn't popular like it once was. I think it was a mistake to leave this out, not just because of Brando's great performance, shot composition, etc, but also the idea of the American media being a propaganda machine in war time didn't end in Vietnam. Just look at the New York Times coverage of Iraq. I'm disappointed he left this out.
Hell just look at Vice and its coverage of the Libyan war. Hell just look at the whole western media when Syria is getting butt fucked by """freedom fighters"""". As much as I wanted the US to at least behave, their media and their big corpo government controlled by zog bots is just so infuriating to watch and see how they continue to do the hypocrisy they are so aware of doing.
I remember an interview conducted by Tom Snyder of Martin Sheen where Sheen says 'the final version isn't fair to Marlon: for instance, there are hours of footage of Marlon speaking in French.'
They cut this scene because of the issue of a shipping container in the middle of the jungle. How did the container get there? He should have been tied up in a bamboo cage like he was when Chef's head was dumped on him. Really how did a shipping container end up in the middle of dense jungle?
Is it just me or was Brando's weight really not that bad here? I mean, for being in his 50s, he doesn't really look bad at all. I don't get why Brando's weight was such a big deal for Coppola?
He's clearly very overweight, but it rather suits him that way, and would suit the Kurtz character if they had gone with their original plan of making the gluttony and excess a part of him now he is godlike in the jungle. Focused on it as a part of the plot instead of hiding his belly etc.
They are talking about him being obese. That is not obese. He is overweight. I think it suits it but great use of lighting and angles so the audience doesn't see much of him.
he was a bit overweight but thats about it. Brando was a strong, bulky man and didnt even have a double chin at this point. later in his life he was clearly obese.
How he talks to Williard at the end really makes you understand how the first guy sent to kill Kurtz ended up working for and with him. He gives Willard just enough freedom to make him believe he actually isnt a prisoner there and then all it takes is one disillusioned soldier speaking to another and suddenly Kurtz has a new ally.
I think an important scene - in a way, it 'humanises' and contrasts Kurtz with the symbolism of light and children around him. At the same time, his facial expression is grim as he relays the articles. Meanwhile, Willard is in darkness, alone with the light shining on his face from kurtz's 'children.' The paradox is that it is Willard, the assassin and 'good' guy, whom seems to have been transformed into an insane, dark person in spite of captivity. Whom is more evil and mad?
The observation about this scene being at odds with the others of Kurtz for the reason that it brings him into the light is not only well observed, it’s perfectly reasonable. To see-value your comment as “reaching” is, to me, somewhat unkind. I happen to agree with you and feel that this scene de-mythologized Kurtz a bit. Although Brando is superb in this scene, his reading of the article is perceptibly less measured and poetic than other scenes. In a way, part of me wishes I had not seen it, although curiosity and a desire to see more of Brando won out in the end. Thanks for your keen observation friend.
It's a shame the tone of this scene is so out of whack with the rest of the final act. That's obviously why Coppola left it out of his Final Cut. We see why Kurtz's serial killing is tolerated by those of his tribe who live in fear of being killed by him. He loves all their kids! And no, I'm not being sarcastic.
Later when he has him strung up he quotes Time as the current status of the war being a " mop up operation" and concludes " does this look like a mop up operation to you soldier?" To me Willard is the villain for killing Kurtz at the end...Why kill him? He's fighting the NVC. When the US finally pulls out he'll be left behind. It's evil to murder him like a sacrificial cow.
When Brando asks Willard how do they smell to you solider, Marlon stuck to his method acting and released loud noxious flatulence 💨💨💨 which had to be dubbed out 😂
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
Good opportunity for Brando to read his lines off paper.
I like how kids are playing around a guy who can take down an entire country and has a whole squad under his finger.
@@visiblehiggs130 squad? Bruh more like an army lol
@@thermonuclear8335 yea a battalion
Funny. Ha ha. True that
Funny . You’re probably right
When he says “To bring the enemy to a point where he simply will be unable to continue fighting” as the Vietnamese children slowly multiple around him. Symbolizing an essentially unlimited supply of future warriors. Shows how ludicrous the idea of a conventional ground war is against a guerrilla force of true believers. In their homeland none the less. Love this scene.
That and totally cutting off your allies from all supplies after you pull out.
@@barbados3592 LOL the US is sooo bad at diplomacy, it's hurts to just watch them self destruct diplomatically.
Very well put.You hit it right on the button. My father was a veteran and I've been realizing that I could love both sides because both sides were being subjugated
@@hoseashon8302 the US is like a hysterical woman in terms of diplomacy. the country’s youth really shows itself in that regard
what a psychopathic analysis holy shit
This scene never should have been cut from the original version. It is one of the most important parts of the story...Kurtz exposing/indicting those who sent Willard to kill him.
it doesn't fit with the rest of the film - it gives us a look into his demented human side, rather than the "kill with extreme prejudice" order of the original mission
@@AlonsoRules it's perfectly in sync with his other monologue about Willard being a clerk sent to collect a bill. I think it got cut because it was a bit repetitive of that same narrative, actually.
@@ernestodelaserna9494 its kind of an awkward scene. Plus Kurtz shouldn’t be on broad daylight like this. In the movie he was always hiding in the shadows.
@@kevinc.cucumber3697 not awkward at all compared to the ad-libbed diatribe about "a pile of little arms", "I wanted to tear my teeth out" etc. The daylight is actually appropriate here since Kurtz is shedding a whole bunch of daylight onto the shady PR that the "corporation" was spewing in the press during the ramp up and prosecution of the war.
@@ernestodelaserna9494 eh i think you’re reaching a little bit with the daylight.
I love how Brando doesn’t break character when the kid was in the way… he slightly moves him n stays in character
This is the only time Kurtz is ever seen in daylight.
That's why it was right for Coppola to delete it. Glad it isn't in the Final Cut.
@@kurtrivero368 I watched the final cut and it was in it
@@oshaqlaghari9591 No it was not.
@@oshaqlaghari9591 it wasnt
Cauae marlon brando was like 300 pounds lol
RIP Marlon Brando (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004), aged 80
You will be remembered as a legend.
As a fat legend, but yes
The fact that this was cut out of the "Final Cut" version of the movie disappoints me. This was one of my favorite scenes.
I think the Final Cut should have added even more Brando scenes. If they can find more.
This is arguably the best and most pertinent scene in the movie, particularly as its themes of hollow circularity apply directly to our efforts in Afghanistan.
This is probably the only scene that needed to STAY in the final cut, while the rest of the useless crap that eventually made it into "Redux" should have stayed on the cutting room floor.
that is why i didn't believe my dad appeared on this film because this scene was cut and when i got the uncut version of the film i immediately recognized my dad as one of the kids with brando
It was for a very BIG reason
my dad said he was part of this film i didnt believe him until i saw this scene and im damn proud!!
1:12 - Brando pushes one of the little kids aside so his shot isn’t messed up. I wonder how many takes getting the kids to not block the shot or not look at the camera this took . Cool for sharing about your dad. That is awesome.👏
@@TheDonDaDa707 indeed it is awesome i believe he was around 6 or 7 yrs old he is the small kid at the back of Brando
Wow that's cool.
@Randy White he's the kid behind brando right side
@@TheDonDaDa707 that doesn't look anything close to a push. Looks like a gentle "let me talk to that guy" gesture. Added to the character of Kurtz. There was no Brando in that scene. He WAS Kurtz.
I know what Martin Scorsese meant when he said what Brando does is not acting, it's behaviour. He is so fascinating to watch.
Brando took his time. He was the master of the slow burn
No he doesnt. And you dont too. Acting is acting.
Those children are priceless. They probably never realized they were being filmed.
Huh
Yeah they’re Vietnamese so they much be so stupid and can’t even recognise a film crew, cameras, lighting rigs.
This has always been one of the best scenes for me, simply because of the way it’s shot.
Shooting low (to hide Brando’s weight) & surrounding him by children really make him seem like a man of imposing & impressive stature, and whilst not perhaps intentional his hand movement when he opens the container door gives a real sense of strength to the character...the implication being that door probably weighs a fair bit but he just moves it with a wave of his hand
I've worked with containers. Those doors aren't that hard to open lol
He looked great. He looked monumental. He wasn't fat here
@@roddyboethius1722thanks to Coppola. He was over 300 pounds reportedly, and he was supposed to be emancipated
emaciated
This might be just me, but I really am fascinated by Kurtz, so enigmatic and philosophical, and he wishes to explain how and why he became disillusioned by his government in their handling of the war. I would love to listen to him more. I love the shot at 0:00 to 0:07, the way the camera looks up at Kurtz like a god and how he opens the doors, even his presence feels hypnotic. And to note, I am 28, I first saw this movie when I was 16, I had been fascinated by Kurtz ever since, he is like my all-time favorite character, I wouldn't even dare to call him a villain, more like an honorable man whose tragically lost his way.
I dunno. When you've got decapitated heads and mutilated civilian bodies everywhere, and people viewing you as an unquestionable deity of some kind, it usually means your a villain.
He's not wrong about the people he used to serve, but the methods and the bloodlust make him a villain. Don't matter cause, don't matter crazy, or honour, or duty or any of the rest like revenge etc.
Brando was totally memorising as Kurtz.A man lost in the jungle at the end of the river reading poetry out loud !
He was driven insane by American exceptionalism and couldn't bear the thought of losing the war.....i've read the 1969 version and that Kurtz needed a strait jacket and rubber room.....he was TOTALLY nuts
You are nit alone. He's the greatest character on film ino and barely fleshed out. But it's all there in background
the complete and utter disillusionment of the human spirit in the face of senseless war is better portrayed by Apocalypse Now than any other film before or since; the total combination of Coppola's vision and the incredible performances of every single actor in every single part large or small... absolutely beautiful and haunting at the same time
I think you got the gist of it.
I wasn't entirely taken with all the added content in the Redux version, but this scene is a highlight. The "rebirth" of Willard into Kurtz's compound, the symbolism of the children and the very sound and light of the whole scene. And superb acting with the stoic presence of Brando and the silence-speaks-volumes of Sheen.
A lot has been said about Brando’s weight. For me, he has the broad physique to carry it. The shot of him turning his head when Willard appears to kill him is a good example. I think it fits with the narrative of a patriarchal despot. Reminds me of Autumn of the Patriarch.
Him being overweight kinda makes sense considering how The tribe views him as god. He gets the most food
Compared to half the population of my local Walmart, he is a very healthy weight in my eyes.
He looked great here: powerful and massive. He didn't look fat at all.
Though it also works with Kurtz as a character. That he’s no longer the physically fit disciplined soldier, that he’s let himself go, lost all restraint, living in the jungle like some renegade despot.
The underlying themes of this scene is pure art….the kids flock around Kurtz like some little minions around their creator.
Marlon Brando actually wanted to be called a different name the Kurtz in the movie. But while on break during the movie He read the Heart of Darkness and he's told the director Call me Kurtz. I got it and my god he did he delivered a masterpiece
Amen. Brando came from the ranks of the true actor. He went from the sexy, handsome hardcore dude ( Street Car...) to a ruthless, tired and bizarre character in Apololypse Now! to only mention a few of his great film acting. He had the ability to span such a vast range of characters. RIP A great actor.
@@jujumulligan43 Tom Hardy reminds me of Him
@@Pinkranger87Tom hardy ain't quite there yet.
Everyone says this is a was movie, but to me it's more if a psychological horror like the shining.
Even though it takes place in Vietnam during the war it's really not really about the war. But more about the psychological effects of any war can have on the human mind.
Its isnt even really an "anti-war" film. The screenplay director had very "hawkish" feelings about Vietnam. But he didn't want to shy away from the ugliness of what war was.
It depends on the ending. The common one we see today is a psychological descent into insanity. The ending where he blows up Kurtz compound brings it all back to being a war movie. Especially if you add the French scene.
@Qimodis you can look at it like that. But the director said " it's not pro war nor anti war"
Matthew Smith, don't you realize that this film was inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella, "Heart of Darkness," (1899) about the European incursion into Sub-Saharan Africa? In that story, Kurtz is an ivory trader who believes that he is bringing civilization and progress to the African natives, only to descend into barbarism himself. Another white man (Sheen's character) travels into the interior up a river to locate Kurtz, and he is appalled by Kurtz' behavior, not knowing what to make of it.
I thought this movie was kind of like Spec Ops the Line if it was a movie.
"My film is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam"
While this scene is nice, I can see why it was cut... it makes Kurtz look like a History professor with his favourite student lol
Showing Kurtz in the day time gives the viewer a chance to see his demented human side. It is only at night when the real monster comes out.
🤌
Love the way brando does a sideways smirk and completely stares out Sheen when he stops half way through the article. 👍
Brando was in better shape here than some of the brass we see in military command today.
Outstanding cinematography and glad I to have seen it.
Brando was utterly mesmerising as Kurtz !
Amazing scene, can't believe it was cut!
Brando presence in this movie is amazing , special forces colonel Insane , the assassin sent before you is there gone insane , so has the whole special forces team that's a tough place to be.
They weren't insane. They were right. We need a Colonel Kurtz today. In America.
Kurtz is not insane or is Willard. Kurtz just realises the war in Vietnam is a waste of time and life and a lie. Willard is just a soldier carrying out orders.
@@leroyhovatter7051 no he just cuts people's heads off for the fun of it 🙄
@@mogg34y he probably told Chef not to call in an air strike.
But Chef refused and Kurtz killed him
@@louisconstantine8578 what about the cambodians, vietnamese and other asian women, kids and men s heads or dead bodies we see in kurtz's base?
Kurtz seems rather fatherly here. The way the kids gather around him kind of makes you forget that he's a mass murdering lunatic. The most unsettling part of this scene is that the kids know he's a mass murdering lunatic, yet they're completely comfortable with him even though he's slaughtered members of their families.
He ain't no lunatic. He's probably the most sane person in the film.
Hey, kids- it’s story time with Col. Kurtz! Today- “The War on the Horizon”
*YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY*
Genius...how things became more deranged as they got further and further down the river heading toward Kurts, until they reach Kurts, and complete derangement. Pure genius.
I see at a story similar to the Greek Odysseus story about the ship that gets lost and has travels to diffrent crazy mythical islands whilst trying to find their way hack
The shot of this are brilliant. So natural of how the children are comfortably accompanied with the strange yet interesting bulky man. When he sits, the kids settle. As he speaks, they are interested. This man, Kurtz, were a philosopher of war who can explain words that makes you feel in his time and place. What he saw, heard, felt and smelled would be long enough to write novels.
His voice & insight of the irony on human behavior would stop others, only to open their ears along mind.
Walter Kurtz's name was on main-priority to be executed due to his war crimes and excessive documented data; which were filed up in category to attack the politicians & government for their secrecy. The media may (within possibility) tampered the American reports from the proposed actions and conditions of the war; let alone soil of Vietnam and it's citizens.
Kurtz, who has lived/witnessed the monstrosity conditioned by human behavior by all sides of the enemies had Kurtz weld a solid conclusion of the truth, and nothing but the truth. The truth to the dark side of the heart we all possess for the art on war.
Politicians lie. Medea lies. Military lies. Government lies. Kurtz knew it all, he may have been driven mad but he solely lived in the truth, and he documented it all. Target's marked on his head. To be put down for the war crimes he committed which are no different to all others. It was all about concealing the truth.
He's like Watchmen's Comedian. Somebody who embraced the madness of society and chose to become its parody. He didn't enjoy himself like Eddie Blake did, though.
Was he driven mad or concluded that human madness is easier to deal with when it is out in the open rather than behind the veneer of 'neutrality' & 'due processes' ?
it happens to be that one of those kids is my father!
He was awake. The most feard men to Bushes Obama’s Jews Zionists is a free thinking mind without stigma and television
It's good this was cut from the initial and final cuts as it's incongruent to the rest of the third act.
I see your point but is a good scene though
It’s sad that the most famous part of this film is the air cav segment there’s so much more to this film than just “Charlie don’t surf”.
Been waiting for this scene to be uploaded
I love this scene. Brando's magnetism is awe-inspiring.
Marlon Rules..Incredibl acting as Kurtz!!
This is literally himself
great scene..added in "redux" ..I love how surrealistic it is when Brando opens the container doors - everything...the trees, smoke, fog, sound design, is dreamlike, kind of like a trippy cartoon!
Brando would be a great judge Holden.
Brando is the only actor who could play Holden. There is no actor alive today who could acceptably portray Holden.
He would have been fucking terrifying
They’d have had to film him in a similar way to how they did here though, Holden is described as a giant and Brando is only quite short, he would have definitely nailed the persona of The Judge though.
@@boxmad5523 Yes, they would have had to do some camera trickery to make him appear much larger. I suspect if Blood Meridian is ever filmed, they will have to use CGI to achieve the judge's size.
@@gltwn to be honest as great as the novel is I just can’t for the life of me really see how it would work as a movie, same with The Catcher in the Rye.
MARLON BRANDO THE KING OF ACTORS
People say about his weight but to me he doesn't even look particularly overweight here. Incredible face and presence
That's Marlon Brando for you. He just oozed charisma
Homer Simpson being 260 lbs was considered comically obese in 1990, he looks fine considering the blobs walking around today
Brando reach new heights on this movie 🎦. What a great actor.
The funniest part of this scene is the idea that Time magazine has ever or will ever print the truth about anything
the power of brando is astounding
Marlon Brando's apearance in all three versions of the movie were way too short.
Demigod that’s a stupid reason.
Sarah but the real reason
Brando's talents were the reason y
it was short to make ppl want to see more of him
listen to the opinions of the ppl who produced and created this film not ppl not youtubers
it wouldn’t have worked if he had been in it longer. The point is that the whole film builds up to the final act where Willard finally reaches Kurtz.
This scene, and the second Playboy scene (at the camp) wasn't included in the Final Cut, but rather the Redux version. :)
And those were the best things in Redux, too. Why would Coppola cut out the best stuff from Redux but keep the less interesting stuff, like the draggy French plantation sequence, or Willard moronically stealing Kilgore's surfboard? He just can't let go of his masterpiece, it seems.
@@adamzanzie Not sure. Either edition, it's still a masterpiece. Don't know why he would leave it out, but those were good scenes. Seen it in IMAX and it was great regardless.
As I recall, the Final Cut trimmed down the plantation scene too.
@@rash1990ful The plantation scene is still long as hell in the Final Cut, though.
But at least they kept the scene in which Willard gets laid.
Brando Rules incredible acting !!
Sheens character here has been through so much up to this point, its a surprise hes still sane
1:25 to 1:52, is the article Kurtz is reading out about the JFK assassination files?
He's talking about Kurtz' own initial report to the Chiefs of Staff about the situation in Vietnam. Kurtz obviously told them how dire it was and how they needed to do much more but they covered it up as evidence of positive feedback.
Brando's actually reading Ram-Rod magazine to amuse Sheen after his heart attack.
Just watched the Final Cut.
I can understand why they cut it out of the film but it's still a decent and poignant scene nonetheless.
He seems too human in this scene.
Probably intentional. The children around him look happy and safe around him in the sunlight. But in the darkness, he's evil incarnate.
That's what makes this scene so great. This man is insane and he has a army of children around him that would kill for him.
@@musicaleuphoria8699 He isn't evil
@@AimForMyHead81 Mmm, I guess. But he is a force not to be messed with.
He’s evil.
Back in the 70s Brando here was considered to be fat
He was well built. He wasn't fat at all
For me Marlon looks so beautiful in the scenes. His sensual lips are always the eye catcher! 🤩 The mysterious role suits him well, as he always exudes something mysterious throughout his life. He's not acting. He IS the character. When he speaks in Apocalypse I'm so focused. I'm sitting right in front of him, not Sheen 🎉 RIP my friend. 🧚♂️💫 Love you 💞
Well said.
After watching Kitchen Nightmares I expected him to say "hello, my names Ninooooooo!" when he opened that container
Marlon Brando one of the best actors ever
Brando had the perfect vertex.
“How do they smell to you soldier?”
2:29 *HOW DO THEY SMELL to you, soldier?* 😆😆😆😆
To any Apocalypse Now fanatics...does anyone know what version of this movie, and at what time the infamous ear necklace scene is in, and who is wearing it? I've seen the Redux version of this movie many times and unless I'm missing it, I've never seen the ear necklace, though I heard it was in the movie. Thanks in advance! Great movie!
How can somebody see Kurtz radiate in his every word the pain and horror he felt towards what he did, hear him calling it all a necessity, and yet say this is not an anti-war movie...
You could say he’s a victim, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be held accountable.
What version of the movie is this in. I watched the redux version on Amazon prime and it wasn’t in it
this should've stayed in the Final Cut I reckon. it deals with the utter hypocrisy of war, which is a subplot throughout the film, but in this scene it becomes much more obviously (and visually) explicit.
I've seen the original and the Final Cut and this isn't in either. Is this only in the Redux cut?
theLonelyCultureShow I have the 2001 version on dvd. And still not on it
Yes this is a scene only in the Redux cut of the movie.
THIS SCENE IS SO LEGENDARY RIP TO MARLON BRANDO BALD MAN VERY VERY IMPORTANT SCENE😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎👏👏👏👏👏😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
is it true Brando had to be fed his lines? I have not seen this movie, is it worth watching?
Yessss!!!! If only for Brando alone, however, the whole thing is stunning!
No in fact the vast majority of his lines were improvised.
Brando was a realist, he never read the script before shoot, se he always had cue cards set up for him to read while doing scenes. There are few scene where this is quite obvious for the viewer. For instance in Godfather -The Garden scene when he sits in the garden talking to Michael, you see he looks away from Michael half the time. He was in fact reading his lines.. But he was such a master at it that he made it part of the act.
Marsha Janulis Not atall, infact he actually showed up last minute onset and completely overweight and unprepared but when the camera started rolling, he blew it out of the water. He was a master at his job
This must be from "Hearts of Darkness" the "Apocalypse Now Redux", as I don't remember this scene from the original film, but I really like it. The older I get, the more like this scene and understand "Col. Kurtz" as being not as evil as he was supposed to be; but rather to have gained a full grasp of the total situation of the entire Vietnam situation, bot militarily and politically. He was wanted dead because he was clear on how to end the war quickly, which the politicians and military industrial complex didn't want, because it spelled the end of their profiteering regardless of the expense of countless lives, both U.S. and Vietnamese. Sad! And the idiots kept sending Special Forces operators, men of his ilk, intellect, training and mindset to kill a man who could easily manipulate those men's thinking into working and siding with him, as the were slowly brought full circle of the bullshit they'd been led to believe and what he was trying to do to throw a monkey wrench in the military industrial complex's master plans.
I think it's more that Vietnam could not be ended with a "Kill everyone that doesn't accept us" because that would make the Americans feel like they were just like the Europeans, violently creating an empire. The self delusion was more important than winning.
In reality, the cold war was just another great game and that was behind most of the thinking going on. Ideologies about freedom were all a lie. The Americans chose to support their Colonial allies when it helped them. Lamamba was murdered with the support of the Americans while vietnam was getting going. The Soviets were bastards and just wanted it all for themselves.
How do you feel about Ukraine? Maybe we should just give Putin the eastern third of the country and declare a peace. That’ll put a monkey wrench in the profiteering of the MIC.
Marlon Brando a legend of acting a gifted actor and a brilliant human being
"How do they smell to you, soldier?"
Having just watched the first polio outbreak in 25 years in Gaza, that hits hard.
Seeing Kurtz in the sunlight was far scarier than his fleeting appearances in the dark.
Look at capt.Willard eyes “this mission ain’t over till your dead” I think Kurtz knows that his days are numbered anyway and no matter what he’s got one foot in the grave
Kurtz wanted it. His last chance was to get in Willard’s head before he had to die. Willard is fucked in the head forever after that mission.
What's weird about this scene is that Kurtz looks like Willard and Willard looks like Kurtz
Juxtaposition.
This should be in all versions as is about the pentagon papers leaks and the lies (adds to lies theme in film)
ii fkn love it !!!
They filmed this in the Phillipines. I only just learned that yesterday. When I was in 1st grade we visited Manilla during Christmas. It rains a lot around that time. And believe you me, it was so unbearably hot when we landed off the plane, I asked my mother, "Mom, can we go home?"
When the movie takes place? 68?
It takes place in late 1969
So realistic. It's like he isn't even acting. It is like this what he is in real life too.
Masterpiece
0:36 He's like, "Oh God, this guy's nuts...."
This should have been the first scene appearance with Brando. Instead it was cut and not shown until redux. This scene is probably the most important scene in the movie.
I disagree with the idea of this scene being the first scene with Brando, his introduction with "Errand Boy" was perfect, keeping him lurking in shadows until he reveals his face.
This wasn't in the 1979 theatrical cut though, It's in the 2001 'Redux' edition.
Tony Poe , former CIA operative is the closest real life person to Kurtz. Look him up, very interesting person to say the least
Coppola kept this out of the latest cut because he said the point of this scene was to criticize Time magazine for their propaganda during the war, and it doesn't translate as well through a modern lens because Time isn't popular like it once was. I think it was a mistake to leave this out, not just because of Brando's great performance, shot composition, etc, but also the idea of the American media being a propaganda machine in war time didn't end in Vietnam. Just look at the New York Times coverage of Iraq. I'm disappointed he left this out.
Hell just look at Vice and its coverage of the Libyan war. Hell just look at the whole western media when Syria is getting butt fucked by """freedom fighters"""". As much as I wanted the US to at least behave, their media and their big corpo government controlled by zog bots is just so infuriating to watch and see how they continue to do the hypocrisy they are so aware of doing.
The only actor that could have played The Judge in Blood Meridian
He had it all
Marlon was simply memorising as Kurtz !!
If there's one thing Brando didn't do it was memorise!
Memorizing*
Martin sheen was good too
1:16 Marlon Brando having to concentrate for not loose the character's interpretation.
I remember an interview conducted by Tom Snyder of Martin Sheen where Sheen says 'the final version isn't fair to Marlon: for instance, there are hours of footage of Marlon speaking in French.'
They cut this scene because of the issue of a shipping container in the middle of the jungle. How did the container get there? He should have been tied up in a bamboo cage like he was when Chef's head was dumped on him. Really how did a shipping container end up in the middle of dense jungle?
It's a United States Army / Air Force Conex Container. They were used to transport military equipment
@@thunderbolt2145 - OK but I'm wondering how did it get way deep into the jungle? The river looks to be the only way in there ...
Brilliant....compelling....adorable....
Brando at his absolute best.
this makes Kurtz seems less mystical if that makes sense. I think it makes sense to cut the scene.
This should of been in the final cut
Is it just me or was Brando's weight really not that bad here? I mean, for being in his 50s, he doesn't really look bad at all. I don't get why Brando's weight was such a big deal for Coppola?
He's clearly very overweight, but it rather suits him that way, and would suit the Kurtz character if they had gone with their original plan of making the gluttony and excess a part of him now he is godlike in the jungle. Focused on it as a part of the plot instead of hiding his belly etc.
a bit overweight. that midsection is quite full. face, neck looks ok.
They are talking about him being obese. That is not obese. He is overweight. I think it suits it but great use of lighting and angles so the audience doesn't see much of him.
he was a bit overweight but thats about it. Brando was a strong, bulky man and didnt even have a double chin at this point. later in his life he was clearly obese.
How he talks to Williard at the end really makes you understand how the first guy sent to kill Kurtz ended up working for and with him. He gives Willard just enough freedom to make him believe he actually isnt a prisoner there and then all it takes is one disillusioned soldier speaking to another and suddenly Kurtz has a new ally.
I think an important scene - in a way, it 'humanises' and contrasts Kurtz with the symbolism of light and children around him. At the same time, his facial expression is grim as he relays the articles. Meanwhile, Willard is in darkness, alone with the light shining on his face from kurtz's 'children.' The paradox is that it is Willard, the assassin and 'good' guy, whom seems to have been transformed into an insane, dark person in spite of captivity. Whom is more evil and mad?
AWESOME BRANDO AMAZING MARTIN SHEEN IS ALWAYS BRILLIANT
Just saying, this is not from the 1979 version of Apocalypse Now
The observation about this scene being at odds with the others of Kurtz for the reason that it brings him into the light is not only well observed, it’s perfectly reasonable. To see-value your comment as “reaching” is, to me, somewhat unkind. I happen to agree with you and feel that this scene de-mythologized Kurtz a bit. Although Brando is superb in this scene, his reading of the article is perceptibly less measured and poetic than other scenes. In a way, part of me wishes I had not seen it, although curiosity and a desire to see more of Brando won out in the end. Thanks for your keen observation friend.
It's a shame the tone of this scene is so out of whack with the rest of the final act. That's obviously why Coppola left it out of his Final Cut.
We see why Kurtz's serial killing is tolerated by those of his tribe who live in fear of being killed by him. He loves all their kids! And no, I'm not being sarcastic.
Later when he has him strung up he quotes Time as the current status of the war being a " mop up operation" and concludes " does this look like a mop up operation to you soldier?" To me Willard is the villain for killing Kurtz at the end...Why kill him? He's fighting the NVC. When the US finally pulls out he'll be left behind. It's evil to murder him like a sacrificial cow.
When Brando asks Willard how do they smell to you solider, Marlon stuck to his method acting and released loud noxious flatulence 💨💨💨 which had to be dubbed out 😂
I interpreted this as Kurtz being god and his angels, watching down on Willard, and watching with curiosity
1:52 "are you listen to me?"
Kurtz conveying so much with that look. I thought it was more him telling Willard to "pay attention. this is important, im making a point."