Man, everybody talks about Brando and he is amazing, but Martin Sheen was fucking incredible in this movie as well. "I don't see... any method... at all, sir."
Sheen is great because brando raised the level...just like in enter the dragon all of the martial arts fighters in that movie are not that good bruce lee made them better...
That line cuts through so much of the human existence. such a powerful metaphor for so many things I have encountered in my life but essentially describes how Americans at the core, within our heart of darkness feel about our Military and our soldiers of war.
He showed up overweight, unrehearsed..yet he nailed this scene better than anyone ever could have..that unblinking eye contact and the facial expressions would send shivers down the spine of the toughest badasses
I think the movie would've aged just as well if they (Coppola alone?) weren't shy about showing more of Brando's physique. Yes he's an ex soldier but you can emphasis on his gluttony just being apart of his insanity and complete disconnection with mankind. I dunno I find it hard to picture audiences back then being distracted or taken out of the movie because the Marlon Brando they all know and love is looking pretty chubby these days. But showing up unrehearsed is definitely unprofessional and childish it doesn't matter who you are.
It's Brando... I was gonna reply my opinion on Brando, screw my opinion. I will mention the opinions of others who worked with him. Look up any actors, who've worked with Brandos', opinion on him. I've never heard him described as anything less than a master, of his craft... I mean, it's Marlon Brando. His name has become synonymous with great acting, y'know...
@@TheworldofAR15 you clearly don’t know what Green Berets are essentially “born” to do. They create hostile insurgencies, and foment them until properly integrated into an “army.” This situation, as portrayed in Apocalypse Now, has actually happened, a number of times. Even in Afghanistan. Look up Colonel Poshepny (who Kurz was basically modeled from,) or Major Jim Gant (he still does lectures at universities to this day)
@@waldomccluskey4568 You are so right! Not event that, today "actors" can not even make a single sentence that sounds witty or troughtful in any way. If recomend you talk show of Dick Cavett with Marlon Brando, it is just .- legendary!
Yep too bad that same director went downhill the following decade and hasn't the same since he forever sucked while Scorsese, Spielberg and DePalma would continue to flourish
The genius part of what Brando did with this character is the fact that Kurtz is a student of war who is first an expert of war in the scholastic sense... a man who has trained his entire life to be a expert of war... but when he actually experiences the insanity and chaos of it he realizes he must allow himself to become a monster... because only by becoming a monster can he truly be a master at what he has trained his entire life for... “horror and mortal terror are you’re friends, if they are not they are enemies to be feared...” how Brando could have that deep of insight without himself experiencing combat is truly astounding... he understood humanity on a level beyond comprehension
Coppola was trying to hide Brando's bulk in this scene with light and shadow; to great great dramatic effect. The Baron's bulk is a point of emphasis in the way he is depicted. The mannerisms are the same.
@@ForbinColossus although I DO like that quote, am fond of Mr. Thompson in general, and don't necessarily disagree with that statement. You do realize that quote is the EXACT opposite of this situation, and my comment. You're Thompson quote is tantamount to 1 + 1 = 2, while my statement is tantamount to 1 + 1 = 11... E.g. Thompson; weird + weird = professional, or same + same = different. While my statement; insane + insane = insane AND insane, or same + same = two of the same...
I worked in upper level managment for a major corporation 22 years until I came to the realization that what Kurtz and Willard have in common was essentially the core of my existence at my job.
The whole movie is spent in the river building up to this point, and Kurtz asks “How far are you from the river?” and the question just floats in the air for a moment too long, making the viewer question his own sanity. Pure unadulterated genius.
The creeking of the bed as he sat up was genius, enough to show he was a big menacing physical presence but not enough to where he sounded like an obese lard ass
i watched the 3 hour version of this film for the first time yesterday and i really enjoyed it. 3 hours that really encapsulated the dwindling humanity and psyche of a soldier in that war, i felt like i was going looney. paired with the fucking awesome build up of meeting Kurtz, Brando's performance was god damn memorising and haunting.
It gets even weirder when your sleep schedule is a mess, you last recall being awake at 16.00, now it's suddenly 03.00. I can't sleep anymore, my internal clock is all sorts of fucked up and I'm tired as hell despite just sleeping 11 hours, and the time I woke up in makes me feel disconnected from reality, so what do I do? Watch Apocalypse Now for 3 hours and embrace the insanity.
This scene is just master craft. Keeping his face within the dark or barely visible until that last line is just a great way to reveal him as a character, getting to know who he is before seeing what he is.
I don't think he's angry. I think he's just squeezing the water out of his hand. He seems beyond emotion. Totally outside of human instinct, or even indignance at being called insane.
@@banzaiboy1597 brando was a master - his emotion of rage is seen in the action- perfectly timed and perfectly executed. Real movie making- of which we've lost today.
Kurtz: You think I'm insane? I heard there was this captain back in Saigon. Got really drunk one night in his hotel room in Saigon, got all naked and karate chopped a mirror, ended up lying on the floor bleeding and crying like a baby!
Even though Marlon Brando being overweight wasn't part of the film production's plans, I think it adds a lot to Kurtz's character. Kurtz is built up throughout the film as having been this brilliant commander, but that was only in the years prior to the events of the film. When we see him in the present, he's this megalomaniacal cult leader who's let himself go in the most extreme way possible. His physical degeneration reflects how far he's fallen as a military man and a human being. More than anything else, it shows that his pretensions to being some sort of _Übermensch_ are just that: pretensions. It's also an inversion of what happens to Kurtz in _Heart of Darkness,_ as in that he's become frail and anemic by the time Marlow retrieves him (as if to say the jungle has sucked all the humanity out of him).
In college, one of my favourite memories was watching the Redux version in my student residence room when my roomies were gone for the weekend; smothered in a plume of Afghan Blonde hash and a bottle of Shiraz on a really late Saturday night. I had seen it before, but that viewing left an indelible mark on me. Hazy, foreboding and dark is an apt description for AN, like a fog of war; it really captures the spirit of Joseph Conrad's novel. It was perfect too. I started watching the movie at around 3AM, it finished around 7AM on sunday morning and the light that slowly seeped in from the outside really played a factor in the viewing as well.
Damn. All I was doing in college on the weekends was going to parties and concerts drunk/on other drugs. You couldn't pay me to do the shit you're talking about LOL
SuperPussyFinger it doesn’t, I lived there my whole life, the sky is grey and every day is the same. Ohio is a mundane place that will drive you insane.
Brando was just on another level, as this demonstrates. I remember reading about when as a young man he was cast as Stanley in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire". When rehearsals started, he just kind of shuffled around, mumbling his lines and the other actors really wondered what is it with this guy. This went on for some time in rehearsals, and then one day and without warning, his energy just exploded on the stage and he WAS Stanley, overwhelming in his stage presence and for those lucky enough to see him perform the role live, it was an unforgettable experience.
One of the greatest scenes in all of cinema. That sliver of Kurtz face that peaks out of the darkness as he asks the quintessential question prompted by Willard's arrival, "Why do they want to terminate my command?" so that you get a little gleam in his right eye that looks almost spectral or creature-like and his mouth gaping so slightly open in expectation; finally a cornered animal at the mercy of Willard's answer instead of the powerful man his reputation builds him as. That image is haunting and profound.
Yes and also that to Kurtz he shared a mindset similar to them and the other people like Colby that they sent and failed, the important thing to remember is that by the time Willard showed up Kurtz was tired and just wanted it over with and basically let Willard kill him otherwise Kurtz had the military know how to defeat anyone the Pentagon sent to take him out
Kurtz is reminding Willard that he's the guy the war pigs are using to eliminate someone who isn't playing by their rules. It's the same today, believe it.
Kurtz is saying it's naive civilians sending someone not fit for the job to take on an outlaw like him. Note that he makes it a point first to say that Willard's neither assassin nor soldier.
Brando’s performance in this film was underrated basically because he was overweight. I always felt his presence weighed on this film from the start, and when he did appear he didn’t disappoint, I believed this character’s soul was wrecked by war and the pointlessness of existence. Brando pulled it off without breaking a sweat, making up dialog on the spot. god knows what he could have done if he didn’t hate the industry..
@@shanequastunningbrave5376 interesting opinion. I saw it that he was trying to get in Willard’s head but ultimately accepted his fate, welcomed it, “the horror” said it all, his soul was clearly destroyed. I guess that could sound like a load of babble. I’ve heard similar opinions, but I personally found it hypnotic. I’m glad those extra scenes were cut though.
@Digital Fates yeah when I first saw this film it wasn’t like watching a film, it was an experience. The way Willard spoke about him in the build up, he was a fascinating character before he even appeared. Brilliant direction and pacing.
@@ritchski1 That 'pretentious' performance at the end, with him whispering "the horror" comes right from the original novel (Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 1902): "he cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision, he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath - The horror, the horror..." Brando only read the novel for the first time at the set a few days earlier and I think he captured the mood of Kurtz's end in the novel pretty good.
I always think about how Brando said "the audience is on your time" about acting. He seems so careful with every movement, every word. He lives in a scene. Always amazing!
I just watched the FFC commentary for this film and he discussed how Brando improvised many of his lines - including the errand boy line. Only one word to describe him - genius.
When Kurtz tells us of the Gardenia flowers we get a insight that he was once a kind man who loved flowers. He not only knew the name of the flowers, he thought it was beautiful and still holds dearly to the memory of the place. It shows the complete transformation the war has caused
Near the end of filming in the Philippines, Martin Sheen threw a little party and Brando was one of the 9 guests. They were making spaghetti. At one point Sheen went into the kitchen to see if dinner was almost ready and Brando was just finishing off the last of the spaghetti for 9 people. Jerry Ziesmer was the first assistant director on this film and wrote a book about its making. It's decently written. Good book if you like reading about how a film like this was made. Few films have been this kind of undertaking, filmed under such difficult conditions, with major setbacks (entire huge set destroyed, much of the cast and crew poisoned), with so much money, and taking sooo long.
The dialogue between these two in this scene is probably some of the most profound acting ever witnessed on camera! There are no actors like these anymore!
I luv how at the start he asks a question and the answer triggers a photographic memory instantly and he kinda goes into a peaceful trance as if he was there at the moment going down that beautiful river!
This is a collective effort by the actor, director, camera man, set designer, music... And it's so rare that a combination of all of these create one of the greatest moments in cinematic history...
Every time i watch that scene it gets better and better. I quote randomly the ' i don't see any method' line whenever i feel like it. I've turned my daughters boyfriend on to the film and we did the whole unedited version over xmas 2020. Masterpiece.
Good god I finally watched this film in its entirety, all 3 hours uncut. Every scene built up to this one meeting between Kurtz and Willard and man, I was glued to the atmosphere between these two actors. Great movie!
Beautifully shot with Kurtz’s feverish head half in light, half in darkness. I bet Coppola’s inspiration came from the the Dalí painting “Philosopher Illuminated by the Light of the Moon and the Setting Sun” and the “freedom from the opinions of others and yourself” line is pure Nietzsche (Dalí was obsessed w/ Nietzsche). The head looms in when Willard and us get our first look along with the iconic line. Great cinema.
@@Hardbody94 Francis didn't want Brando's body to be seen, he's the one who hired the body double. Marlon was not phoning performances in at that point, he was telegraphing them in. He was just there for the $3m for 4 weeks/paycheck, showed up massively overweight, created his usual havoc which included arguing over the very name "Kurtz" (Brando thought an American colonel would not have that name), threatened to quit several times, bitched constantly over the script, costumes had to be redesigned as he was the size of the water buffalo they killed. It was all good though, it forced Francis to shoot him in the shadows and darkness, it added to the film, full body shots and an "active" Kurtz would not have worked as well. That big fat rubbery head coming out of the darkness saying "You're neither. You're just a grocery clerk yada yada" is classic. But in my opinion, it's owed to Francis working around Brando, not Brando.
Spot on. That Dali painting is beautiful. Also Brando was like Marilyn in the sense that they cause a big commotion and never show up on time, but when they get that one take that is the take-no one else can replicate that kind of magnetism on screen. It’s like magic. This line here about the errand boy is an example.
I'm glad Brando didn't memorize his lines and ad libbed everything instead. No script could come close to this. And it being his own dialogue clearly helps him say it like he really means it. Great performance. And I never thought that his weight problem hurt the movie one bit.
Probably one of my favorite war movies EVER! Yes, there were so many great performances (Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, etc.) but the ones who stood out to me the most have to be Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper! I mean even though we don’t meet their characters until near the end, I just felt like they provided a certain “WOW!” Factor.
Crazy how Brando showing up significantly overweight contributed so much to the film. Shooting him enveloped in that darkness is so f*ing amazing and beautiful. Easily some of the best cinematography ever to be created.
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. 💞
Everything about Marlon's performance is MAGIC, the pauses, the voice toice, the words, his facial expressions. It's simply exciting to watch. One of the best movies ever made.
Domt forget about his strange movements, especialy during his horror monologue - the slow walk with hands on his hips advancing slowly in the darkness of the temple. Its as if he isn't really a human being anymore. So good
He's absolutely off his rocker. You don't chop up and mutilate bodies if you weren't insane. Sometimes you guys want to be edgy and say stupid shit like "he was the only normal person." Umm no, no he was a mass murderer that committed war crimes.
Kurtz is a total madman though unfortunately that’s what makes this film so genius, the way that Willard and Kurtz both lost their minds but in different ways
@@peepawthecat everyone else was acting like humans. What was kurtz acting like? A god? Your comment is one made by someone who doesnt realize that savagery is normal for a human, that composure and grace are abnormal.
Exactly and as tired and sick as he was he still managed to scare the living shit out of Willard by decapitating Chef and throwing his head in Willard's lap, it was always interesting to me is that Kurtz still had to prove that last time that he could wipe out Willard and his men without breaking a sweat before allowing Willard to kill him
This is such a great movie to just soak in. Every time I watch it, I get something new out of it. 'Full Metal Jacket' is lean but deep, while 'Apocalypse Now' is a feast of atmosphere and storytelling.
Everything in this scene is compelling. Whenever I watch it still sends chills down my spine. You quickly realize that this is not insanity but a brilliant man who has a mission only he understands.
@@roxanakhan1644 Well you are entitled to your opinion of course but what does your religious drivel have to do with this movie? You could list any number of tyrants of the past as the antichrist but that would be under the assumption that they acted without reason or cause. You know, simply evil versus good right. Gee, I wonder if unspeakable atrocities happen in any war? Committed of course by rational men or women with families and children. No? Better listen to his speech on "judgment" before emptying your bag of religious nonsense. Oh, interestingly enough some of the worst atrocities committed by humans against their fellow man are committed in the name of their god just for reference. Better review your history a little bit better. Oh I know, I don't get it. Usually, I don't respond to ignorance but well I have a soft spot for fools.
@@roxanakhan1644 there's a character in the movie that represents the state of Christianity regarding warfare and it's as bleak as Kurtz's relationship with duty: Kilgore. Almost arguing that our collective comfort with the battlefield as christians is antichristian.
This film is truly an exploration of the darkest parts of the human soul! It’s one of my favorite films! Oddly next to theStar Wars Saga. I guess I need the ying and the yang. I tend to forget about this film and then every couple of years I rewatch it and am totally immersed in it. I particularly love how Kurtz becomes almost a mentor for Willard. The only person who truly understands him. Just amazing. And the cimetograohy is awe inspiringly beautiful. This film is now over 40 years old and so strongly tied to a very specific historic era, yet it is one of those absolutely timeless classics.
I don't think Kurtz is evil, he's just completely lost his mind from the horrors of war. I've chatted with homeless people on the street who served in Afghanistan and what they experienced completely messed them up in the head.
No. You’re far off the mark here. And most people in Afghanistan never even fired a shot, less than 1% have ever seen combat. I’m lucky enough to be in the 1% which is even less-late war
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nice satire
I once asked a guy from Ohio how far from the river he was, he got the reference straight away. Hats off to the fella!
And did he say clicks instead of miles???
@@DB-hb1go I would have but we didn't have enough time 😪
From toledo I think of the maumee
Ah, those caught references to movies, books ... instant camaraderie. That's just a delicious little story *chef's kiss *
Did you also call him an errand boy?
Man, everybody talks about Brando and he is amazing, but Martin Sheen was fucking incredible in this movie as well.
"I don't see... any method... at all, sir."
JUPITER DEF just epic this line
No, sheen is the 1971 equivalent of the kid who played a young Luke Skywalker in one of those star wars movies.
frank stark shut the fuck up
Sheen is great because brando raised the level...just like in enter the dragon all of the martial arts fighters in that movie are not that good bruce lee made them better...
I agree with you. Sheen has so much going on in him, his eyes say it all. His descent into his inner self. He is the perfect match for Brando.
...'You're an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect the bill'....
One of the best lines in cinema history.
Made that up on the spot. It was not scripted
That line cuts through so much of the human existence. such a powerful metaphor for so many things I have encountered in my life but essentially describes how Americans at the core, within our heart of darkness feel about our Military and our soldiers of war.
King Greed can you guys explains to me what the quote means
TCBTT I’m not familiar with the law?
Agreed.
This film is a masterclass in lighting
Absolutely! Absolutely!
It was actually intended to cover up how fat Brando was, but it played to the mysterious ness of his character
Sound as well. Notice when Kurtz rubs his scalp you can hear the hair bristles and the music starts to pick up..
@@amadeus962 I’m glad it came off as keeping Kurtz in the darkness as a reflection of how dark he had become
and cinematography
He showed up overweight, unrehearsed..yet he nailed this scene better than anyone ever could have..that unblinking eye contact and the facial expressions would send shivers down the spine of the toughest badasses
And just like the Godfather these cinematic masterpieces never would have been this great without Brando !
@@clemenza24 it was even directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the director of the Godfather Trilogy!!
I think the movie would've aged just as well if they (Coppola alone?) weren't shy about showing more of Brando's physique. Yes he's an ex soldier but you can emphasis on his gluttony just being apart of his insanity and complete disconnection with mankind. I dunno I find it hard to picture audiences back then being distracted or taken out of the movie because the Marlon Brando they all know and love is looking pretty chubby these days. But showing up unrehearsed is definitely unprofessional and childish it doesn't matter who you are.
It's Brando... I was gonna reply my opinion on Brando, screw my opinion. I will mention the opinions of others who worked with him. Look up any actors, who've worked with Brandos', opinion on him. I've never heard him described as anything less than a master, of his craft... I mean, it's Marlon Brando. His name has become synonymous with great acting, y'know...
What was his last film, Island of Dr. Mareau?
I love how Willard continues to call Kurtz "sir" (acknowledging him as a superior officer) even as he's on a mission to kill him.
“I remember when I was with Special Forces…”
Tbf he was supposed to join his militia and infiltrate them.
Willard stays respectful. He doesn't judge the man.
He has the the right to kill him. He has the right to that.
But not to judge him
@@polarisgemini52 No, lol.
“Eliminate the colonel by any means necessary”
@@TheworldofAR15 you clearly don’t know what Green Berets are essentially “born” to do. They create hostile insurgencies, and foment them until properly integrated into an “army.” This situation, as portrayed in Apocalypse Now, has actually happened, a number of times. Even in Afghanistan. Look up Colonel Poshepny (who Kurz was basically modeled from,) or Major Jim Gant (he still does lectures at universities to this day)
the way Kurtz glides into and out of the light throughout the entire scene is absolutely mesmerizing...
he's trying to intimidate sheens character he knows why hes there
This scene is used in film schools as a master class on lighting.
Brando said he got this from Yul Brynner, who was a master of using set lights at his favour.
It wasn't even planned, it was originally done just to hide how fat Brando had gotten when he arrived on set
@@batmenace15 shut your gay mouth
"Have you ever considered any real freedoms? Freedoms from the opinion of others... even the opinions of yourself?"
They just don't write anything worthwhile in today's movie rubbish
@@waldomccluskey4568 You are so right! Not event that, today "actors" can not even make a single sentence that sounds witty or troughtful in any way. If recomend you talk show of Dick Cavett with Marlon Brando, it is just .- legendary!
I'm trying to work on exactly that
@@divine-wind Good luck, man, you have my full support!
@@divnaindija24 My heart felt thankyou friend
Two incredible actors acting the shit out of an incredible scene with an incredible director. Goosebumps every time.
One of the best movie ever
Apocalypse Now is an acting masterclass
Yep too bad that same director went downhill the following decade and hasn't the same since he forever sucked while Scorsese, Spielberg and DePalma would continue to flourish
The genius part of what Brando did with this character is the fact that Kurtz is a student of war who is first an expert of war in the scholastic sense... a man who has trained his entire life to be a expert of war... but when he actually experiences the insanity and chaos of it he realizes he must allow himself to become a monster... because only by becoming a monster can he truly be a master at what he has trained his entire life for... “horror and mortal terror are you’re friends, if they are not they are enemies to be feared...” how Brando could have that deep of insight without himself experiencing combat is truly astounding... he understood humanity on a level beyond comprehension
You know Brando didn’t write the script, right? He just read the lines on cue cards.
@@dropkickirish4449 How are them potatoes going?
...i didley idle didle....i didley idle didle....
@@adambane1719 They’re all rotten, so I’ve taken to the whiskey and beating the wife.
@@adambane1719 I'm not smart enough to have any idea what you just said.
This is why it makes so much sense that Ridley Scott wanted to cast Brando in a Blood Meridian adaptation.
Anybody who recently watched 'Dune' will recognise so much of this scene in the way the Baron is depicted.
I saw it too - even the way the Baron rubs his head while in the steam bath
Very True.
Coppola was trying to hide Brando's bulk in this scene with light and shadow; to great great dramatic effect. The Baron's bulk is a point of emphasis in the way he is depicted. The mannerisms are the same.
Funnily enough i searched for this clip with sole reason of presenting this similarity to my son.
What's dune about??
In an insane environment, going insane is merely adaptation...
Unfortunately insanity is part of the world We are forced to confront it from time to time.
@@patrickpritchard1498 ... insanity is the world .. it's reality that we are FORCED to deal with ... from time to time
as Hunter S Thompson wrote, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn professional"
@@ForbinColossus although I DO like that quote, am fond of Mr. Thompson in general, and don't necessarily disagree with that statement. You do realize that quote is the EXACT opposite of this situation, and my comment. You're Thompson quote is tantamount to 1 + 1 = 2, while my statement is tantamount to 1 + 1 = 11... E.g. Thompson; weird + weird = professional, or same + same = different. While my statement; insane + insane = insane AND insane, or same + same = two of the same...
@@anakromulen6720 you just described "sobriety"...
'You're an errand boy.....' sounds like my annual job performance review.
I worked in upper level managment for a major corporation 22 years until I came to the realization that what Kurtz and Willard have in common was essentially the core of my existence at my job.
...too many Kurtzes out there....
So many of us are trying to get out that position
@@cashau2965 Nope, I have see no of them too for long
@@awsom82 ....look more carefully...and keep in mind that only beta-males need Kurtzes...
2:33 - the single white glint in his eye, and not seeing Kurtz entire face is truly horrifying.
DAAAAAAAMMMMMN!
I swear it looks like something straight out of FNAF
The horror.
The horror.
Yeah, I’ve paused the video at that moment numerous times and no matter how times I look away, I shudder when I look at it again.
You could hear a pin drop in the theater at this scene when I was watching it.
The whole movie is spent in the river building up to this point, and Kurtz asks “How far are you from the river?” and the question just floats in the air for a moment too long, making the viewer question his own sanity. Pure unadulterated genius.
Watched this movie probably a dozen times over the years. Never once have I questioned my own sanity during that part or any other lol.
@@Louis-qt5qb🤓
and then, at last…
“the OHIO river, Sir?”
Love Brando, love the use of light and cinematography in this scene.
Fun fact, they showed Brando always obscured by shadows in order to hide how fat he was.
@@NerdyWillowTree Yeah it made him look thinner.
Vitorio Storerro. Period.
@@shalevai 👍.
The creeking of the bed as he sat up was genius, enough to show he was a big menacing physical presence but not enough to where he sounded like an obese lard ass
i watched the 3 hour version of this film for the first time yesterday and i really enjoyed it. 3 hours that really encapsulated the dwindling humanity and psyche of a soldier in that war, i felt like i was going looney. paired with the fucking awesome build up of meeting Kurtz, Brando's performance was god damn memorising and haunting.
It gets even weirder when your sleep schedule is a mess, you last recall being awake at 16.00, now it's suddenly 03.00. I can't sleep anymore, my internal clock is all sorts of fucked up and I'm tired as hell despite just sleeping 11 hours, and the time I woke up in makes me feel disconnected from reality, so what do I do? Watch Apocalypse Now for 3 hours and embrace the insanity.
Can't believe they cut the French colonial bit
@@bargepoled That bit is slow but important
WHY the Hell Brando didn't get an Oscar for this is BEYOND me.
This scene is just master craft. Keeping his face within the dark or barely visible until that last line is just a great way to reveal him as a character, getting to know who he is before seeing what he is.
And a great way to hide how fat he was, which was the main purpose.
3:15 the hand tightening after he gets called insane
caught that too...Coppola...or maybe just Brando...
@@NEntv58 brando.. brando knows the beats
I don't think he's angry. I think he's just squeezing the water out of his hand.
He seems beyond emotion. Totally outside of human instinct, or even indignance at being called insane.
@@banzaiboy1597 brando was a master - his emotion of rage is seen in the action- perfectly timed and perfectly executed. Real movie making- of which we've lost today.
There's a reference to this exact gesture in The Incredibles when Elastigirl talks to Violet and Dash in the cave; on "I know what I said!"
Possibly THE GREATEST cinematic scene EVER. PERIOD.
I never understood why people called Brando's acting bad. He's hypnotizing in this film, so alien and so human at the same time.
Jealousy. Simply jealousy.
Acting doesn’t get much better than this
True .this is a horror scene.even morr scarier than a real horror movie
Yes it does. A lot better.
@@ricardocantoral7672 ok Gary Oldman. Take it easy😂
Casino meeting in the desert scene would always be known as good acting and not this marvel crap
@@ricardocantoral7672 We get it you want attention
Kurtz:
Are my methods unsound?
Willard:
I don't see any method at all, sir.
The best answer !
@@ClintWattersIt is really.
Sort of based off of the books dialogue although marlow and kurtz dont directly say this to each other.
The way Martin said it while looking away is so good
Kurtz: You think I'm insane? I heard there was this captain back in Saigon. Got really drunk one night in his hotel room in Saigon, got all naked and karate chopped a mirror, ended up lying on the floor bleeding and crying like a baby!
😂😂😂💀
"Yes, Colonel. That story unfortunately is true. It was my son Charlie."
@@jadentrez Lol, LOVED YOU IN WALL STREET...
Sheen was really drunk during that scene, punching the mirror was not scripted, and that blood was real.
@@kshepard52 yeah and I guess he had a heart attack around that time
Even though Marlon Brando being overweight wasn't part of the film production's plans, I think it adds a lot to Kurtz's character. Kurtz is built up throughout the film as having been this brilliant commander, but that was only in the years prior to the events of the film. When we see him in the present, he's this megalomaniacal cult leader who's let himself go in the most extreme way possible. His physical degeneration reflects how far he's fallen as a military man and a human being. More than anything else, it shows that his pretensions to being some sort of _Übermensch_ are just that: pretensions. It's also an inversion of what happens to Kurtz in _Heart of Darkness,_ as in that he's become frail and anemic by the time Marlow retrieves him (as if to say the jungle has sucked all the humanity out of him).
Yeah but heres the thing, no way someone can get that overweight living in the jungle of southeast asia. The humidity is absurd.
@@harukrentz435he was seen as God by the tribals, so he probably gets all the food
Pretensions, more like hypertensions 🥁🥁🥁
4:13. That totally scared the shit out of me. That look in his eyes. Total madness.
YES. When I watched for the first time I almost pissed myself
Or total awakening?
He looks like he has ptsd. Best actor.
yeah man. I won't care what my mission was. After looking at that face and hearing that voice, i'd get the f**k out of there
War turns sane men insane.
Brando was so unbelievably good here.... incredible acting.... absolutely INCREDIBLE
It's taken forty years to really appreciate how good this film is.
I realized that in first watch 2019
mayur magadalwar same but 2020
That's not true. The public always loved it.
It was brilliant to most when we saw it opening weekend. No IMAX, no cgi, just excellence.
I remember the day I saw it in the theater . First a long walk on rainy day to the theater . The lights were turned down especially low .
In college, one of my favourite memories was watching the Redux version in my student residence room when my roomies were gone for the weekend; smothered in a plume of Afghan Blonde hash and a bottle of Shiraz on a really late Saturday night. I had seen it before, but that viewing left an indelible mark on me. Hazy, foreboding and dark is an apt description for AN, like a fog of war; it really captures the spirit of Joseph Conrad's novel.
It was perfect too. I started watching the movie at around 3AM, it finished around 7AM on sunday morning and the light that slowly seeped in from the outside really played a factor in the viewing as well.
I loved really getting into films in college and questioning normal reality
Similar impact. Glad others find the indelible mark it left on me as well.
Damn. All I was doing in college on the weekends was going to parties and concerts drunk/on other drugs. You couldn't pay me to do the shit you're talking about LOL
Fantastic I remember the day I saw this film in the theater Odd I walked a long way to get to that particular theater.
Jamie B. Chaussé Even better on acid.
'you'd think that heaven just fell on the earth, in the form of gardenias.' what a beautiful script.
popo colocoi it was full improvised by brando what a great actor
popo colocoi
This line stayed with me throughout middle school to now.
I saw this film way too early in life and I’m glad I did.
No, Ohio really looks like heaven.
Disco sucks do you remember the name of the place? I grew up in Indiana but on the other side of the state
SuperPussyFinger it doesn’t, I lived there my whole life, the sky is grey and every day is the same. Ohio is a mundane place that will drive you insane.
The use of silence and the how intense every little sound is really cements the mood
Brando was just on another level, as this demonstrates. I remember reading about when as a young man he was cast as Stanley in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire". When rehearsals started, he just kind of shuffled around, mumbling his lines and the other actors really wondered what is it with this guy. This went on for some time in rehearsals, and then one day and without warning, his energy just exploded on the stage and he WAS Stanley, overwhelming in his stage presence and for those lucky enough to see him perform the role live, it was an unforgettable experience.
The sound design in this movie is underrated. So atmospheric
One of the greatest scenes in all of cinema. That sliver of Kurtz face that peaks out of the darkness as he asks the quintessential question prompted by Willard's arrival, "Why do they want to terminate my command?" so that you get a little gleam in his right eye that looks almost spectral or creature-like and his mouth gaping so slightly open in expectation; finally a cornered animal at the mercy of Willard's answer instead of the powerful man his reputation builds him as. That image is haunting and profound.
That's one of my favorites shots from this film.
Is Kurtz simply saying, "The Army didn't want their hands dirty, so they sent you to do their dirty work for them."
Yes and also that to Kurtz he shared a mindset similar to them and the other people like Colby that they sent and failed, the important thing to remember is that by the time Willard showed up Kurtz was tired and just wanted it over with and basically let Willard kill him otherwise Kurtz had the military know how to defeat anyone the Pentagon sent to take him out
@@brucedavis8147 He chose Willard ad his disciple
Kurtz is reminding Willard that he's the guy the war pigs are using to eliminate someone who isn't playing by their rules. It's the same today, believe it.
Kurtz is saying it's naive civilians sending someone not fit for the job to take on an outlaw like him. Note that he makes it a point first to say that Willard's neither assassin nor soldier.
Brando’s performance in this film was underrated basically because he was overweight. I always felt his presence weighed on this film from the start, and when he did appear he didn’t disappoint, I believed this character’s soul was wrecked by war and the pointlessness of existence. Brando pulled it off without breaking a sweat, making up dialog on the spot. god knows what he could have done if he didn’t hate the industry..
Though this is the best scene with Brando he is otherwise shit in it, he ruined the last act with one of the most pretentious performances in history!
@@shanequastunningbrave5376 interesting opinion. I saw it that he was trying to get in Willard’s head but ultimately accepted his fate, welcomed it, “the horror” said it all, his soul was clearly destroyed. I guess that could sound like a load of babble. I’ve heard similar opinions, but I personally found it hypnotic. I’m glad those extra scenes were cut though.
@Digital Fates yeah when I first saw this film it wasn’t like watching a film, it was an experience. The way Willard spoke about him in the build up, he was a fascinating character before he even appeared. Brilliant direction and pacing.
@@ritchski1 That 'pretentious' performance at the end, with him whispering "the horror" comes right from the original novel (Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 1902): "he cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision, he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath - The horror, the horror..." Brando only read the novel for the first time at the set a few days earlier and I think he captured the mood of Kurtz's end in the novel pretty good.
@@shanequastunningbrave5376terrible opinion. Brando was fantastic in this film.
You're an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill.....stunning acting.
I always think about how Brando said "the audience is on your time" about acting. He seems so careful with every movement, every word. He lives in a scene. Always amazing!
The head shake at 4:12 is one of the most minor yet brilliant things in the movie. Brando at his absolute finest.
Brando really was the greatest actor to ever live. Even I can't deny that.
Brando is a genius, none of this was rehearsed.
Overpaid him
@@Hardbody94 It's Marlon Brando
It was absolutely rehearsed. Stop giving actors more credit than they deserve.
Proof?
@@seananderson5334 but that's Brando's thing, he didn't like rehearsing the lines, so improvise the delivery on the spot was pretty usual for him.
I just watched the FFC commentary for this film and he discussed how Brando improvised many of his lines - including the errand boy line. Only one word to describe him - genius.
When Kurtz tells us of the Gardenia flowers we get a insight that he was once a kind man who loved flowers. He not only knew the name of the flowers, he thought it was beautiful and still holds dearly to the memory of the place. It shows the complete transformation the war has caused
Near the end of filming in the Philippines, Martin Sheen threw a little party and Brando was one of the 9 guests. They were making spaghetti. At one point Sheen went into the kitchen to see if dinner was almost ready and Brando was just finishing off the last of the spaghetti for 9 people.
Jerry Ziesmer was the first assistant director on this film and wrote a book about its making. It's decently written. Good book if you like reading about how a film like this was made. Few films have been this kind of undertaking, filmed under such difficult conditions, with major setbacks (entire huge set destroyed, much of the cast and crew poisoned), with so much money, and taking sooo long.
In this scene Brando has achieved something no other actor has managed and never will.
Except you
@@Assassino275 LMAO
The cinematography in this scene is just as flawless as Brando
Marlon Brando..
The greatest American Actor of all time.
The dialogue between these two in this scene is probably some of the most profound acting ever witnessed on camera! There are no actors like these anymore!
I luv how at the start he asks a question and the answer triggers a photographic memory instantly and he kinda goes into a peaceful trance as if he was there at the moment going down that beautiful river!
This is a collective effort by the actor, director, camera man, set designer, music... And it's so rare that a combination of all of these create one of the greatest moments in cinematic history...
That errand boy line is perfect for cutting someone down to size...
Every time i watch that scene it gets better and better. I quote randomly the ' i don't see any method' line whenever i feel like it. I've turned my daughters boyfriend on to the film and we did the whole unedited version over xmas 2020. Masterpiece.
Good god I finally watched this film in its entirety, all 3 hours uncut. Every scene built up to this one meeting between Kurtz and Willard and man, I was glued to the atmosphere between these two actors. Great movie!
For some reason I find it extremely mesmerising when Kurtz washes his face. Must be the sound of the water.
A film critic stated it symbolized a kind of ritual cleansing
Brando used our 64 foot boat as a home base when filming Island of Dr Marro. Extremely humble and genuine guy, unlike his co-star
Moreau*
What's wrong with his co-star
Funnily enough he was known to be horrible on that set. That entire production was a disaster
powerful scene
Beautifully shot with Kurtz’s feverish head half in light, half in darkness. I bet Coppola’s inspiration came from the the Dalí painting “Philosopher Illuminated by the Light of the Moon and the Setting Sun” and the “freedom from the opinions of others and yourself” line is pure Nietzsche (Dalí was obsessed w/ Nietzsche). The head looms in when Willard and us get our first look along with the iconic line. Great cinema.
that’s a stretch... Marlon Brando didn’t want his body to be seen he was overweight at over 300 lb... It’s discussed in the documentary.
@@Hardbody94 Francis didn't want Brando's body to be seen, he's the one who hired the body double. Marlon was not phoning performances in at that point, he was telegraphing them in. He was just there for the $3m for 4 weeks/paycheck, showed up massively overweight, created his usual havoc which included arguing over the very name "Kurtz" (Brando thought an American colonel would not have that name), threatened to quit several times, bitched constantly over the script, costumes had to be redesigned as he was the size of the water buffalo they killed. It was all good though, it forced Francis to shoot him in the shadows and darkness, it added to the film, full body shots and an "active" Kurtz would not have worked as well. That big fat rubbery head coming out of the darkness saying "You're neither. You're just a grocery clerk yada yada" is classic. But in my opinion, it's owed to Francis working around Brando, not Brando.
Spot on. That Dali painting is beautiful. Also Brando was like Marilyn in the sense that they cause a big commotion and never show up on time, but when they get that one take that is the take-no one else can replicate that kind of magnetism on screen. It’s like magic. This line here about the errand boy is an example.
I'm glad Brando didn't memorize his lines and ad libbed everything instead. No script could come close to this. And it being his own dialogue clearly helps him say it like he really means it. Great performance. And I never thought that his weight problem hurt the movie one bit.
Probably one of my favorite war movies EVER! Yes, there were so many great performances (Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, etc.) but the ones who stood out to me the most have to be Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper! I mean even though we don’t meet their characters until near the end, I just felt like they provided a certain “WOW!” Factor.
Brando is magnificent. Have you seen Lawrence of Arabia? If you're a fan of incredible acting check out O'Toole in that movie.
@@mrb7094 That’s a great movie too
My father was a Captain in the 82nd and this movie really stuck with him!
Ok?
Just before that immortal monologue. Thank you for this, man!
Crazy how Brando showing up significantly overweight contributed so much to the film. Shooting him enveloped in that darkness is so f*ing amazing and beautiful. Easily some of the best cinematography ever to be created.
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. 💞
This is a master class in cinemaphotography/ directing and acting technique. Look no further.
A visual n acting masterpiece
Marlon owned every scene he ever did. Nobody could top him
Brilliant scene - but just one of several in this truly brilliant film. 👏👏
Everything about Marlon's performance is MAGIC, the pauses, the voice toice, the words, his facial expressions. It's simply exciting to watch. One of the best movies ever made.
Domt forget about his strange movements, especialy during his horror monologue - the slow walk with hands on his hips advancing slowly in the darkness of the temple. Its as if he isn't really a human being anymore. So good
One of the best scenes ever filmed
This scene is nice to fall asleep to.. The sound of the water in the back. Good stuff, good stuff.
This scene is pure gold.
The plot twist is that he isn't insane. He's lots of things, but he knows what he is doing. Crazy people can't process that.
He's the only sane person in the film.
He's absolutely off his rocker. You don't chop up and mutilate bodies if you weren't insane.
Sometimes you guys want to be edgy and say stupid shit like "he was the only normal person." Umm no, no he was a mass murderer that committed war crimes.
Brando's performance in AN was spectacularly haunting.
Probably one of the greatest movies scenes ever.
The fact that Brando didn’t win an Oscar for this is a crime against humanity
Incredible cinematography using the shadows...............................................
The most dead pan brutal insult in movie history
Yeah seriously. That must have stung like a million wasps.
Kurtz is a total madman though unfortunately that’s what makes this film so genius, the way that Willard and Kurtz both lost their minds but in different ways
@@hippiecheezburger5457 Kurtz was the only sane one in an insane war.
@@peepawthecat everyone else was acting like humans. What was kurtz acting like? A god? Your comment is one made by someone who doesnt realize that savagery is normal for a human, that composure and grace are abnormal.
JMO BRANDO the greatest american actor of my life time!!
I think of all time! Hands down.
Jim Ike Daniel day Lewis,de Niro,pacino
@@yousefghunaim8195 Daniel Day Lewis is English/Irish
This has to be one of the greatest scenes in movie history
Marlon Brando played Kurtz fantastically in every way. No doubt about it.
So this is the man that has influenced the look of villainy in cinema for the last 50 years
This is the greatest ever form of acting in cinematic history Marlon Brando is the greatest of all time
Me after I've been unemployed for six months lol
haha especially the big cough at the start
One of the best monologues in movie history - hands down.
Now and again my mental healthl breaks down and I relate to this part of the film
Good lord, the lighting and shadows of this!
This scene estabilshes that Colonel Kurtz was tired and Sick as per original script.
Exactly and as tired and sick as he was he still managed to scare the living shit out of Willard by decapitating Chef and throwing his head in Willard's lap, it was always interesting to me is that Kurtz still had to prove that last time that he could wipe out Willard and his men without breaking a sweat before allowing Willard to kill him
He's delirious from Malaria
Between the lightning of this scene, the dialogue and Marlon Brandons masterclass acting, I can only describe it as hypnotic.
I doubt Hollywood will ever make anything this good ever again
Pray they dont REMAKE it. Jack Black as Colonel Kurtz, or Dennis Hopper's character. Maybe Toby McGuire as Willard?? Lol.
the look that brando gives sheen when telling him that he is an errand boy is absolutely chilling. best scene in the movie imo
A world without boundaries is a nightmare to behold.
What a bold scene. Shot so well. Dialogue, music, the acting. Palpable
Charisma and skills on a level beyond reach: Brando
Yeah hes a unique energy and presence that is engaging like his voice also
This is such a great movie to just soak in. Every time I watch it, I get something new out of it. 'Full Metal Jacket' is lean but deep, while 'Apocalypse Now' is a feast of atmosphere and storytelling.
Everything in this scene is compelling. Whenever I watch it still sends chills down my spine. You quickly realize that this is not insanity but a brilliant man who has a mission only he understands.
You really don't get it do you kurtz is the antichrist false messiah
@@roxanakhan1644 Well you are entitled to your opinion of course but what does your religious drivel have to do with this movie? You could list any number of tyrants of the past as the antichrist but that would be under the assumption that they acted without reason or cause. You know, simply evil versus good right. Gee, I wonder if unspeakable atrocities happen in any war? Committed of course by rational men or women with families and children. No? Better listen to his speech on "judgment" before emptying your bag of religious nonsense. Oh, interestingly enough some of the worst atrocities committed by humans against their fellow man are committed in the name of their god just for reference. Better review your history a little bit better. Oh I know, I don't get it. Usually, I don't respond to ignorance but well I have a soft spot for fools.
@@roxanakhan1644 there's a character in the movie that represents the state of Christianity regarding warfare and it's as bleak as Kurtz's relationship with duty: Kilgore. Almost arguing that our collective comfort with the battlefield as christians is antichristian.
Among all this savagery, Kurtz talking about "heaven fell on earth in form of gardenias" feels strangely poetic. Affects me every time.
Beautiful line which went straight over my head when younger, but it's so important.
Brando may have been overweight and under-prepared, but as soon as that camera was rolling, he was absolutely on it
This film is truly an exploration of the darkest parts of the human soul! It’s one of my favorite films! Oddly next to theStar Wars Saga. I guess I need the ying and the yang. I tend to forget about this film and then every couple of years I rewatch it and am totally immersed in it.
I particularly love how Kurtz becomes almost a mentor for Willard. The only person who truly understands him. Just amazing.
And the cimetograohy is awe inspiringly beautiful. This film is now over 40 years old and so strongly tied to a very specific historic era, yet it is one of those absolutely timeless classics.
I don't think Kurtz is evil, he's just completely lost his mind from the horrors of war. I've chatted with homeless people on the street who served in Afghanistan and what they experienced completely messed them up in the head.
No. You’re far off the mark here. And most people in Afghanistan never even fired a shot, less than 1% have ever seen combat.
I’m lucky enough to be in the 1% which is even less-late war
"His mind is clear, but his soul is mad..."
Iraq