One night only. Apocalypse Now - The Final Cut was shown in cinemas last night. Predictably, not at my local Odeon, but Cineworld Hemel Hempstead showed it on their IMAX screen. So we were in for a wild ride. As Francis Ford Coppola said it is more of an experience than a traditional movie.
Did I ever see the film in the cinema forty years ago? Probably not, but I have certainly revisited the original over the years. I shall not go into the history of how this film was made, but it remains one of the most visually stunning pieces ever made. Some of the scenes involving countless extras is something to behold. Especially on a huge screen. And no wonder sound won the Oscar.
I had forgotten how bonkers was Dennis Hopper as a photojournalist (no name) high on alcohol and drugs as were most of the cast.
Now a running time of 183 minutes against the original 147 minutes (forgetting the Redux version at 196 minutes). The additional footage includes the dinner scene at the French plantation that I had forgotten existed. As I had the words of the title painted on something at the Kurtz base.
One of the critics has now said "I have come to think Apocalypse Now is a film you finally grow out of". I would not totally disagree, but as a cinematic event, it is hard to beat.
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