it is with hesitance that i call " apocalypse now " a masterpiece . certainly , it had the pedigree to be one of the greatest films ever made , with a director known for producing masterpieces with ease , and some of the finest actors of the 1970's . the plot , an adaptation of joseph conrad's " heart of darkness " , was set in vietnam , and the timing of the film was supposed to be brilliant , coming on the heels of the end of the war . " apocalypse " certainly has its moments , some of which are the finest in film history . the plot is fairly simple . captain willard ( sheen ) , is a troubled soldier who came back to hanoi for a 2nd tour of duty . his mission is simple : take a boat up to cambodian territory , and destroy the command of renegade colonel kurtz ( brando ) " with extreme prejudice " . along the way , willard runs into a series of adventures , including one with lt . col . kilgore ( duvall ) , and a strange encounter with playboy bunnies . willard' s four person crew finally make it to kurtz' compound , where he discovers kurtz has set himself up as a god among the natives . willard's experiences with kurtz take up the last half-hour , with a confrontation and eventual ending . the movie is visually breathtaking . the battle scenes are exquisitely done , and the score is brilliant , setting a murky mood of darkness that is first-rate . the collage of disturbing images that coppola presents is at times both astonishing and sickening . the vast amount of detail poured into every war scene is stunning , and there are many episodes that are deeply powerful which resonate through the entire movie . the journey to kurtz' camp is quite a ride , with psychosis setting in on almost every character . the most interesting one is kilgore , the lt . col . who cares more about the surf than about the mission . it is at times revolting , psychotic , and incredible , and it is one hell of a movie . the scenes are bold , inventive , and powerful , and the acting is stunning , especially be sheen , duvall , and fishburne . the narration is exquisite , as is the mystery of kurtz . coppola sets about a hallucinatory ride through vietnam , kind of like " saving private ryan " on lsd . the film is jarring in its implications , and psychotic in its execution . the problems come when the film slows down . one of the major scenes in the film , where the boat arrives at the final army checkpoint before they start their search for kurtz , is a colossal mess . the dialogue is confusing , the lighting is atrocious , and the scene drags on for 10 terrible minutes of film . the true problems happen after the crew does come into the kurtz compound . the film slows down to a drag . sheen seems forever captured by a madman , played by brando is a lazy performance that is not deserving of the accolades it received . brando is in the film for no more than 15 minutes , but is bathed in shadows the entire time , making the last half hour of the film visually pathetic . the scenes are poorly done , the dialogue is muffled , and the whole mess is utterly confusing beyond all belief . sheen seems to adore this man , but why the viewers are never told . the entire journey is supposed to be a prelude for a stunning entrance of this god-like kurtz , but the scenes fall way short of expectations . granted , it has its moments , which are brutally horrific , but the general feeling is one of confusion . brando mumbles his lines in a incoherent stir , and my feeling was that this could never be a great man , this could never be a man who inspires hundreds to follow him , so why do they do it ? there are moments of brilliance , but the visual confusion dilutes the power of the scene . there are too many questions left unanswered with the character of kurtz to have a satisfying ending . the finest scene at the end is sheen's escape , and his entrace into the temple . his rise out of the water , with the smoke coming off of his slicked head , is a brilliant 30 seconds of film . yet , you cannot shake the feeling that there is so much more this film could have done . the psychotic ride is unforgettable at times , and indeed the film on the whole is very good . it is a stunningly flawed expression of film , for it addresses major issues , such as man's mental stamina during bouts of war . but one still cannot shake the feeling that this film could have so much more powerful , had the character of kurtz been more explored , and had sheen truly succumbed to the fate that the viewer thought he was destined for . there is too much good material in here not to be called a masterpiece , but it could have been so much more rewarding .
