Taking the hint from Disney, mainstream Hollywood seems to have developed an affinity for the brilliant marketing technique of the "rerelease." On the tailend of this fad and 22 years after the original, Francis Ford Coppola has decided to clarify and expound on his landmark movie "Apocalypse Now" with the release of "Redux." Whether it is just a ploy to add depth to the pocketbook or a genuine attempt to explicate the film's point, the new and improved "Apocalypse Now" is every bit as good as the first but more mature, more insightful and more brilliant.
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Except for the addition of about 40 minutes of added footage, which contributes ideas and adds clarity, very little is changed from the original film. Directly based on Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," the concept has been rewritten to capture the Vietnam War. Special Forces commando Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent up the Mekong River to "terminate with prejudice" the authority of another commando leader, Col. Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Willard is forced to take a patrol boat up the river (for dramatic effect) and into Cambodia.
Along the journey, he encounters all sorts of characters, including the gung-ho and psychotic Col. Kilgore of the air-cavalry (Robert Duvall), who popularizes Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" by blasting it from his helicopter as he rides into battle. Willard finally catches up with Kurtz in a series of scenes that remain in the memory simply because they are so visually shocking. It becomes very clear that Col. Kurtz has indeed gone insane and has set himself up as a demigod for the disillusioned soldiers and natives under his command. What also becomes abundantly clear is that the movie does not make its profound statement with the execution of Kurtz, but rather with the total picture of the war in Vietnam.
While the new scenes add more time to an already lengthy movie, they also add a sophistication not entirely present in the original. Through an added scene questioning the nature of government lies, Brando's representation of Kurtz is examined more in depth. This scene perhaps could not have been shown 20 years ago, but now it adds an intensity to a movie classified as more "anti-lie" than traditionally "anti-war."
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The anticipated French plantation scene seems out of place after the original, but "Redux" could not exist without it. Although the scene works within the script, its drastic change in character sets it apart. With its 19th century furniture and vintage wine, the scene seems like a peaceful dream nestled within the nightmare. The French actress Aurore Clement, who plays deMarais's daughter-in-law, puts it best: "...Earlier you have all these scenes of men and fighting and death and war, and then comes this scene about sweetness and life and sensuality and love. It's one of the rare erotic scenes in a war movie, and it's a beautifully erotic scene. It's about the two sides of humanity: the one who loves and the one who kills."
Another extended scene with Colonel Kilgore provides a portrayal of Duvall's character as truly insane. When viewing the original, Kilgore appears as the swaggering master of the situation, whereas here he seems as broken as everyone else. A new Playboy playmates scene looks into the idea of gender roles. One of the playmates tries to bare her soul and admits she is tired of being an object, while, at the same time, she is being seduced. This scene demonstrates how all sides in this war are being manipulated by a society dealing with its own loss of innocence and mental destruction.
The music included adds an entirely new dimension to the viewing experience. For the French plantation love scene, Coppola's father himself wrote the classical score, which his son describes as "kind of Debussy in the tone." Hearing the original acid-induced score on the intended Dolby 5.1 format can only be described as surreal. Francis Ford Coppola's vision for the music has finally been realized in its true character. He describes it himself: "The bass line would be the helicopters, and the strings would be wind and screaming jets, and the whole thing would have a foundation as though played by Jimi Hendrix." But "Redux" translates his musical vision so much better than the original, simply as a result of modern theatre technology.
The end result of the added footage is a more sophisticated and in-depth movie, but viewers should not be fooled. The extra 49 minutes turns this initially long film into a marathon event not to be undertaken by the weak-hearted.
Everyone should see this film, whether they have seen the original or not. The added depth stemming from the new scenes more than makes up for the pain to the lower back, and the final product can only be described as beautiful (in its own "Lord of the Flies" way). If you don't thrill for the added insight and sophistication, it will truly make your day to hear Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" in Dolby 5.1.
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