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From Amazon.co.uk
• The Timeless Epic from Francis Ford Coppola
• In a pristine new transfer supervised by Francis Ford Coppola
• Presented in the original (2.35:1) theatrical aspect ratio
In 1979 renowned director Francis Ford Coppola changed cinema history with his mesmerising epic Apocalypse Now, one of the most unforgettable, authentic and harrowing depictions of the Vietnam War. In 2001 he re-approached his hallucinatory masterpiece to create a definitive version, reinstating 49 minutes of previously unseen material. The result is Apocalypse Now Redux. Tormented army captain Benjamin L. Willard is sent on a secret mission into warring Cambodia to eliminate the mysterious and psychotic renegade Colonel Kurtz. But it’s a hazardous journey that will take him into the heart of savage conflict and to the edge of sanity.
• In a pristine new transfer supervised by Francis Ford Coppola
• Presented in the original (2.35:1) theatrical aspect ratio
In 1979 renowned director Francis Ford Coppola changed cinema history with his mesmerising epic Apocalypse Now, one of the most unforgettable, authentic and harrowing depictions of the Vietnam War. In 2001 he re-approached his hallucinatory masterpiece to create a definitive version, reinstating 49 minutes of previously unseen material. The result is Apocalypse Now Redux. Tormented army captain Benjamin L. Willard is sent on a secret mission into warring Cambodia to eliminate the mysterious and psychotic renegade Colonel Kurtz. But it’s a hazardous journey that will take him into the heart of savage conflict and to the edge of sanity.
Product Description
A new cut of the multi-million dollar Vietnam psychedelic epic, with director Francis Ford Coppola adding 55 minutes of deleted scenes. The Vietnam War rages and US Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a renegade American officer who has set up his own kingdom in the heart of the jungle. His journey begins with a devastating aerial assault on a small Vietnamese village, the attacking helicopters booming Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyrie' out of their speakers, and becomes progressively more deranged as it moves up the river.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
70 of 73 people found the following review helpful
By DeeJay
Format:Blu-ray
Normally I start with a review of the movie itself, but Apocalypse Now has been reviewed a million times and I imagine the majority of people reading this already know if they like it or not. For me, it is my favourite war movie that just got better with the Redux version, and this is the icing on the cake.
Anyway, onto what most people will be interested in, the Bluray stuff.
The original and the Redux versions are both included on disc 1, and both look very good, not perfect, but probably as good as they can get. Colours are vibrant and blacks are solid - which is exactly what you want when you think of the infamous/famous Brando scene. At times the image is a bit soft, but that is a trait many films made in the 70's share and in no way does it reflect a lazy or poor transfer. There is some minor print damage here and there which you'll see as black and white flecks. It's a minor trifle to be honest though, the detail in the film is very good, with just the right amount of grain. The Master Audio track also deserves a mention as it is superb, a standout bluray soundtrack if ever I heard it.
Spread over the other 2 discs we have everything we could ask for really. The Heart of darkness documentary, new video interviews with Coppola and Sheen, original screen tests, additional deleted scenes, 200 storyboard drawings, a look at Apocalypse Nows then revolutionary 5.1 soundtrack, and loads more.
The boxset includes 5 exclusive artcards, a collectible booklet and a copy of the original 1979 theatrical program, very cool. The discs have their own fold out cardboard case, and it's all held together in a hard cardboard box (like the Alien anthology), so it feels feels well made, and looks great.... Read more ›
Anyway, onto what most people will be interested in, the Bluray stuff.
The original and the Redux versions are both included on disc 1, and both look very good, not perfect, but probably as good as they can get. Colours are vibrant and blacks are solid - which is exactly what you want when you think of the infamous/famous Brando scene. At times the image is a bit soft, but that is a trait many films made in the 70's share and in no way does it reflect a lazy or poor transfer. There is some minor print damage here and there which you'll see as black and white flecks. It's a minor trifle to be honest though, the detail in the film is very good, with just the right amount of grain. The Master Audio track also deserves a mention as it is superb, a standout bluray soundtrack if ever I heard it.
Spread over the other 2 discs we have everything we could ask for really. The Heart of darkness documentary, new video interviews with Coppola and Sheen, original screen tests, additional deleted scenes, 200 storyboard drawings, a look at Apocalypse Nows then revolutionary 5.1 soundtrack, and loads more.
The boxset includes 5 exclusive artcards, a collectible booklet and a copy of the original 1979 theatrical program, very cool. The discs have their own fold out cardboard case, and it's all held together in a hard cardboard box (like the Alien anthology), so it feels feels well made, and looks great.... Read more ›
59 of 62 people found the following review helpful
By DVDfever
Format:Blu-ray
I had a beef with the picture of the original DVD release, but it was not the fault of the distributor. Originally shown in cinemas at 2.35:1, any print intended for viewing at home had, at the time, been cropped to 2.00:1 at the insistance of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Most scenes were still fine, but nothing could beat the original ratio and to this day I've never understood his decision. I had seen a portion of this in the full widescreen ratio of 2.35:1 on ZDF TV. "Ich liebe die smell der naplam im morgen", anyone?
Anyway, this Blu-ray release finally addresses this issue with the full 2.35:1 theatrical ratio, for both versions of the film, and in 1080p high definition. The picture is a little hazy in places, like some other Optimum releases gone by, but this only affects the film in a few scenes so isn't majorly offputting.
The sound is in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, for which I got the 5.1 DTS version and aside from gunfire and explosions, this film is just oozing with atmosphere. That's all you need to know.
The extensive extras, spread across all three discs, include (at least within Amazon's 1000-word limit):
* Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1:35:59): Probably the ultimate documentary. If you know the film, you know the documentary. Released in 1991, this gathered so much interest that it even found its way onto a separate release on video, and later on DVD. After Francis Ford Coppola began, in February 1976, what became an overlong 16-month shoot based on Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, a documentary that sums up the director's own sufferings also became essential viewing, pin-pointing his frustrations with the actors, locations and logistics.... Read more ›
Anyway, this Blu-ray release finally addresses this issue with the full 2.35:1 theatrical ratio, for both versions of the film, and in 1080p high definition. The picture is a little hazy in places, like some other Optimum releases gone by, but this only affects the film in a few scenes so isn't majorly offputting.
The sound is in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, for which I got the 5.1 DTS version and aside from gunfire and explosions, this film is just oozing with atmosphere. That's all you need to know.
The extensive extras, spread across all three discs, include (at least within Amazon's 1000-word limit):
* Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1:35:59): Probably the ultimate documentary. If you know the film, you know the documentary. Released in 1991, this gathered so much interest that it even found its way onto a separate release on video, and later on DVD. After Francis Ford Coppola began, in February 1976, what became an overlong 16-month shoot based on Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, a documentary that sums up the director's own sufferings also became essential viewing, pin-pointing his frustrations with the actors, locations and logistics.... Read more ›
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Slingo68
Format:Blu-ray
I would like to concentrate on the audio side of the Movie rather than the movie itself, which has to be fair not gone without positive reviews.
Apocalypse Now
This was the first Blockbuster movie to use separate channels for surround channels and the subwoofer.
This 5.1 format is now the way that virtually all film soundtracks and recorded.
Coppolas' fanatical attention to detail and the huge amount of time put into the editing of the soundtrack ensures it is still one of the best tests for any surround system 30 years after it was released.
Here are some of the details that any quality surround system should reproduce.
The Ghost Helicopter Flyover
At the start of the film before the picture appears the soundtrack makes full use of the stereo rear channels. The helicopter should pan smoothly across the back of the room and then across the full width of the front of the room.
A surround system should reproduce this with smooth, even pans all around the room with no hot spots or gaps - and without making you aware of any speakers.
As the intro builds to a crescendo, listen for the buildup of layers from the synthesized helicopter, the Doors soundtrack and the sounds of Saigon and the ceiling fan.
Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries
This classic piece of film shows the "air cavalry" playing music from their helicopters to terrify their intended victims. On most systems the sound of the orchestra is heard as part of the musical score rather than being clearly audible as a screechy, Public Address system being played from the helicopters.
Meet the Tiger
The use of surround sound is incredibly effective on this clip as the sounds of the jungle completely envelop you.... Read more ›
Apocalypse Now
This was the first Blockbuster movie to use separate channels for surround channels and the subwoofer.
This 5.1 format is now the way that virtually all film soundtracks and recorded.
Coppolas' fanatical attention to detail and the huge amount of time put into the editing of the soundtrack ensures it is still one of the best tests for any surround system 30 years after it was released.
Here are some of the details that any quality surround system should reproduce.
The Ghost Helicopter Flyover
At the start of the film before the picture appears the soundtrack makes full use of the stereo rear channels. The helicopter should pan smoothly across the back of the room and then across the full width of the front of the room.
A surround system should reproduce this with smooth, even pans all around the room with no hot spots or gaps - and without making you aware of any speakers.
As the intro builds to a crescendo, listen for the buildup of layers from the synthesized helicopter, the Doors soundtrack and the sounds of Saigon and the ceiling fan.
Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries
This classic piece of film shows the "air cavalry" playing music from their helicopters to terrify their intended victims. On most systems the sound of the orchestra is heard as part of the musical score rather than being clearly audible as a screechy, Public Address system being played from the helicopters.
Meet the Tiger
The use of surround sound is incredibly effective on this clip as the sounds of the jungle completely envelop you.... Read more ›
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spot on
This collection is probably the most perfect "collector's edition" film set I've ever come across. Read more
Published 14 days ago by WDK
5.0 out of 5 stars
My friend works at a Hotel ca$h in hand
My friend owns this. He works at a hotel but would like to be a social worker. He like to ride a mountain bike and has an expensive chess program on his PC. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Kim Fowley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Vietnam film
Apocalypse Now is the best film made depicting the Vietnam war, superbly directed by F F Coppola. Martin Sheen also excellent.
Published 1 month ago by Len Ocaimh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seminal film, essential blu-ray
This was the release that made me get a blu-ray player. For the first time, Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece can be seen at home in its intended 2. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Anorakus
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best movie about Vietnam even though it's not about Vietnam
There is now way to describe this film properly. It's a work of art. I must admit though, I prefer the original cut to the redux.
Published 2 months ago by C. Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars
A flawed but great film, too ambitious yet deep
I saw the original version of this when it came out and remembered it vividly, but came away feeling ambivalent. Read more
Published 2 months ago by rob crawford
4.0 out of 5 stars
Probably about the best film Coppola has done...
..a troubled production by most accounts but a minor masterpiece, I am biased as I write this in the house where Conrad lived for a time, but this is very good. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Barry Wom
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Great, book needed for uni studies, good for those who are interested in colonialism. I needed this for my creative writing part of my English Degree.
Published 2 months ago by Sharfa Sorwar
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the classic Vietnam war films!
I highly recommend this film due to its amazingly written dialogue, and brilliantly filmed photography. This film is a must see for Vietnam war enthusiasts!
Published 3 months ago by Jacqueline M. Davies
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great value for money
This is a review of the 3-disc Special Edition Blu-ray.
The film itself is 5 stars. Worthy of anybody's time and money alone. Read more
The film itself is 5 stars. Worthy of anybody's time and money alone. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Pike
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