APOCALYPSE NOW (REDUX VERSION)

 Last year, I reviewed the original cut of "Apocalypse Now", which I thought was a great and fantastic war film on adventuring into the insanity's of war. Now comes a version with added scenes in the film called "The Redux" version, which is the "Director's Cut". Usually when there's a film with added scenes in it, it can be really good or it could ruin a classic by breaking the flow or putting something stupid in that doesn't work or shouldn't belong in the film. I'm going to review the added scenes that were put in the movie and see if they work and should belong in the film. So where does this film fall under, ON WITH THE REVIEW...





In the original cut, the crew is out on the boat listening and jamming to "The Rolling Stones" hit song "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". However, that scene is shown much later in the Redux version, and we just see Willard read about Kurtz; and while we see them jam to the song later in the film, we see more of Willard reading more about Kurtz. I guess in a way it flows better and gives us more information on Kurtz, but personally, I think the scene with the soldiers jamming when we first meet them actually works better because it shows how insecure and young they are, as well as giving them a fun introduction, plus making you feel more attached to them. Well, at least they still kept that scene instead of editing it out, so it's not really much of a downer.

 
I'm going to admit this, in these next few deleted scenes, Kilgore isn't just as cool and insane as he was in the original film, but he actually gets a few more scenes that I wish made the original cut. He first of all gets a cool introduction than he did in the original cut. Instead of seeing him standing there leading the troops after an officer tells the crew "That they can't miss him"; the officer in this version says "There's the Colonel coming down"; he comes out of a badass helicopter that says "Death From Above" in giant red letters; and already he's ordering people around and asking for his Death Cards (Which were used in the original cut). That's actually an introduction that I wish made the original cut. There's also a brief moment where he looks at a bunch of dead bodies and all he does is just mutters out the word "Damn". Kilgore also gives Lance a pair of shorts to go surfing in (Which explains how he got them). However, the best moment with Kilgore that didn't make the original cut (Which upsets me) is the scene where a sends a wounded child and his Mother to the hospital. That scene shows that Kilgore is not completely mad and defiantly shows a compassionate side to him that we barely see in the original.

Ok, aside from one change, I seem to like this cut so far, well, here's a scene I'm glad they cut out. After knowing how bad the waves are for Lance to not even get a chance to Surf, Willard steals Kilgore's surfboard and are hiding in the Jungle because Kilgore's men are looking for them to get it back. So they're not in the Jungle to take a break from their journey and stop to get Mangoes for their trip, they're actually hiding from Kilgore because they stole his Surfboard. I read that Willard stole the board to demonstrate that the crew still haven't accepted the harsh reality of the war, but it's still stupid and was cut out for a good and obvious reason. It's a stupid moment that goes nowhere; feels like a forced in joke; is too goofy for the context of the film and is pointless to the films plot and journey.

If one pointless scene wasn't enough, we get two. After the "Playboy" Show sequence, which shows the lust and insanity of how much the soldiers miss the woman; we get a pointless scene of Chef obsessing over his "Playboy" magazines and Clean tells a story about an army sergeant who killed a man for ruining his foldouts from "Playboy". I know it's suppose to show the insanity of men missing woman and having sex when in the war, but that show sequence showed it just fine, there's no need to expand on it and on top of it, it's treated in a comical way than in a serious way. There's also a very long scene when Willard trades two fuel tanks from the ships so that the guys can score with the "Playboy" bunnies and this whole sequence is pointless (Aside from needing fuel at the "Do Lung Bridge" in this version instead of looking for information in the original version); takes away some of the seriousness that the film has; is so long and is so over the top and goofy that I'm surprised that it made it into this cut of the film instead of being part of the deleted scenes. 

This next deleted sequence lasts over 20 minutes and man does this sequence really break the flow of the film. The crew head to a French Plantation and give Mr.Clean a funereal which I'll admit I found to be very sad. Unfortunately, this sequence over stays its welcome as we get a long dinner conversation on politics, to Willard sleeping with a French girl. It really does feel like a sequence you can cut out and I'm glad it got cut in the original film because this part of the trip was too long, slow and boring.

Our final deleted scene in this version actually made me upset the most. Yeah, as if Kilgore chasing after his Surfboard, goofy moments with the crew and the "Playboy Bunnies" and a long and boring sequence wasn't enough, we get a scene with Kurtz in broad daylight, while reading "Time Magazines" to Willard. OK, the scene itself was boring, pointless and not needed, but putting a crazed maniac in broad daylight when he's in the shadows for the entirety of his appearance in the movie felt really out of place and loses the effect that the original gave us. I can't tell you how much it disgusts me to see such a crazy dark character who's kept in the shadows with little light, to be revealed on a bright sunny day! It just angers me! 

THE REDUX VERSION SUCKS! I guess if you're a fan of the film and want to see some of the missing scenes be put into the movie it's worth a look, but to be honest, I'd rather watch these scenes in a deleted scene category on the DVD than I actually want to see it be restored on film. The deleted scenes are pointless, goofy, overstay their welcome and drag on, as well as break the flow to the film and I can't believe that Coppola decided to fix something that isn't broken. Has Coppola ever restored a film with deleted scenes that was good and just as great as the original cut?

Will get to that sometime this year. If you haven't seen "Apocalypse Now" yet, the "Redux" version isn't a good place to start. See it in its original cut.

RATING 2/5