"The most important thing I wanted to do in the making of Apocalypse Now was to create a film that would give its audience a sense of the horror, the madness and sensuousness, and the moral dilemma of the Vietnam War. It was my thought that if the American audience could look at the heart of what Vietnam was really like - what it looked like and felt like - then they would be only one small step away from putting it behind them." - Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola's hypnotic and surreal masterpiece has finally been released in its definitive version on DVD. The film, based of course on Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, takes us on Captain Benjamin Willard's (Martin Sheen) kaleidoscopic journey into Cambodia where the burnt-out (to put it mildly) officer has been ordered to "Terminate with extreme prejudice" the enigmatic and warped Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Seems the ex-Green Beret Kurtz has completely lost his marbles and positioned himself as a sort of god, ruling over a local jungle tribe. As Willard makes his way through the sometimes beautiful, ofttimes horrific Vietnamese landscape, encountering a plethora of twisted characters and nightmarish images, the disillusioned soldier finds himself increasingly becoming the very man he has been sent to destroy.

Dazzle and Assault
I am happy to report that even after 20 years, Apocalypse Now is still as vital, invigorating and uncompromising a movie experience as it was when first released back in 1979, walking away with top honors at that year's Cannes film festival. Certainly not a film that explores the horrors of war from the usual, emotionally walloping (see Platoon or Saving Private Ryan) cinematic perspective, true fans of Coppola's masterwork know that this is a film you experience rather than watch. It's a movie that dazzles and assaults viewers at a level of consciousness somewhere beyond the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Love it or hate it, there is nothing quite like Apocalypse Now.

Watching this immaculate 2.20:1 widescreen transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound, I was struck all over again by the staggering beauty of Vittorio Storaro's cinematography and Carmine Coppola's menacing score, as well as the uniformly brilliant performances by the once-in-a-lifetime cast. Robert Duvall ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning."), Dennis Hopper, and a 14-year-old Laurence Fishburne are the standouts for me.

The Three Endings
No amount of DVD extras could possibly compare to the exhaustive account of this film's production offered in Fax Bahr's excellent documentary Hearts of Darkness. Only its inclusion on this disc could have made the package any sweeter than it is. For the first time, all three endings of Apocalypse Now are presented together on this DVD release. The first version ends without any credits at all, only a small copyright note popping up at the movie's conclusion. This follows into the film's second ending, which presents the film's complete credits over a black background. This ending is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

The third ending is presented separately and accessed from the disc's special features menu. This ending originally featured visuals of the destruction of the Kurtz compound with the film's credits over it. The credits have been removed for this version, highlighting the dazzling images captured by Coppola's cameras as his crew detonated and destroyed the film's most impressive set. Viewers have the option of watching the segment with the original film score behind it or with commentary by the director. In the commentary, Coppola explains and dispels misconceptions about the various endings of his film. Though brief, the commentary is enlightening for fans of the film.

More Extras
Also included are excerpts from the theatrical program brochure, originally distributed at the world premiere of Apocalypse Now. The excerpts include the brochure's introduction and various entries from the film's 238-day shooting schedule log. The disc also offers the French language version of the film on an alternate audio track and English subtitles are available. The original 1.85:1 theatrical trailer is also included.

Though the extras are minimal here, they are nonetheless welcome inclusions in a package punctuated most significantly by the amazing transfer of the film itself. Visceral and haunting, Apocalypse Now remains a remarkable achievement by a director at the peak of his creative powers. Truly, there has never been a better time to rediscover this powerful, provocative film classic than now, with this terrific new DVD release.