The epic war film “Apocalypse Now,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was released in 1979. It features a surreal and hallucinatory journey, exploring the madness and brutality of the Vietnam War.
The story follows Captain Benjamin Willard, played by Martin Sheen, who is assigned a secret mission to journey up the Nung River into the Cambodian jungle to assassinate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a Special Forces officer who has gone rogue. As Willard travels deeper into the jungle, he encounters increasingly surreal and nightmarish scenes that blur the lines between reality and madness.
“Apocalypse Now” is a haunting and visually stunning exploration of the horrors of war, the darkness of the human soul, and the moral ambiguity of conflict. Coppola’s direction creates an immersive and unsettling atmosphere, while the film’s iconic imagery and powerful performances leave a lasting impact on audiences.
Watch some of the best moments from the film below.
One scene shows that Colonel Kurtz has gone insane, highlighting the mental impact Vietnam had on him.
In another scene, villagers in Vietnam take cover as the Valkyries fly over their village.
A third scene highlights a soldier experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in Vietnam.
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“When I was home after my first tour it was worse. I’d wake up and there’d be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce. When I was here, I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think about was getting back into the jungle,” the character suffering from PTSD says.
