Apocalypse Now - Final Cut

Apocalypse Now is certainly one of my favourite films of all time and I have purchased a number of versions of it on different formats over the years – as well as seeing the original film at the cinema when it was first released. I'm sure the film itself doesn't need another review from me so I will just add a few comments on the 4K version of the new “Final Cut” as there seems to be a bit of confusion about what is included in this 40th anniversary edition of the film. There are currently two versions of the Ultra HD 4K package available from Amazon – I have the three disc version which costs around twenty pounds, but there is also a six disc Collector's Edition costing considerably more. The three disc version offers the final cut of the film running to around 183 minutes with disc one being region-free 4K 2160p UHD, disc two offers the standard region B Blu-ray 1080p HD – both discs feature Dolby Atmos audio. Disc three has “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse” plus the other special features in standard Blu-ray and include an introduction to the Final Cut by director Francis Ford Coppola, a Tribeca Film Festival Q&A with Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Soderbergh, some Super 8mm Behind-The-Scenes Footage, Apocalypse Now: Remastering A Legend In Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Apocalypse Now: A Forty Year Journey, plus Dutch Angle: Chas Gerretsen & Apocalypse Now. At 183 minutes this Final Cut is somewhat shorter than the previous Redux version (I guess by about twenty minutes) but about half an hour longer than the original cinema release. This 4K version certainly looks and sounds good – the best I've experienced since I saw it in the cinema all those years ago – but the actual re-editing will suit some fans of the film more than others. One of cinema's most powerful experiences this is a must-see film that probably won't be tinkered with again for at least another ten years. If you already have a 4K UHD TV system then buy this version – if you only have a standard Blu-ray player at the moment then still buy this version and watch the Blu-ray disc and save the 4K one to watch when you upgrade; if you are a real collector, and a big fan of this film, then maybe go for the six disc package that includes everything you could ever want!

Well worth a watch good film

This is a must own 4K disk not only for fans of the film, but for 4K enthusiasts as well. Dolby Atmos soundtrack is demo worthy. The helicopters sounded like they were flying in my room - on my 7.1.4 setup it is a magnificent sounding Atmos. Picture quality is also stunning. Definitely on the best 4K remastered movie of all time, an demo disk in every way.

Yes, this Final Cut is the definitive version of Apocalypse Now, coming in at just over three hours it is an epic that really does take you on this journey up river to confront Kurtz. Historically, at the time of its release it needed to be of a suitable length for theatrical showing, but now there is no limit to its length with the DVD markets and appreciative audiences. If you’re never seen it before, go for The Final Cut, or if you want to re-experience it in all its glory. It is shorter than the Redux version, with the bunny-girls in the chopper cut, but it does retain the French plantation sequence which does lead onto the greatest scene in the history of cinema, the opium smoking scene. Most viewers may know the history of the film. With five Oscars and two Godfather films under his belt, Francis Coppola was unable to get funding for a Vietnam war film. I guess the money people were expecting another Green Berets with John Wayne. So he had to fund the film himself with his own cash and pledges from distributors, Coppola saw the project as an opportunity to make a film that would do more than stand the test of time, he set out to make a great piece of film-art, whatever the cost. He risked is life and his sanity with 238 days of filming in the Philippines creating 1.5 million feel of film (which I guess comes out at about 55 hours) and ending up spending $31.5 million, and he succeeded beautifully, with a film that maybe in a generation will become acknowledged as the greatest piece of film-art ever. So Coppola owns Apocalypse Now rather than some faceless corporation, and good luck to him. He followed Apocalypse Now, with the great One from the Heart, and even more financial problems ensued.

The Vietnam war has brought many a major film to our screens such as 'Platoon' Hamburger Hill' and 'Full Metal Jacket' as well as many a song such as Kenny Rogers - 'Ruby' - Paul Hardcastle's '19' and Buffy Saint Marie's 'Moratorium' This a film I myself haven't watched for many a year, last time would probably have been when first released on DVD. Must admit my memory of the film has always been it was over-long. The story, in fact, tells of the futility and horror of the conflict and its ultimate effect on those that took part. In this we see Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) who was in truth already damaged by what he'd done and seen during the conflict summoned to take on a mission to find and indeed terminate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) a heavily decorated officer who had turned rogue having waged his own war against north Vietnam forces without authorisation. The Captain accepts the mission and will have a small team assigned to him to navigate the Nung river in a River Patrol Boat. They will be helped to avoid the heavily Viet-Cong occupied end of the river with a helicopter lift organised by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) a very gun-ho squad commander. Along the way the team which includes Chief Petty Officer "Chief" Phillips (Albert Hall) 'Chef' (Frederic Forrest) Lance (Sam Bottoms) and the young 'Mr Clean' (Laurence Fishburne) Along the way and including their time with Lt Col Kilgore they will encounter many dangers and witness much in the way of horrific consequences of the war, so much so that in continually reading the file on Col Kurtz he begins to understand the target and question what he'll do when they do encounter him When they finally get to Kurtz's lair in Cambodia they find he has a large following of both American and Montagnard troop who treat him as a demi-god, among his followers an American freelance photographer played by Dennis Hopper. Though the Captain is initially taken as a captive, Kurtz despite realising that Benjamen is there to kill him he lets the Captain live. What the Captain finds is a troubled man who has simply seen too much horror, though a little unhinged Kurtz is no fool. Still, in my view overlong, it is an intense insight into the realities of the 'unwinnable' conflict. Though the package does come with 3-Discs including a Blu-ray copy of 'The Final Cut' and a disc of extra's, I have only seen (other than the original DVD) the 4k version. The picture is quite 'grainy' at times, especially the day-time distance sequences, however, closer quality is somewhat impressive.

If you have a good AV system then you will hear things that aren't caught on earlier versions. The sound is awesome, a real game changer. I have watched this film hundreds of times, really, it's my favourite film. I enjoyed this 4k version much more than any other. Picture quality was high already on bluray and I don't really think its much better in 4k. Considering how old this film is the photography is stunning. Definitely worth the money if you have a decent 7.2 or Atmos system. My system is the Yamaha flagship avantage AV amp with B&W speakers and Sony Ubp-X800 M2 4k bluray player. The sound brings about the immersion and enjoyment of this film in particular. I would recommend with the caveat of having a good sound system.

A classic of the Vietnam era. Well acted by top actors, good sound recording. Very realistic. I spent several years in Malaysia, late 60' early seventies' and its first class film of its era.

Extremly well done movie. Catches your full attention. Thought provoking antiwar. Maybe the movie about the Vietnam War that comes nearest what it was like and the American trauma.

Reviewing a film like "Apocalypse Now" is almost impossible as it means so many different things to different viewers. Essentially, a 2 to 3 hours long nightmarish acid trip set during the Vietnam War, it has so many subtexts and various characters coming in and out of the narrative one has to just go along for the BBR boat ride. The film has grown in stature over the years. While it was a popular film when released in 1979 several critics didn't really know what to make of it. It certainly pushed some boundaries. Now, decades later the film is seen as one of the finest movies ever made and certainly among the top if not THE top of all war films. Each time I watch it I pick up a little more meaning, humor and just plain insanity. Much more than just an anti-war film, it goes quite a bit deeper. It offers a look into each of our "hearts of darkness" and the strong duality of our better natures vs our darker sides featured over and over again as Capt. Willard and the PBR crew make their way down up the river to their final confrontation with the totally mad Colonel Kurts. This review is based on the 3-disc UK release from StudioCanal of the Final Cut version. I can confirm as others here have already done that the two Blu-Ray discs included with the region free 4K disc are themselves region free even if the stats on the back suggest region B only. They played just fine on my Sony UPB-X800M2 region A player. I cannot confirm if this is the case with all other various releases of the Final Cut or the original 6-disc Final Cut including the original theatrical and Redux versions from StudioCanal, etc. There are so many Blu-ray and 4K releases and re-releases at this point that it's quite a confusing mess. Each release should be tentatively explored with the idea of possible product return just in case. As to the 3 different director's versions of the film, I have no problem with the Final Cut as I believe it adds most of the better bits back into the film without seriously damaging the esthetic of the theatrical version. For me, I always felt the back end of the movie felt rushed in the original. There were some gaps. However, most critics and fans feel that both extended Final Cut and Redux versions slow the movie down too much. Oh well, to each their own. In the end, the movie is so great it can easily survive Coppola's fiddling after the fact, and I'd urge anyone to watch any or all of these three versions to experience the genius and immense impact of this film. This 2019 4K Dolby Vision version remastering is among the finest efforts I've seen. The visual impact is overwhelming. It was taken from the original film negative and scanned directly into 4K. The picture's color timing is stunning. Detail is amazing with fine film grain present. Blacks are inky but you can still see deep into the shadows with a 3D impact. This is demo material even if it's a 45-year-old movie. The Dolby Atmos sound is equally mind boggling. There is a full immersive, detailed spherical sound field. LFE is strong. Napalm and other explosions will rumble. The helicopter blades' thumping sound has a physical impact. Dialog is very clear. Yes, even the low-voiced method acting dialog of Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz comes across well delineated. Small details of the jungle sounds, and background ambiance are on full aural display. Again, a demo disc for sound to impress friends and family. The special features include many ported over legacy bits as well as several new offerings or the 40th Anniversary release. One the new special features is a great comparison of the movie's visual quality in home release over the last 40 years starting with the first basic VHS and Betamax versions all the way through to this state-of-the-art 4K release. Your eyes won't believe the improvements and how technology has progressed. Amazing! I consider "Apocalypse Now as a must own movie in any film lover's physical media collection. This 2019 4K StudioCanal presentation fulfills that must own status easily in any of its different configurations. Do NOT hesitate!

Nothing to complain about - it just arrived on time:-)

Buena edición en Blu-ray de la versión extendida de la película, así como varios extras y documentales. eso si, en versión original con subtítulos en castellano.

As another commenter mentioned, the final cut version by Studio canal is compatible with North American blu-ray players including the standard hearts of darkness and regular blurary discs. Since this is out of print in Canada and the US, you can safely order this version. Picture and sound quality are one of the best available and this is a stellar transfer comparable to Lawrence of Arabia and Alien.

Cette version 4k est plus courte que la version dite redux (version longue en dvd). Elle correspond au choix du réalisateur, version dite Final Cut. Entre autres, la scène où les protagonistes rencontrent l’hélicoptère des filles de playboy qui s’est kraché n’apparaît pas dans cette nouvelle version. La scène dans la plantation française est bien là. La restauration 4k est très correcte et rend hommage à ce film extraordinaire.