Today, big-budget films areconstantly getting recutsometime between theatrical and home video releases. Studios want films to be as bankable as possible, so they will step in and request cuts to allow the films to be more theater-friendly. When the movie hits home video or streaming, the filmmakers can add in the cut scenes to allow viewers to see a more complete version of the movie, sometimes resulting inmovies with incredibly different director’s cuts. One of the earliest movies that did this was the Vietnam War filmApocalypse Now.
Director Francis Ford Coppola put his blood, sweat, tears, and wallet into the making of thefilm, based on the bookHeart of Darknessby Joseph Conrad. The shoot was grueling and trying for everyone involved, so Coppola wanted to ensure the film would be successful at the box office. The workprint of the film ran an astounding five hours, and it needed to be trimmed if it was going to succeed. Even if Coppola wantedApocalypse Nowto have more of an arthouse feel, he heavily cut the film down for the theatrical run since, as Chris O’Falt writes forIndie Wire, “he needed the film to play as far and wide as possible to save himself from financial ruin.” It appears this was the smart move, as the film was a massive success.
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Years after the fact, Coppola felt the version shipped to theaters was an incomplete form of his vision. The cuts he made were necessary at the time, but he now felt he butchered the film he sacrificed so much for. After editing the footage as if it was a new film and even bringing in actors to re-dub their lines over 20 years later, Coppola had recut the film. In 2001,Apocalypse Now Reduxwas released. This extended version of the film added in just under 50 minutes of footage. In addition to extended scenes, entire sequences were added in which had not been seen before. So Coppola finally had what he felt, at the time, the version of the film he had always wanted to release. It was surely a more complete movie, but was it the better version?
Coppola originally cut the film down in order for it to be easier for theatergoers to watch in 1979. The only footage he left in the film was that which he deemed vitally important. This seemed to pay off, as it is known as one of thegreatest Coppola movies of all time. Thanks to these cuts, the theatrical edit has tight pacing and only a few minutes of fluff. Nearly everything in the theatrical cut is vital to the story. Captain Willard and his journey are the centerpieces of the film, so that is where the attention is primarily placed. InReduxmany of the scenes that were originally cut are put back into the film. To some fans, this may ruin the pacing of the film. While this allowed what Coppola felt was the complete film to be seen, much of the added footage was ultimately unnecessary to the narrative.
As stated before, Willard’s journey to Kurtz is the heart of the story, and there are entire sequences in which he isn’t present. The additional footage may be entertaining, but many fans agree they ultimately divert from the story by a fair amount. On top of this,Apocalypse Nowwas not a short film to begin with; the theatrical cut had a run time of around 153 minutes.Apocalypse NowReduxhas a beefy 202 minutes, almost three and a half hours. This is a staggering runtime and will turn many viewers away.
As upset as Coppola may have been to cut these scenes, they were cut for a reason.Reduxis certainly a great way for hardcore fans to watch the film in all its glory, but the theatrical cut has it beat in terms of pacing. Those who are new to the film would be better off sticking with the shorter cut. This way they get all they need from the story without having the plot diverge several times. That, and three and a half hours is a long time to sit through a film.
New Scenes
As with any director’s cut of a film, previously unseen scenes are inserted back into the project. WithApocalypse Now Redux, fans are split on the inclusion of certain scenes. Willard is supposed to be the center of the plot, but here there are more than a few scenes that not only have him absent, they have little to no bearing on the overall story. Many fans claim that these scenes offer nothing in the grand scheme of things, not even so much as character development. There is one scene in particular that fans wish never made the cut.
There is a scene right before Willard’s team encounters the village Kurtz is hiding in. The men meet a French family and enjoy some time when they can relax. The scenes set here allow the characters, as well as the audience, to take a breath from the mayhem. This is where many fans take issue.Apocalypse Nowis a bleak and dark film. From this point on, it was only going to get worse. These scenes stick out like a sore thumb and many feel ruin the tension. These moments are supposed to be the calm before the storm so to speak, but they add little save for the burying ofLaurence Fishburne’scharacter and some symbolic elements strengthening the film’s themes of imperialism.
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These moments aren’t bad by any means, and in fact humanize Willard and the team. As nice as this sounds, it does stop the film dead in its tracks right before the final act. The biggest criticism is the lengthy, drawn-out political discussions that some viewers find dull. These moments certainly have fans, but when comparing the two cuts they are always a hot topic. Another issue is that Kurtz is introduced earlier and with little fanfare. On top of this, he is shown in full close-up and out of the shadows. Fans believe this ruins the mystery of the character.
WhileReduxis the best-known edit of the film, a third actually exists. In 2019, Coppola oversaw the4K restoration of a ‘final cut’of the film. In the process, he also re-cut the film to release what he now feels to be the definitive version.Apocalypse Now: Final Cutessentially takes elements from both cuts and combines them. While longer than the theatrical version, it is much shorter thanRedux. Many fans like this, as it makes the already lengthy film easier to sit through. Some scenes introduced inReduxare once again cut out and others are shortened. The French family scenes are heavily cut, as well as Kurtz’s scenes, once again giving him his mystery back. As the name of this version suggests, Coppola claims this is the true final cut of the film, at least for now.
So now comes the verdict. As with anything, it all comes down to the person who’s watching. Alarge group of people prefers the theatrical cut, as it has much tighter pacing and sticks to the basics of the story. Another great many who don’t mindvery long moviesand already adore the world Coppola created withApocalypse Nowundoubtedly chooseRedux,as it offers a more complete version of the story. There are even a few that who pick outFinal Cut, giving them a more complete film but omitting some of the more tedious moments. Whichever version is chosen,Apocalypse Nowremains one of the greatest films of all time, and Coppola’s genius shines through in each version.
