BS: Apocalypse Now Redux

Subject: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: michaelr
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 09:05 PM

Just watched Coppola's new version of his classic film, with an extra 50+ minutes of footage. Most of the additional time is spent on a French rubber plantation, where the planters explain to Martin Sheen why they could not hold Indochina, and why the US won't be able to, either. Then he smokes opium. Great stuff!

But what really turned my head was the fact that in the scene where Sheen arrives at Robert Duvall's encampment, you suddenly see (for about four seconds) Coppola himself and one or more crew members, yelling at Sheen to "keep going, don't stop"! I can't for the life of me imagine why that's in the film -- if it was a cutting-room mistake it surely would have been caught, and if it was done on purpose then what the hell were they thinking? It completely negates the suspension of disbelief necessary for enjoying a work of fiction.

Has anyone else noticed this scene, and why do you think it was left in?

Baffled,
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: GUEST,Alan Terego
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 09:19 PM

I don't remember that from my other viewings of the film. Could it just have been an out-take, that they put in the new version just for laughs? If they didn't notice something as blatant as that, they must all have been hitting on the opium!

Al

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 09:22 PM

Hi, Michael

I haven't seen the film since it was first released aeons ago, but I think I remember the glimpse of Coppola and crew from the original cut. My assumption at the time was the scene had two purposes:

First, to comment on the "dinner-time TV news" nature of the war which brought us "live up to the minute death in living color" into our living and/or dining rooms every evening and

Second, to allow FC a cameo in his film.

Could be wrong, but that's the way I recall it.

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: X
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 10:05 PM

I think they were trying to portray Charlie-MO/PIC.

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: Amergin
Date: 16 Aug 02 - 10:18 PM

I got this on DVD...and it is amazing.....

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: fat B****rd
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 04:35 AM

As an avid AN fan I must say that the "Go by like you're fighting" scene has always been in. I enjoyed Redux as a sort of novelty but would be quite content with the original. The documentary "Hearts of Darkness" recording the making of the film by Eleanor Coppola is, however, fascinating and I would recommend it to any AN fan.

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 03:08 PM

Banjoest -- would you please translate Charlie MO/PIC for the acronym-challenged?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 03:21 PM

The reviews I've read of Redux say, more or less, that it's a "Why Bother" thing...

A.N. is a damn good piece of film in it's original release... why feck with a good thing...

Hearts of Darkness, ya... damn good documentary as well...

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 03:38 PM

The Coppola filming scene served two purposes 1) It showed how the Vietnam War was marked and manipulated by documentary and news coverage and 2) It gave Coppola a tongue-in-cheek bit part.

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 03:44 PM

It was in both versions. As EJ just said, it was a cameo with Coppola and crew portraying a newsreel or documentary crew. Neither mistake nor out-take. Do you think an egomaniac like Duvall's character would be without media coverage?

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: X
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 04:01 PM

In the service everything is a Delta this or a Charlie that. Delta being the letter D and Charlie being a C and so on. Charlie MO/PIC is just army for C-Motion Picture, a military sanctioned movie crew.

Subject: RE: BS: Apocalypse Now Redux
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Aug 02 - 04:08 PM

Thanks everyone. The newsreel angle hadn't occurred to me, but makes sense.
What do you think of the French plantation scenes?

Michael