This year, Francis Ford Coppola returns to cinemas with Megalopolis and anyone wondering why this is an event should first catch up on one of the director’s defining masterpieces.
Apocalypse Now is one of the best war films everwhich is also confirmed by around 24,000 movie pilots who give the film an average rating of an outstanding 7.9 points. Find out how you can watch the 1979 classic for free in this article.
The war film tells of a mythical journey into the darkness
Coppola’s film is set in 1969 in war-torn Vietnam. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is waiting in Saigon for a new assignment, but does not anticipate the extent of the journey that lies ahead of him. He must track down the respected Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has broken away from his superiors and built his own base in Cambodia. Willard begins a journey to a man who will confront him with his own fascination with war and death.
Studio Canal
Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now
Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s colonial story Heart of Darkness, the three-hour running time develops into a real mythical journey through the hellish circles of warMartin Sheen plays our ferryman, so to speak, whose route is lined with megalomaniac military men (Robert Duvall), Playmates, tigers and, of course, death.
As this journey unfolds, Coppola, co-writer John Milius, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and the team build the sweaty atmosphere of a daytime nightmare. Waking up or tuning out isn’t an option, though, because the legendary Colonel Kurtz also captivates the audience – long before we see him.
Apocalypse Now polarized critics when it was released in 1979 and was a huge box office success. Over the decades, the film has appeared in various international best-of lists (such as Sight and Sound), quotes have gone down in film history (keyword: Napalm in the Morning) and the surreal style has inspired imitators, including films as diverse as Kong: Skull Island and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.
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Apocalypse Now streams for free in the ARD Mediathek
If you want to catch up on this classic war film, you have come to the right place. Apocalypse Now will be available in the ARD Mediathek until August 12, 2024 available, which means it can be streamed for free and without a subscription. Since the film is rated 16+, it is only available from 10 p.m. unless you have an account with age verification.
You can see the final cut from 2019. This is the restored version of the film preferred by Francis Ford Coppola, which is longer than the theatrical version but shorter than the so-called Redux.