Films of the 1970s, No. 38

 


Throughout 2023 I'm looking at my favorite films from the decade of the 1970s. I'll be counting down from 50 to 1 throughout the year, posting a new installment each Friday. Agree? Disagree? Want to share a story? Post it in the comments below!

Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Apocalypse Now (1979)
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, and Laurence Fishburne
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
About: The 1970s was a huge decade for Francis Ford Coppola. We'll see plenty more of his films in the coming weeks, but here we start with a classic film that is somewhat polarizing for audiences. This film is set during Vietnam, but is also an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's famous novel The Heart of Darkness. It's got a stellar cast, reuniting Coppola with Brando, who won an Oscar for their collaboration seven years earlier. I am moved by the performances here, and the craft. Brando is decent in a weird role, something that is common in his filmography. Sheen does a nice job in the lead role, too. One of the most iconic performances probably comes from Duvall, who has the memorable line above. The craft here is strong even if the story is dark and somewhat hard to follow. I don't love the film as much as some but I appreciate the work that went into making it, the performances and the cinematic achievement it provides.

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