AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 57


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell? The whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday this war's gonna end.

Apocalypse Now (1979)
Original List Position: 28
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, and Robert Duvall
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
About: When we think of War films, there are a couple types. The World War II films, for the most part, were uplifting, patriotic affairs. But Vietnam films, for the most part, are dark journeys of the soul. That's the case with Apocalypse Now, which draws inspiration from Heart of Darkness. It's a dark but engaging journey with some great performances. It's not an easy watch and it certainly paints a dim picture of both the conflict and the people fighting it. Yet, it's become a classic. It was ranked much higher on the list than where I have it both on the original list and on the 2007 version (30). I respect and admire the film, but it's not a fun watch.

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