Apocalypse Now
The 1979 movie follows the actions of American Captain Willard who tries to track and kill Colonel Kurtz, an AWOL American soldier who has gone insane and killed numerous innocent people. Apocalypse Now had a hard time getting to the big screen with many production issues and an increased budget of $31 million, a big budget for the time period. When it did hit the big screen, the movie was received with mixed emotions. Some critics called it " a complex, demanding, highly intelligent piece of work." (Dale Pollock) while others proclaimed it to be "an incongruous, extravagant monument to artistic self-defeat". (Frank Rich). The movie was the first to depict the controversial topic of Vietnam. Because of this, many were quick to judge the movie and say it was too ambiguous and philosophical. However, now in today's modern society, it heralded as one of the best films of all times. It is praised for its' masterful scenery and shots. One of the most memorable scenes is the ride of the helicopters and some say "it is [their] favorite scene of all time" (Mitch Alcon).