- Post
- #1587730
- Topic
- Apocalypse Now - Willards Odyssey (A discussion about the workprint and the The various release versions unseen cut)
- Link
- https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1587730/action/topic#1587730
- Time
I went through the Special features and they do indeed present a slightly better quality version of it in those documentaries.
When looking through the documentaries on full disclosure edition R1 they openly admit the plantation sequence was troublesome and could not get it working.
Furthermore the Redux version was struck from tri color technicolor prints. As the film was being assembled in the fashion of Redux and the day before a decision to cut the films running time for theatrical release. It was only that day before a first acceptable kind of working version of the plantation scene was made. Redux is struck from that longer version that was assembled before they stripped it out. Also of note the tiger scene looks much better not being blue or day for night photo chemical effect. Should have just left it. Actually looks darker in the Raw form.
In the documentaries also upon talking on the edit. When the decision was made to cut the film down in length the ending was not decided upon or assembled. It was a mish mash of improvisation with no clear vision. There was a lot of commitee and debate frequently on putting the film together. There were multiple cut’s by different editors of scenes before a vision was taken forward. So it was very meticulous yet it would seem the ending kept being put on hold.
As far as I can tell regarding the endings various material. Where Willard is locked in the shipping container and Colby killing Dennis Hopper then Willard killing Colby are in the same story line of events.
Regarding the bombing of the compund credits scene. Even if Coppola did not want Willard to look like he was ordering bombing of all the people at the temple compund. They people clearly were no longer there. So Willard did indeed turn off the radio on “Almighty”. Perhaps he lead by example put down weapons and left and it is clear the tribe or people there also laid down weapons and most likely left. If anything that is more worrying because there would be many dangerous including willard and crazy including willard people on the loose. But the whole power structure was broken up I guess.
The workprint is clearly the basis for the released film anyway It is just a matter of what you can get working better.
I do think the Monkey Sampan scene is the alternate to the french plantation. They shot that as the alternate choice. However it is not in the workprint.
Just to add there was a severe creative disagreement on the ending where an editor threatened to destroy the film if his voice and choice was not heard on the ending. That editor was removed and they got the film back. I wonder what he disagreed with so much?