Francis Ford Coppola is one of the best directors the world has ever seen. Not only is he the man behind the beloved ‘Godfather’ franchise, as well as countless other iconic films, but Coppola also directed what some may argue is one of the best war films in existence, “Apocalypse Now.” However, even though the story might seem to paint another picture, showing the brutality and insanity of war, the filmmaker doesn’t think that anyone can honestly say that “Apocalypse Now” is an “anti-war film.”
Speaking to The Guardian, Coppola laid out his explanation for why “Apocalypse Now” might not be pro-war but is far from being a true anti-war film, either.
“No one wants to make a pro-war film, everyone wants to make an anti-war film,” Coppola said. “But an anti-war film, I always thought, should be like [Kon Ichikawa’s 1956 post-second world war drama] ‘The Burmese Harp’ – something filled with love and peace and tranquillity and happiness. It shouldn’t have sequences of violence that inspire a lust for violence. ‘Apocalypse Now’ has stirring scenes of helicopters attacking innocent people. That’s not anti-war.”
So, if “Apocalypse Now” isn’t an anti-war film, then what does Coppola believe would constitute the ideal film of this subgenre? Well, he has a pretty specific example.
“I always thought the perfect anti-war film would be a story in Iraq about a family who were going to have their daughter be married, and different relatives were going to come to the wedding,” he explained. “The people manage to come, maybe there’d be some dangers, but no one would get blown up, nobody would get hurt. They would dance at the wedding. That would be an anti-war film. An anti-war film cannot glorify war, and ‘Apocalypse Now’ arguably does. Certain sequences have been used to rev up people to be warlike.”
That being said, even though he doesn’t think “Apocalypse Now” is anti-war and might also glorify violence with its depiction, that doesn’t mean Coppola is somehow embarrassed or ashamed of his work on the project. In fact, he’s still very proud of his 40-year-old film.
“I don’t feel guilty, because I know my role in the whole process,” said Coppola.
The filmmaker is currently preparing to release his latest revision of the film, titled “Apocalypse Now: Final Cut,” which will hit home release and select theaters later this year.
