Cinephilia and Beyond

A “workprint” is what they call a film that’s still in some stage of editing before the final cut is… well, finalized. Workprints are rarely glowing quality, as they’re basically just an editor’s blueprint (and they have a tendency to get bootlegged endlessly, which caused substantial generational deterioration back in the days of VHS). But what makes them noteworthy to film buffs is they usually include footage that didn’t make the final cut. Even in instances when deleted scenes were included on DVD, many of these films feature some additional/alternate footage that never made it to disc. So now you know why workprints are a big deal.

See Dennis Hopper get killed via shotgun blast! See the long lost fully uncut plantation scene and all of the footage shot with the Playboy bunnies! Spend more time with Kurtz and enjoy his insane Manson-esque ramblings! This is the incredibly rare 5 1⁄2 hour Apocalypse Now! Forget about the Redux, this is the real deal, the true, full-fledged vision of one of the greatest films ever made.

Taken from a rare workprint of the film, this one of a kind experience gives you a chance to see Coppola’s vision when it was still forming. This is not the polished, ready-made movie we are used to seeing. This is the rough around the edges, uncut first draft of a film that would go on to change the course of film making as we know it.

In many ways, this is almost a completely different movie, complete with some new characters, new events and new, gloomy fates for a few of the cast. Gone is the familiar Carmine Coppola score that sets the doom-like tone of the film, instead there are miscellaneous Doors songs used to fill in the blank sound spots. For fans of this film, this 2-disc set is a Godsend, a revelation of newfound importance and interest that only adds to the pleasure of watching Apocalypse Now in any form.

During the on-going Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe.

What’s different in this WP:

A longer opening montage, the entire 10 minute song “The End” by The Doors is heard. It intercuts longer helicopters/jungle images with Willard in the hotel room in a drunken rage, as well as a scene where he is with a prostitute. There are various shots outside depicting the streets of Saigon.

When the two soldiers pick up Willard in the hotel room there is a brief conversation while they help him shower and shave. They notify him that his wait for his new mission is now over.

The scene where Willard is given his assignment is longer and contains much more dialogue. The general informs Willard that the mission is purely voluntary and he can decline it. The general also offers Willard a promotion to major upon completion of the mission. For some reason Colonel Kurtz is referred to in this scene as “Colonel Leevy”. There are some external shots of the military base.

A brief scene where Willard is introduced to the crew of the Navy P.B.R.

Carmine Coppola’s score is not present in this version. Many more songs by The Doors are played throughout the film instead.

None of the narration or dossier voiceovers are in this version.

There is no audio dubbing in this version. All the audio is from the sound recorded during the actual filming. Much of Robert Duvall’s dialogue is unitelligable due to the sound of the helicopters in his scenes.

A much longer first cavalry “Ride of Valkyrie” attack scene (30+ mins)showing much unused footage and alternate takes.

A much longer playboy bunnies performance.

Various extended scenes on the boat, and alternate takes and shots.

A scene where a miniature toy boat passes the Navy PBR. Lance tries to grab it out of the water. The Chief yells at him to leave it alone claiming it’s a booby trap. To prove it the Chief fires some shots at it to which it explodes.

When the P.B.R. reaches Do-lung bridge, the soldier that greets them gives a more detailed explanation of the chaos around the bridge.

When Lance is reading his letters on the boat, he suddenly stops to machine gun a water buffalo on the shore. The Chief yells at him to stop.

The sequence where Clean is killed is omitted.

A slightly longer French plantation sequence. After the French woman strips she crawls into the bed with Willard and they begin kissing.

The sequence where the Chief is killed is omitted.

More dialogue between Willard and the photojournalist when they first reach the Kurtz compound. The Journalist reveals that it was HE who was able to get the montangnards to break off their attack on the boat in the previous scene. Willard repeatedly asks the Journalists name but he refuses to answer.

The character of Colby, (the soldier who was sent before Willard to kill Kurtz, played by Scott Glenn) has a much more substantial role in this version. As Willard inspects the compound, Colby tells Willard that the night before, NVA soldiers had attacked (which explains all the bodies laying about the compound). Willard then enters Kurtz’s house, much to the dismay of the journalist. Willard sees Kurtz empty bed and his medals, also his journal with the inscription “Drop the bomb, exterminate them all” (many of these scenes were in the final version but re-inserted in different places).

The scene where Willard talks to Chef about the air strike on the boat is omitted.

In this version. The first time Kurtz appears is the scene where a mud caked Willard is tied up (seated) to a pole in the rain. Kurtz appears with camouflage face paint, Willard asks….”Why he is being mistreated?” and tries to bluff his way past Kurtz by telling him that he had just completed a secret mission in Cambodia, and only stopped for supplies. Kurtz says nothing to him, but plants Chef’s head in his lap. (Only a portion of this scene was in the original version).

The scene where Willard meets Kurtz in his bed chamber contains more dialogue….as Kurtz makes it clear that he knows why Willard is there.

A scene where Kurtz talks to Willard in the bamboo cage while two children sit on top of the cage and dangle insects in Willard’s face. He tells him that Willard is “like his colleagues in Washington, master liars who want to win the war but don’t want to appear as immoral or unethical”.

A lengthy scene where the montangnards in a ritualistic display pick up the bamboo cage (with Willard inside) and poke him with sticks (Lance and Colby participate in this). The natives dance around the bamboo cage, chanting and singing while a squealing pig is tied up and killed.

A 10 minute version of the scene where Kurtz reads the poem “The Hollow Men”, intercutting between his reading and the journalist talking with Willard.

A scene where the journalist meets Willard to tell him that he thinks Kurtz is about to kill him because he took his picture again. During which Colby comes behind the journalist and shoots him three times, killing him. Willard throws a knife at Colby’s stomach to which he falls, but before he dies he asks Willard to talk to his family for him and asks him to kill Kurtz.

Kurtz speech about the horror and the children vaccination are omitted.

During the assassination scene at the end, before Willard enters Kurtz’ home, one of the guards confronts him. Willard picks up a spear to defend himself as the guard picks up a child to shield himself. Willard runs the spear right through the child and into the guard. The final scene with Willard and the montangnards after Kurtz assasination are omitted.