APOCALYPSE NOW: THE COMPLETE DOSSIER (1979; 2001). For well over two decades, Francis Coppola's 1979 Apocalypse Now has remained one of the great moviegoing experiences of a lifetime, a messy masterpiece (loosely adapted from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness) that isn't so much about the Vietnam War as it's about the madness and senselessness inherent in any conflict between men (it serves that adage "War Is Hell" better than any other movie that comes to mind). With the recent proliferation of the "director's cut," which allows filmmakers the opportunity to go back and fine-tune their past triumphs, it was probably inevitable that Coppola would want to monkey around with a film that has often been tagged a "flawed" masterpiece and make it perfect. But Apocalypse Now Redux, released in 2001 and armed with 48 minutes of extra footage, isn't perfect -- in fact, the irony is that it's even more of a "flawed" masterpiece than its predecessor. Both movies have previously been released on DVD, but this is the first time they've both been included in the same set. Nothing's different as far as the central story is concerned: Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) has been ordered to travel up river into Cambodia and terminate the insane Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) "with extreme prejudice." The extra footage is a mixed bag: A lengthy sequence set on a French plantation stops the film dead in its tracks, but additional scenes centering around Brando's character are nothing short of fascinating. So, Apocalypse Now or Apocalypse Now Redux? The answer: Apocalypse Now, now and forever. Extras in the two-disc DVD set include audio commentary by Coppola, a dozen never-before-seen sequences, short pieces focusing on the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and the sound design by Walter Murch (who both won well-deserved Oscars for their incredible contributions), a discussion of the original film's triumph at Cannes (where it snagged the Palme d'Or), and a complete, 17-minute reading of T.S. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men" by Brando.
Movies: ****
Extras: ***1/2
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944). Quite possibly the most perfect example of film noir to emerge from Hollywood during that genre's reign, Double Indemnity was yet one more masterpiece Billy Wilder would helm during an extraordinary career that also made room for Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot (among numerous others). A bored housewife (Barbara Stanwyck) talks a flirtatious insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) into helping her bump off her husband; all goes according to plan until the salesman's shrewd boss (Edward G. Robinson) begins to smell a scam. Adapted from James M. Cain's novel (with a script by Wilder and Raymond Chandler), this genuine classic is stylish, sexy and suspenseful, with incredible dialogue that's simply to die for. MacMurray and Stanwyck have never been better, though it's Robinson who steals the show as a self-congratulatory sort who never suspects that his favorite employee has turned the corner. An influence on countless thrillers to follow (Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat is a direct descendant), this earned seven Academy Award nominations, including bids for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Actress (the male actors were gypped). Extras in the two-disc DVD set include audio commentaries by film historians Richard Schickel, Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman, a making-of feature, an introduction by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, and the 1973 TV-movie version starring Richard Crenna, Samantha Eggar and Lee J. Cobb.
Movie: ****
Extras: **1/2
MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S (1969) / CLAIRE'S KNEE (1970). In Arthur Penn's 1975 Night Moves, Gene Hackman's character declares, "I saw a Rohmer film once. It was kind of like watching paint dry." Certainly, the movies of French writer-director Eric Rohmer have divided critics and art-house audiences alike, yet for those with a predilection toward the power of conversation, his works can be as exciting as any 007 outing.
Rohmer began making films in 1950, yet his stateside breakthrough came with 1969's My Night at Maud's, which earned several critics' awards as well as Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay. A devout Catholic (Jean-Louis Trintignant) falls for a young blonde (Marie-Christine Barrault) he spots in church, but before he can develop a relationship with her, he ends up spending an evening at the home of a divorced woman (Francoise Fabian) who challenges him mentally and emotionally. Few directors are as adept as Rohmer at capturing the messy morality of life, which lends a special kick to the philosophical debates enjoyed by his characters, lengthy chats that (as in real life) paradoxically camouflage as well as illuminate each person's motives and desires. My Night at Maud's probably isn't the best place for a Rohmer novice to start, but seasoned viewers will appreciate its heady pleasures.
More accessible is Claire's Knee, though dialogue remains the auteur's instrument of choice -- the closest thing to an action scene here is when Claire (Laurence de Monaghan) hurts her finger while playing volleyball. Rohmer's reverential treatment of women is well-known -- in cinema, he champions them like few other male moviemakers -- and in this delightful excursion, he creates a whole raft of memorable female protagonists. Front and center, though, is Jerome (Jean-Claude Brialy), sometimes charming, sometimes infuriating, and always playing elaborate games with members of the opposite sex. Egged on by his fellow intellectual (Aurora Cornu), an author who's had her own share of relationships, Jerome flirts with teenage half-sisters Laura (wonderful Beatrice Romand) and Claire even as he promises to remain faithful to his absent fiancée, a woman he's marrying with his head rather than his heart. Love, sex, fetishism and objectification all receive verbal workouts in this witty and wise enterprise.
My Night at Maud's and Claire's Knee are both included in Criterion's latest box set, Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales; the other titles are The Bakery Girl of Monceau (1962), Suzanne's Career (1963), La Collectionneuse (1967) and Love In the Afternoon (1972). The set also comes with two paperbacks: Six Moral Tales (262 pages), which Rohmer wrote before making the films, and On the Six Moral Tales (56 pages), a collection of critical essays on each film. Among the extras on the DVDs are archival interviews with Rohmer and various cast members, five short films by Rohmer, and theatrical trailers.
My Night At Maud's: ***
Claire's Knee: ***1/2
Box Set Extras: ***1/2
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