At last – the original Apocalypse Now on DVD! When Coppola released Apocalypse Now: Redux, many feared that the classic version would go the way of the original Blade Runner. The two films present totally different cases; Scott's original version was compromised – a failing redressed by the director's cut – whereas Coppolla had complete artistic control, and was understandably happy with his final cut.

The release of both re-edited versions stem from a similar source: the cinematic underground. The mythical 'four hour version' of Apocalypse Now circulated for years in much the same way as the 'workbench print' of Blade Runner, until both surfaced as marketable product. While it is undoubtedly interesting to see the extra footage included in Redux, the scenes are superfluous to the final film and undermine its impact. The release of this DVD marks the return of the real Apocalypse Now.

Extras on the disc are thin, but that matters little. The film itself looks as great and sounds as impressive as ever – presented in the proper ratio and in 5.1 stereo. For the record, the extras include a reproduction of the original programme from the creditless 70mm print, and footage of the destruction of the Kurtz compound (with optional commentary where the director explains how this is not an alternate ending!)

So, now that the Apocalypse Now question is finally settled, when are we going to get a proper director's cut of The Cotton Club? Apocalypse Now is available to buy from the 18th October.

Clovis