don’t usually smoke weed, I felt like this is a movie you get high and watch so I watched it last night, it felt like Inferno by dante allighieri to me. How the deeper they went into the jungle, the more that the structure of humanity, the military and any traces of civilization broke down. The absolutely surreal way they shot this scene stopped me in my tracks, the silence of it it’s just raw, piercing fucking madness. Martin sheen is still speaking with authority but when you’re this deep into the war, everyone is the same rank. That’s what I got from it, fucking awesome
this movie turns into complete chaos the second those palm trees light up in flames at the beginning of the film. I don’t think there’s any other movie that’s captured the surreal insanity of war quite like Apocalypse Now did
Yup, Do Lung bride was made to look like a circus, and even the music when they first arrive is reminiscent of a circus. Probably signifying total madness and chaos.
@@Bumbaclartios I've felt this same kind of fear,far from civilization,late night,only some family members around,I've felt that silent horror on a winter night(it was my first taste of what going crazy would be like)
Liked how the machine-gunner saluted Willard. "Sorry, sir." Just so comical for that moment in time. Trying to be a good soldier, but obviously out of his mind. And then delivers the funniest line in the whole pic.
I love that line when Willard asks who is in command and the soldier at the M2 goes "Ain't you?" It lets you know how bad their situation is, at best they're just surviving.
That part is brilliant because the M2 soldier doesn’t answer to Willard, it answers to the camera, implying that is answering us, the audience, aren’t we in command? Genius.
AND while all this Mayhem is transpiring, the lovely Audio of the hollow tube with a NEW Round! Ker'klunk! Fwoowuphmph! Battlefield 1942 Ruled in the past. Aim, Pop, and wait for 'Splash'! FU GI has been SIlenced!
Its also kind of pure hollywood, vietnam was crazy but your average grunt would have at least known who their squad or platoon commander was. Probably would have been more realistic for him to say that their command got wiped out or something. A much better movie that shows how important command dynamics were to every soldier would be Platoon.
It sure is. The whole part with the horror carnival ambience. And the mentioning that the bridge gets destroyed every day and rebuild. Like, how is that for a metaphor for 'War is Hell'?
The war and the horrors have made Roach enlightened. He knows the order of things but doesn't feel that he needs to answer. Can also hit blind target at least 125 to 150 feet away with no flare. He's really one of the most memorable characters in the whole movie. He burned into my imagination when I first saw this at 10 years old.
Did a little search and the actor who played Roach is Herb Rice. A relatively short scene, but an acting tour de force. One of the most unforgettable characters ever.
I completely agree. I think there is no other scene in cinema history where a supporting actor with a tiny role takes away the whole movie like that. The tone in which he delivers that "yeah" is so perfect, it is the acceptance of total madness with absolute crystal clarity, a foreshadowing of Kurtz and just chilling to the bone.
Same could be said for all veterans of WWI ... there was something uniquely brutal about trench warfare that meant whilst the body of soldier came home, alive, for too many, their minds were still in those trenches ...
The way Coppola and crew use darkness and shadow in this scene is beyond masterful, and so on-the-nose of course for an adaptation of Heart of Darkness. I love the way the faces are constantly fading into and out of complete darkness like ghosts. Coppola truly is the master of darkness, he did wonders with it in Godfather I and II as well.
@@ge2623 In this scene in particular it's just brilliant. It takes you inside The Roach's mind. He's shut down all the circuitry but what he needs to destroy a threat.
@@heavyhebrew 1. Know how to use m79. 2. be able to gauge distance with sounds. fairly easy. 3. stay calm and zero as close as possible to the sound. im not at all saying its easy or that id do any good, but it's not as hard as it seems. especially in practice, when you don't have to think about it.
This dude was so fucking deeply a legend in this scene, if you look at the scope of this scene, the time, the amount this man was in this particular clip, I mean, it's sucha perfect depiction of a depth of character condensed, could make a whole nother sequence on his tour itself, so fucking well done.
That "yeah" just sounds so insane when he walks off , like "we're all in command here ..." He managed to capture madness in one word and Martin Sheen's understanding what that meant in one look
I think they called him roach become he's survived alot (bone necklace) he was even going through shell shock when they called him over, but man's is a killer
This is a brilliant scene because of what it doesn't show. The bodiless voice of the Viet Cong soldier, the darkness, but most of all, the perfect response to Willard asking, "Do you know who's in command here?" The vacant, "Yeah" implies pure nihilism and chaos. It leaves an empty space for the viewer to imagine the kind of horror that MIGHT be in charge-God? The Devil?-or the even more terrifying idea that no one is in charge...that war itself has taken over.
This^^ this is the beat breakdown of this scene. People with empty thought saying “he was stoned.” Yeah not shit he was, but the yeah although empty a first listen implies so much more. Which you explained perfectly well done! I love how Miller seems to understand what Roach meant by it as well.
What makes it even weirder is, these guys are so out of their minds you can't dismiss the possibility there are NO VC out there at all to begin with. Apparently somebody is hit out there. But who?
There are a lot of ppl wondering who the guitarist is playing that solo, it isn't Jimi Hendrix. It's Randy Hansen, who sounds eerily similar to Hendrix
Randy Hansen sounds so much like Jimi he had a long running tribute show similar to Beatlemania where he looks, dresses, sings, and talks like Hendrix.
My dad was in Nam. This wasn't his favorite 'Vietnam movie' but he thought it was entertaining at least. His interpretation of this scene was that Roach is pretty much saying that anyone and everyone is "in command" with his "Yeah" reply to Willard. My dad always described the Vietnam War as a total free for all, nobody really knew what the goal was day to day or what was supposed to be accomplished in the long run. The only real goal everyone had was to stay alive. His favorite 'Vietnam movie' was "We Were Soldiers"
My parents met during Vietnam...my father was in Army Intelligence whose job it was to collect and turn in the "Kill Numbers" from the different units, my mother's job was to transcribe said numbers into the records...they both agreed that there weren't enough people living in Vietnam to equal the supposed kills that were being reported... ...but anyway...I think when Roach says "Yeah..." he leaves "...ME, motherfucker..." unspoken...
I love how Roach's stare and response to Willard can be interpreted in many ways. I think it ties into what Kurtz monologues about later - that Roach has learned to kill without passion and without judgement, that same primordial instinct now ruling the camp. He's just the first to know.
i think he said " Yeah." sarcastically implying his commanding officer was dead or they were left to die and hold that bridge or maybe he was high as hell and anything they said would go in one ear and out the other. the guy that woke him up had to wake him up a few times while he slowly got up still a cool character though
This scene has always stuck with me. The way that the two guys operating the machine gun are cackling and screaming into the darkness like mad men always creeped me out so bad; their minds just broken under the stress of bodiless voices of VC screaming at them from the dark, where no matter how many they kill, the taunting just doesn't stop. And as others have said, the one soldier's response to "do you know who's in command here," is just perfect.
Hot damn, we the audience don’t even know this guy, we only see him less than 4 minutes, but you can just feel that this war has effected him permanently, changed him from who he used to be (which we don’t know) to the shell of the man he is now and will likely return back to the states as(if he survives till them) much like all the Vietnam vets did in real life. Like I said, we don’t know him or what he was like before, but we can imagine that whatever it was, it sure as shitfire wasn’t like he is in this scene. Beautiful writing and brilliant acting, even by secondary characters who never show up in the movie again. Apocalypse now has become possibly my favorite movie ever.
Very ell said. Out of this movie, this scene creeps me out the most. I know of a few NAM VETs and talking to them about being over there, when they want to talk about it, they were affected , except one, well he was but differently.there's something not right about them. Two were alcoholics, One was arrested quite a few times for Domestic Violence but is okay today, and another one facilitates a PTSD counseling program for VETs that were in COMBAT. One of the most ODD things he (Counselor)ever told me was every year around and during April 4th he has to really get himself together. I asked him why? He said that he was in NAM when MLK was assassinated and his CO didn't tell anyone in his Platoon, he said a Vietnamese woman told him. April 4th triggers him of being in NAM . Smh.
Really well said. I watched this movie like a month ago and commented on this scene but I keep coming back to it. The path coppola took in directing it is so perfect- it feels like a dream. This mad, quiet yet screaming dream. It’s not a 1:1 replication of actual combat, but it sure does feel like a nightmare that a vietnam vet would shoot up awake from in the middle of the night
"all the Vietnam vets". Balderdash. There were professional career solders for whom this was just another war. Not everybody returned freaked out with PTSD or whatever. Most led perfectly normal productive lives.
Shooting a flare would ruin Roach's night vision and hearing . He doesn't need any help , as he feels the direction and range to his target through experience .
@@victorwaddell6530 I shot a rabbit through an old barn wall once. All I could hear was his teeth grinding. Got him right between his front teeth. Sound is all you need.
The Roach is high as a kite, but he can hear the enemy and pinpoints the location just by the sound of the voice. One of the greatest film dialogues of all - "Hey soldier, do you know who's in command here?" the reply: "Yeah," tells it all. I'm in commend, don't you see? Brilliant scene.
Death is in command. Hungry. Reaping. We will all be harvested in time. But when you see the face of death and remain alive, that's what your eyes look like sometimes. You've lost something and it won't come back.
Roach was always by far the most memorable character of this movie. Saying a lot considering his screen time and dialogue. The contrast between his thousand yard stare yet his almost mystical competence as a fighter creates one of the most powerful moments in the movie. Roach is the true physical embodiment of the person Kurtz went insane thinking about, and trying to be.
What about Roach as a character makes you think he was a moral man who had made friends of mortal terror and horror? That was what broke Col. Kurtz's mind, trying to wrap his West Point rational mind around the absolute horror of fighting counter-insurgency against an enemy that thinks cutting the arms of little kids who took vaccinations was the route to victory. And in a manner of speaking it is, and the horror of that is what broke him. Same as it did the Belgian in the book. Rational men will become monsters because of the exigencies and horrors of war and freedom from the culpability of evil actions.
This sequence is one of the most unnerving of the entire film. The bridge is lit like a Christmas tree, totally out of place for a strategic location. The quiet insanity of the soldiers with their faces illuminated and then darkened is contrasted with the soldiers wading out towards the boat, begging to be taken home
Likewise,13 when I first saw this film, think it had been out about 6months ,put the fear of GOD into me, totally blew my mind!Then set me on a path to study all things Vietnam War!
Wow, how do you know that weapon was called a blooper? The only reason I know is because it was the weapon my father was assigned during the Vietnam conflict.
The Roach is one my favorite movie characters of all time. And the actor who plays him does it all with only nine words of dialogue. Willard- Hey soldier. Do you know who’s in charge here”. Roach-“Yeah”.
Keep in mind that this scene takes place at the bridge between two territories and they say the bridge is destroyed every night and rebuilt every day. This is the bridge between the light and the darkness. When our guy gets to that point he finds himself asking those who are there who is in charge. He gets different answers. Of course, our guy will go further down that river into the Heart of Darkness, which this movie is based on.
I remember seeing this scene as a kid and being deeply disturbed. Between the men retreating, the lights, circus music and the unseen enemy taking over
Chilling. Also I like how guy on machine gun looks to Kilgore and goes “he’s gonna go get The Roach” the same way an employee would reassure a confused customer in a grocery store when they said they’re gonna get their supervisor to help out
I first saw this movie as a slick sleeved private at a theater in Philadelphia. While I never questioned my decision to join the Army, I was quite grateful that Vietnam was over.
I will never forget a very similar bridge on the Mekong Delta lit up with bright white lights while we were on river patrol. Nothing like this. It was so eerily quite, no movement and no noise except the low rumble of the our boat engines. It was creepy as hell, but nothing ever happened at that bridge. Until later down river. Then the flares.
@@dan1oval Vermont..🙈..yeah! sry..it was my mistake,my question was related to yr service in Vietnam, because my father was KIA in 1971, Mekong delta, he served in the SOG. In 1975, or 76, I dunna exactly, I found inside a ammunition box many pics by him and other compats on PBR
@@dan1oval _"Never served in Vermont. I was in south Vietnam 68-69."_ Vermont and Vietnam are very different places. One is full of communists, and the other one's in Asia.
Firefight at night is chaotic, gun powder reeks the air, hands get burnt touching barrel of machine gun, thirsty, hyped up and there is always light coming from somewhere - never really pitch black...
This is up there with the processing scene from The Master as the greatest scene in cinema. “Hey Solider. Do you know who’s in command here?” - “Yeah.”
@@danielmeier8321 I think he believes Willard is asking him that because he thinks WILLARD is in charge and wants him to swear allegiance, not realizing Willard's asking because he doesn't know
@@edwardfetner2513 my theory always was this: that soldier is so far gone already, that the only one in charge there is not a higher ranking lieutenant, but insanity. That's why he said "yeah" and just left. Could be complete nonsense though.
@United States of America Him -- The Roach. Because he was the one with the M-29 40mm grenade launcher and could hit whomever he wanted. Mao said, "Political power comes from the end of a gun."
Very true Theater hopped & snuck in to see this when I was 17 (‘79) in Newport fashion Island cinemas in Newport Beach California; & yes it was a good theater. They’ve since changed them to those over priced, stadium style seating shit holes. One review I saw : 53 bucks for a plate of fish and chips, a Coke and a glass of wine🤣🤣🤣 Not my thing.
Reminds me of the time I was stationed at MacDill AFB. I was a Security Policeman, assigned to the Investigations section. We had six people assigned to the section. One day, I was in the office working. No one else was in the office. Major Karl Woelz walked in. He was our new commander/chief of police. I had no clue who he was. He asked me "How many people work here?" I replied "About half..."
How so? These kids were stoned and poorly led and on their own. Its not always like that in every war. Vietnam was Vietnam. Salerno was Salerno. Tunisia was Tunisia. Saipan was Saipan. All different.
@@casioak1683 Confusion, chain of command basically abolished shooting wildly, death All around, knowing from seeing it happen to other's your head can explode any second by a AK-47 bullet this plus no one knows or care's what is going on can lead to permanent Mental health issues like a nervous break down, PTSD, Schizophrenia or much worse like the guy in the 🦌 deer Hunter that lost his mind
where he shuts the music off and says "hes real close", it was more gut wrenching then the machinegun and rock music juxtaposition to me and its so insane
I love this scene. The melancholy of the soldiers and Roach are perfectly juxtaposed against the utter insanity of the war. They don’t even remember why they’re there. They’re not trying to accomplish their objective, or anything, for that matter. They’re just fighting because…just, because. Because that’s what they do. That’s what their lives are. That’s what they’ll do until they die. They know they’re never going home. That trench is their home now.
I just recently came home from holidaying in Vietnam, the first thing I did when I came home was watch apocalypse now. I was always thought this movie was weird as but it finally made sense to me after going to Vietnam and seeing first hand the confronting effects of the war. In my mind the movie is a metaphorical representation of how crazy the war was.
The grunt with the grenade launcher. You know he's there to do the job. But he's not there. Not anymore. When he answered the Captain's question with a simple "Yeah" before turning his back on him, we realize this was so.
My uncle was in the Vietnam war, he said that Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket were exactly spot on. My uncle volunteered he was there from March 66 to July 68, I miss him everyday, he was my dad when my real father used alcohol as an excuse to be absent.
I love the way Roach respond’s to Willard’s question. Just blank stare and sarcastic answer. He doesn’t even bother to elaborate further, he just walks back into his foxhole.
When I watch this scene, I feel so bad for the soldiers. By the look in their eyes, you can tell even if they are lucky enough to live and go home, they are so messed up mentally and will never be able to function in society.
That is film making at its absolute peak. "soldier, do you know who's command here?"......."yeah" doesn't even need to add the "and it's not us" to the end. Masterful.
> Emerges from the darkness > Perfectly arcs his GL to take out the NVA soldier in one try with no flare > Says he knows who's in command > Leaves (back into the darkness) > Becomes one of the most iconic parts of the movie despite only having like 1 minute 45 seconds of screen time
I love this scene because it is chaos and order at the same time. Roach is an enigma caused by fierce battles in war. If he got back to the "world", USA, he probably never recovered.
That last stare in Roach's eyes is the one Micheal Herr described so good in Dispatches: that young man must have seen a lot, too much to be asked such silly questions... Great acting and movie
From the very first time I watched the scene, I can honestly say it's the puppy that not only emphasises the madness of the sistuation, but also a life form that (at least & in theory) should be totally innocent and kept away from the horror(s) of war. Just like (and for example) women and children. But and for me, it's the puppy that silently and subconsciously reminds to viewer that in actual fact, nothing can escape the madness of war, that war is totally unforgiving and unfortunately, all innocence will be lost during war.
I always felt the guys still at the Do Lung bridge fighting would never make it home, and their brains were so fried from PTSD they probably should not return. Always a tough scene to watch.
Roach is the character that really stood out for me. When asked, do you know who's in charge here and he answers yeah! Man that chilled me to the bone.
"Ain't you???" One of the best lines of the movie, delivered perfectly.
That's THE LINE of the movie
Perfectly emphasizes how war on the battlefront is just pure chaos and mayhem at some point
Came here to post the same...terrifying line when you think about it. (which we clearly have)
More like "Aint chu?"
bettered: Yeah
My dad said that Platoon captured what the day to day life of being in Vietnam was like, but that Apocalypse Now captured the madness of the war.
I guess it depends where they were. My dad hated platoon but felt We Were Soldiers was an accurate depiction. Col Hal Moore was a legend
Platoon was iper violent, was really hard for me to watch - i don't judge the movie, but at age age was really a shock
And what did Full Metal Jacket capture? Just asking
What about Deer Hunter? That film was a masterpiece, too.
@@aditya_yadav4Full Metal is a dark satire about the de-humanisation of the kids and soldiers fighting the war
The way this movie just turns into complete fucking madness is scary
don’t usually smoke weed, I felt like this is a movie you get high and watch so I watched it last night, it felt like Inferno by dante allighieri to me. How the deeper they went into the jungle, the more that the structure of humanity, the military and any traces of civilization broke down. The absolutely surreal way they shot this scene stopped me in my tracks, the silence of it it’s just raw, piercing fucking madness. Martin sheen is still speaking with authority but when you’re this deep into the war, everyone is the same rank. That’s what I got from it, fucking awesome
this movie turns into complete chaos the second those palm trees light up in flames at the beginning of the film. I don’t think there’s any other movie that’s captured the surreal insanity of war quite like Apocalypse Now did
It’s a horror movie, it’s just not billed as one
Yup, Do Lung bride was made to look like a circus, and even the music when they first arrive is reminiscent of a circus. Probably signifying total madness and chaos.
@@Bumbaclartios I've felt this same kind of fear,far from civilization,late night,only some family members around,I've felt that silent horror on a winter night(it was my first taste of what going crazy would be like)
Liked how the machine-gunner saluted Willard.
"Sorry, sir."
Just so comical for that moment in time.
Trying to be a good soldier, but obviously out of his mind.
And then delivers the funniest line in the whole pic.
it's the sudden contrast of order--remembering the discipline boot camp drilled into him, but then returning to just trying to survive the night.
Probably the first officer he's seen in a month. Then the roach, he don't care.
you never salute in the field ...... beware snipers
I love that line when Willard asks who is in command and the soldier at the M2 goes "Ain't you?" It lets you know how bad their situation is, at best they're just surviving.
That part is brilliant because the M2 soldier doesn’t answer to Willard, it answers to the camera, implying that is answering us, the audience, aren’t we in command? Genius.
AND while all this Mayhem is transpiring, the lovely Audio of the hollow tube with a NEW Round! Ker'klunk! Fwoowuphmph! Battlefield 1942 Ruled in the past. Aim, Pop, and wait for 'Splash'! FU GI has been SIlenced!
Its also kind of pure hollywood, vietnam was crazy but your average grunt would have at least known who their squad or platoon commander was. Probably would have been more realistic for him to say that their command got wiped out or something.
A much better movie that shows how important command dynamics were to every soldier would be Platoon.
Must have wore the rifling out in that .50 barrel-!
@@charleswest6372 Wouldn't matter at those ranges, 400 yards at best.
Do Lung Bridge sequence is still unparalleled even by modern standards. That’s filmmaking at its peak.
It sure is. The whole part with the horror carnival ambience. And the mentioning that the bridge gets destroyed every day and rebuild. Like, how is that for a metaphor for 'War is Hell'?
Filmmaking at its acid peak
Yes.
A pleasure to rewatch
Napoleon Dynamite?
The war and the horrors have made Roach enlightened. He knows the order of things but doesn't feel that he needs to answer. Can also hit blind target at least 125 to 150 feet away with no flare. He's really one of the most memorable characters in the whole movie. He burned into my imagination when I first saw this at 10 years old.
He is stoned I guess.
@Raylan Givens you are correct sir, a closer read of that exchange does support that.
You are so correct. This was my favorite section of the movie as well. Hypnotic!
Ya think????
What about Lawrence Fishbourn? It is badass though.
The response of “ain’t you” might be my favorite line in the film, if not any film. It perfectly encapsulates the madness of war.
Never get of the boat, absolutely god damn right...
Did a little search and the actor who played Roach is Herb Rice. A relatively short scene, but an acting tour de force. One of the most unforgettable characters ever.
How unsettlingly calm he is...he's sitting in the pits of hell but the tone of his voice couldn't be more peaceful and serene
Col. Fitz in The West Wing.
I completely agree. I think there is no other scene in cinema history where a supporting actor with a tiny role takes away the whole movie like that. The tone in which he delivers that "yeah" is so perfect, it is the acceptance of total madness with absolute crystal clarity, a foreshadowing of Kurtz and just chilling to the bone.
@@tritonemedia- that was John Amos
but Herb Rice was also in Rumble Fish
I only knew herb rice as a side dish.
You just know grenade launcher guy never made it back from the war, he might've survived it, but he never left
Legend has it that Roach is still blasting fools at the wire to this very day...
@@matthewbruno993 hey, someone has to make sure that only the worthy are allowed into valhalla
sec'y mayorkas ain't guardin those gates ya know
You know he probably died in an alley with a needle in this vein.
My headcannon is that every single soldier on that bridge had just stayed there for eternity, still defending that bridge 50 years later
Same could be said for all veterans of WWI ... there was something uniquely brutal about trench warfare that meant whilst the body of soldier came home, alive, for too many, their minds were still in those trenches ...
The way Coppola and crew use darkness and shadow in this scene is beyond masterful, and so on-the-nose of course for an adaptation of Heart of Darkness. I love the way the faces are constantly fading into and out of complete darkness like ghosts. Coppola truly is the master of darkness, he did wonders with it in Godfather I and II as well.
He used the money he made from the Godfather films to make Apocalypse Now. All live action, no CGI.
Francis Ford Coppola is filming a new movie called Megalopolis, which he is funding himself, should release to theaters 2024.
@@xyzxyz7042 His movies are brilliant.
Good comment about the faces
A forest at night in the middle of the war in Vietnam........
the lighting in this film is so damn masterful. you can see why it a classic
And the sound.
With all the darkness and chaos, the lighting is still better than the Game of Thrones battle of WInterfell.
@@ge2623 In this scene in particular it's just brilliant. It takes you inside The Roach's mind. He's shut down all the circuitry but what he needs to destroy a threat.
@@mfreeman313 And survive.
@@ge2623 Yeah, Hendrix live.
"Do you need a flare?"
"No. He's close man. He's real close."
ranges it on sound alone, that takes a lot of practice
@@heavyhebrew 1. Know how to use m79.
2. be able to gauge distance with sounds. fairly easy.
3. stay calm and zero as close as possible to the sound.
im not at all saying its easy or that id do any good, but it's not as hard as it seems. especially in practice, when you don't have to think about it.
This dude was so fucking deeply a legend in this scene, if you look at the scope of this scene, the time, the amount this man was in this particular clip, I mean, it's sucha perfect depiction of a depth of character condensed, could make a whole nother sequence on his tour itself, so fucking well done.
@@enterthedragon9427I fired an M203 a ton in the Army, and while it's not an M79, it was fairly easy once you had a feel for it
Charlie: G.I., F|_|
That "yeah" just sounds so insane when he walks off , like "we're all in command here ..." He managed to capture madness in one word and Martin Sheen's understanding what that meant in one look
I always thought it was the opposite...nobody, as in chaos/insanity, was in command...
When everyone is in command, no one is. When no one is in command everyone is.
I think they called him roach become he's survived alot (bone necklace) he was even going through shell shock when they called him over, but man's is a killer
I alway expect him to point toward the wire, and say “Them.”
@@cmleoj that’s how I’d always interpreted it
This is a brilliant scene because of what it doesn't show. The bodiless voice of the Viet Cong soldier, the darkness, but most of all, the perfect response to Willard asking, "Do you know who's in command here?" The vacant, "Yeah" implies pure nihilism and chaos. It leaves an empty space for the viewer to imagine the kind of horror that MIGHT be in charge-God? The Devil?-or the even more terrifying idea that no one is in charge...that war itself has taken over.
Load of bullshit
This^^ this is the beat breakdown of this scene. People with empty thought saying “he was stoned.” Yeah not shit he was, but the yeah although empty a first listen implies so much more. Which you explained perfectly well done!
I love how Miller seems to understand what Roach meant by it as well.
To be fair,we can't see what the Vietcongs situation is like.
What makes it even weirder is, these guys are so out of their minds you can't dismiss the possibility there are NO VC out there at all to begin with. Apparently somebody is hit out there. But who?
Sounds like Haiti today nobody is in charge 🤔
There are a lot of ppl wondering who the guitarist is playing that solo, it isn't Jimi Hendrix. It's Randy Hansen, who sounds eerily similar to Hendrix
Many thanks. So *this* is where Al Jourgensen found the solo, sampled in Ministry's "N.W.O.".
@@Your_President_Kanye_East That's why that sounded familiar!
Randy Hansen sounds so much like Jimi he had a long running tribute show similar to Beatlemania where he looks, dresses, sings, and talks like Hendrix.
There's some Mickey Hart drumming in there too!
(Grateful Dead)💀✌️
Thank you.... I didn't recognize it but it had a style like Hendrix.
My dad was in Nam. This wasn't his favorite 'Vietnam movie' but he thought it was entertaining at least. His interpretation of this scene was that Roach is pretty much saying that anyone and everyone is "in command" with his "Yeah" reply to Willard. My dad always described the Vietnam War as a total free for all, nobody really knew what the goal was day to day or what was supposed to be accomplished in the long run. The only real goal everyone had was to stay alive. His favorite 'Vietnam movie' was "We Were Soldiers"
jimmy nackiama
Mel Gibson gave a really good performance in that movie
I think his reply meant the VC is in command
We were Soldiers is a great movie.
My parents met during Vietnam...my father was in Army Intelligence whose job it was to collect and turn in the "Kill Numbers" from the different units, my mother's job was to transcribe said numbers into the records...they both agreed that there weren't enough people living in Vietnam to equal the supposed kills that were being reported...
...but anyway...I think when Roach says "Yeah..." he leaves "...ME, motherfucker..." unspoken...
I love how Roach's stare and response to Willard can be interpreted in many ways. I think it ties into what Kurtz monologues about later - that Roach has learned to kill without passion and without judgement, that same primordial instinct now ruling the camp. He's just the first to know.
i think he said " Yeah." sarcastically implying his commanding officer was dead or they were left to die and hold that bridge or maybe he was high as hell and anything they said would go in one ear and out the other. the guy that woke him up had to wake him up a few times while he slowly got up still a cool character though
I also like to think it's answered by Kurtz in his dying moments. The horror, the horror is in charge.
This scene has always stuck with me. The way that the two guys operating the machine gun are cackling and screaming into the darkness like mad men always creeped me out so bad; their minds just broken under the stress of bodiless voices of VC screaming at them from the dark, where no matter how many they kill, the taunting just doesn't stop. And as others have said, the one soldier's response to "do you know who's in command here," is just perfect.
Seen FMJ the door gunner?
His assistant isn't screaming, he's trolling his gunner who in turn is trolling the Viet Cong. True military 😂
@@Noble_Truths"they're all dead, stooopid!"
Around this time the movie turned batshit crazy to me.
Absolute masterpiece.
The best one-scene performance ever. Fucking epic.
The Roach was a nice guy, honest.
There are many in this movie.
Hot damn, we the audience don’t even know this guy, we only see him less than 4 minutes, but you can just feel that this war has effected him permanently, changed him from who he used to be (which we don’t know) to the shell of the man he is now and will likely return back to the states as(if he survives till them) much like all the Vietnam vets did in real life. Like I said, we don’t know him or what he was like before, but we can imagine that whatever it was, it sure as shitfire wasn’t like he is in this scene. Beautiful writing and brilliant acting, even by secondary characters who never show up in the movie again. Apocalypse now has become possibly my favorite movie ever.
Very ell said. Out of this movie, this scene creeps me out the most. I know of a few NAM VETs and talking to them about being over there, when they want to talk about it, they were affected , except one, well he was but differently.there's something not right about them. Two were alcoholics, One was arrested quite a few times for Domestic Violence but is okay today, and another one facilitates a PTSD counseling program for VETs that were in COMBAT. One of the most ODD things he (Counselor)ever told me was every year around and during April 4th he has to really get himself together. I asked him why? He said that he was in NAM when MLK was assassinated and his CO didn't tell anyone in his Platoon, he said a Vietnamese woman told him. April 4th triggers him of being in NAM . Smh.
Really well said. I watched this movie like a month ago and commented on this scene but I keep coming back to it. The path coppola took in directing it is so perfect- it feels like a dream. This mad, quiet yet screaming dream. It’s not a 1:1 replication of actual combat, but it sure does feel like a nightmare that a vietnam vet would shoot up awake from in the middle of the night
In WWI they called them the lost generation. MIC only winner in war.
"all the Vietnam vets". Balderdash. There were professional career solders for whom this was just another war. Not everybody returned freaked out with PTSD or whatever. Most led perfectly normal productive lives.
One of the greatest movies of all time.
He didn't even want a flare. Shows how deep he Is gone.
Question: "Do you know who's in charge here?"
Reply: "Yes." [And turned around and walked away without saying anything more]
Shooting a flare would ruin Roach's night vision and hearing . He doesn't need any help , as he feels the direction and range to his target through experience .
He wasnt gone... he was in "tune."
@@victorwaddell6530 I shot a rabbit through an old barn wall once. All I could hear was his teeth grinding. Got him right between his front teeth. Sound is all you need.
He clearly didn’t need it
Nothing encapsulates the sheer insanity of war better than this scene. "The horror the horror "
Timing and headspace on that 50 are on point. Dude was making that ole girl sing.
My favorite scene in the entire movie. I don't think it gets more badass than that guy with the grenade launcher.
The Roach
@@moncorp1 GO GET THE ROACH NIKKA
It's brilliant film making.
I always wondered how they got Adrian Peterson in that scene. He wasn't even born yet.
Not to mention the M79 itself with that badass Tiger stripe paint job!
The Roach is high as a kite, but he can hear the enemy and pinpoints the location just by the sound of the voice. One of the greatest film dialogues of all - "Hey soldier, do you know who's in command here?" the reply: "Yeah," tells it all. I'm in commend, don't you see? Brilliant scene.
this is how whole war was conducted
Brilliant.
It could also mean that noone is in command
Death is in command. Hungry. Reaping. We will all be harvested in time. But when you see the face of death and remain alive, that's what your eyes look like sometimes. You've lost something and it won't come back.
High? It always seemed to me that he was numb.
My uncle is a Vietnam vet and he said this scene in particular is way too accurate. Gave him chills watching it in the theater.
Figures.
This is the most accurate scene in the movie. There were guys who could really do just what he did here. Not everyone - but - some.
.
Roach was always by far the most memorable character of this movie. Saying a lot considering his screen time and dialogue. The contrast between his thousand yard stare yet his almost mystical competence as a fighter creates one of the most powerful moments in the movie. Roach is the true physical embodiment of the person Kurtz went insane thinking about, and trying to be.
Agreed. Saw this decades ago and man, what a film.
What about Roach as a character makes you think he was a moral man who had made friends of mortal terror and horror? That was what broke Col. Kurtz's mind, trying to wrap his West Point rational mind around the absolute horror of fighting counter-insurgency against an enemy that thinks cutting the arms of little kids who took vaccinations was the route to victory. And in a manner of speaking it is, and the horror of that is what broke him.
Same as it did the Belgian in the book. Rational men will become monsters because of the exigencies and horrors of war and freedom from the culpability of evil actions.
This sequence is one of the most unnerving of the entire film. The bridge is lit like a Christmas tree, totally out of place for a strategic location. The quiet insanity of the soldiers with their faces illuminated and then darkened is contrasted with the soldiers wading out towards the boat, begging to be taken home
Roach just waxed somebody on sound alone with one shot. HE’S in command here…
I saw this movie in the theater when I was 13 and this scene completely blew my mind. The whole movie truly captured the insanity of war.
Likewise,13 when I first saw this film, think it had been out about 6months ,put the fear of GOD into me, totally blew my mind!Then set me on a path to study all things Vietnam War!
Roach is a total badass with that bloop tube. I love how he turns the radio off so he can hear exactly where Charlie is .
Wow, how do you know that weapon was called a blooper? The only reason I know is because it was the weapon my father was assigned during the Vietnam conflict.
Well as one ‘Nam era brat to another my salute to your dad! My dad was there twice 62-63 and 68-69 he told me it was called a bloop tube.
@@illone10is your dad still with you? Mine’s gone and I miss him every day.
@theosprey7111 No, my father passed away in 2010 he had organ problems from agent orange.
The Roach is one my favorite movie characters of all time. And the actor who plays him does it all with only nine words of dialogue.
Willard- Hey soldier. Do you know who’s in charge here”.
Roach-“Yeah”.
Goes to show you how just a little can go a very long ways
Keep in mind that this scene takes place at the bridge between two territories and they say the bridge is destroyed every night and rebuilt every day. This is the bridge between the light and the darkness. When our guy gets to that point he finds himself asking those who are there who is in charge. He gets different answers. Of course, our guy will go further down that river into the Heart of Darkness, which this movie is based on.
Damn, kinda stoned right now but this is very thought-provoking. Thank you
ride the snake he is long
@@retsiembrUHe is old and his skin is cold
"the bridge is destroyed every night and rebuilt every day" - this is literarally the defenition of insanity
I love how the gunner is taunting but the loader is also taunting him lol. True military
😂😂😂
"they're all dead stooopit!"
U Aint Shot Shit!
Insurgency sandstorm
M-79 Grenade Launcher, great weapon, had that and a .45 cal. pistol on hip.5th Mechanized Infantry, '68
Did this movie actually accurately portray atleast some parts of your vietnam experience
Hell yeah! Thank you for your service 🫡
@@noface4176 No, I was assigned to Northern I Corps, Quang Tri Provence on the DMZ. Our Unit engaged North Vietnamese Regulars.
@@SpetsnazVDV22 Thank You, it means a lot to me!
@@paulmicelli5819 no problem buddy! Have a great one 😃
I hadn’t watched this movie in its entirety before. I decided to watch it on Netflix when I got COVID. What a fever trip this scene was.
"G.I ..Fuck" - !BOOM!💣
......hell of a way to end an argument.
This scene, with the flares and shouting everywhere really does convey a sense of FUBAR and confusion around the whole area. Such a memorable scene.
Afghan was very similar to this
The end of that scene and the Roachs answer is movie making perfection.
Still my favorite movie of all time, still the best sequence in the entire movie, and also I’m always shook by how Lance just keeps the puppy 😂
My favorite movie of all time. I saw it in a packed theater in August 1979 stoned out of my mind. I'm glad I did.
him with that puppy is nerve-racking no matter how many times i watch it
The puppy represents humanity, as long as he kept that puppy he kept his humanity
Roach was in command. Damn straight...
I always kinda felt like he was saying that the madness of war was in command
I remember seeing this scene as a kid and being deeply disturbed. Between the men retreating, the lights, circus music and the unseen enemy taking over
Chilling. Also I like how guy on machine gun looks to Kilgore and goes “he’s gonna go get The Roach” the same way an employee would reassure a confused customer in a grocery store when they said they’re gonna get their supervisor to help out
I first saw this movie as a slick sleeved private at a theater in Philadelphia. While I never questioned my decision to join the Army, I was quite grateful that Vietnam was over.
When I saw Platoon in the theater I was like , thank God I was never in Nam ?
too bad there are no films that make you think about iraq, afghanistan, syria, lybia
You are our fathers. All of you.
This is by far my favorite scene in the movie. You don't know how happy I am you're covering it. Now I can get out of here, if I can find a way.
I will never forget a very similar bridge on the Mekong Delta lit up with bright white lights while we were on river patrol. Nothing like this. It was so eerily quite, no movement and no noise except the low rumble of the our boat engines. It was creepy as hell, but nothing ever happened at that bridge. Until later down river. Then the flares.
what year did U serve in VT?
@@markwaynetaylor6278 Never served in Vermont. I was in south Vietnam 68-69.
@@dan1oval Vermont..🙈..yeah! sry..it was my mistake,my question was related to yr service in Vietnam, because my father was KIA in 1971, Mekong delta, he served in the SOG. In 1975, or 76, I dunna exactly, I found inside a ammunition box many pics by him and other compats on PBR
@@markwaynetaylor6278 So sorry about your father, Mark. What a terrible tragedy to lose you dad.
@@dan1oval _"Never served in Vermont. I was in south Vietnam 68-69."_
Vermont and Vietnam are very different places. One is full of communists, and the other one's in Asia.
This scene always scared me because of how chaotic it was, I thought Lance and the puppy were going to get laid out at any point in this scene
Firefight at night is chaotic, gun powder reeks the air, hands get burnt touching barrel of machine gun, thirsty, hyped up and there is always light coming from somewhere - never really pitch black...
I love the little detail of the flares and background noise falling completely silent as he prepares to take his shot
Of all the awesome memorable scenes in Apocalypse now, this one is one of my favorites and still haunts me evertime I watch it.
This is up there with the processing scene from The Master as the greatest scene in cinema.
“Hey Solider. Do you know who’s in command here?” - “Yeah.”
What he does know: Who’s in charge.
What he doesn’t know: I want him to have my children.
I never understood his "yeah". Do you know what the film writers wanted to allude here?
@@danielmeier8321 I think it's open to interpretation.
@@danielmeier8321 I think he believes Willard is asking him that because he thinks WILLARD is in charge and wants him to swear allegiance, not realizing Willard's asking because he doesn't know
@@edwardfetner2513 my theory always was this: that soldier is so far gone already, that the only one in charge there is not a higher ranking lieutenant, but insanity. That's why he said "yeah" and just left. Could be complete nonsense though.
True thousand-yard stare. Didn’t even blink once.
"Hey, soldier, do you know who's in command here?"
"...yeah."
Best line in the film.
@United States of America Him -- The Roach. Because he was the one with the M-29 40mm grenade launcher and could hit whomever he wanted. Mao said, "Political power comes from the end of a gun."
One of the best, most powerful and poetic movie scenes ever made.
If you saw this film in a good theater with good sound the first time you saw it, you saw something really special.
Very true
Theater hopped & snuck in to see this when I was 17 (‘79) in Newport fashion Island cinemas in Newport Beach California; & yes it was a good theater.
They’ve since changed them to those over priced, stadium style seating shit holes.
One review I saw : 53 bucks for a plate of fish and chips, a Coke and a glass of wine🤣🤣🤣
Not my thing.
Saw in San Francisco when released when my ship visited..handed out programs and no credits at end..amazing
iMax?
@@Jeremyho439 Released in 70mm
Stoned out of my mind. Changed my life.
roach sounds oddly realistic in depicting a veteran of messed up things, i love it
This scene always gave me an uneasy feeling. Like knowing full well the animal we avoid becoming our entire life was let loose for these boys.
Reminds me of the time I was stationed at MacDill AFB. I was a Security Policeman, assigned to the Investigations section. We had six people assigned to the section. One day, I was in the office working. No one else was in the office. Major Karl Woelz walked in. He was our new commander/chief of police. I had no clue who he was. He asked me "How many people work here?" I replied "About half..."
Dam that's funny and probably a reasonable answer.
Ashley you the man
This reminds you of being an SP on an Air Force Base were no one was shooting at you? Damn. You bad. You go Girl!
🤣🤣 Chair Force
Same question was once asked to Pope John XXIII about how many people work at the Vatican, his response;
“about 1/2 of them”
So many incredible actors in this epic film. This is one of the most beautifully haunting scenes in cinematic history!
This scene exemplifies the soldiers in all wars,Absolutely brilliant,! Unsurpassed !
How so? These kids were stoned and poorly led and on their own. Its not always like that in every war. Vietnam was Vietnam. Salerno was Salerno. Tunisia was Tunisia. Saipan was Saipan. All different.
The kernel of insanity that lies at the heart of all war, and ultimately all human experience, is on full display.
It's the whole movie in one sequence. The chaos, the madness, the clarity of what needs to be done and doing it, the moral ambiguity of it all.
I love how the sounds of Frogs are amplified right after he sais “yeah”, it’s a subtle nod to the laws of the jungle.
Who is ur commanding officer here??
Aint you???
🤣🤣
Its a crazy scene.
Great line
"Ain't you?"
* Both of the MG gunner & Willard visibly even more confused *
@@casioak1683 Confusion, chain of command basically abolished shooting wildly, death All around, knowing from seeing it happen to other's your head can explode any second by a AK-47 bullet this plus no one knows or care's what is going on can lead to permanent Mental health issues like a nervous break down, PTSD, Schizophrenia or much worse like the guy in the 🦌 deer Hunter that lost his mind
where he shuts the music off and says "hes real close", it was more gut wrenching then the machinegun and rock music juxtaposition to me and its so insane
"Yeah." He really knows "who's in command here". He's gone beyond the pale through the unending desperate battles with invisible enemy.
Charlie is in command.
@@martinreinhold6589 that’s Martin Sheen, not Charlie. It’s his dad
@@SuperiorBrick I think @Martin Reinhold means Victor Charlie
@@djackmanson Looking at it a second time, I think you may be right there big guy
Kurtz is in command. Or everything he represents anyhow...
I love this scene. The melancholy of the soldiers and Roach are perfectly juxtaposed against the utter insanity of the war.
They don’t even remember why they’re there. They’re not trying to accomplish their objective, or anything, for that matter. They’re just fighting because…just, because. Because that’s what they do. That’s what their lives are. That’s what they’ll do until they die. They know they’re never going home. That trench is their home now.
Bonne analyse.
The camo on that thumper is so rad, small detail but adds to the character
Apocalypse now is the best movie ever.
REDUX
@@22steve5150 Yes
@@22steve5150 I prefer the original theatrical cut, but I can respect Redux and Final Cut!
My favorite movie.
It's close... it's real close.
Seeing this in a theater on acid by myself was quite the life changing experience
God bless the '70s
would you recommend it?
@@LynchByInchdo you mean recommend the movie or seeing it on acid?
I saw it stoned out of mind in 1979. Changed my life.
@@LoneLee2022 Me too, best way
He's real close, just love that line delivery. Cheers
As is insanity, the heart of darkness.
That line at the end of that clip is pure brilliance.
I just recently came home from holidaying in Vietnam, the first thing I did when I came home was watch apocalypse now.
I was always thought this movie was weird as but it finally made sense to me after going to Vietnam and seeing first hand the confronting effects of the war.
In my mind the movie is a metaphorical representation of how crazy the war was.
One of the the best scenes in the movie, that made it legend til today.
This one and the attack scene.
The fact that Roach looks directly into our eyes (the camera) makes this scene even more haunting to me
That M79 has a hardcore paint job on it.
The grunt with the grenade launcher.
You know he's there to do the job.
But he's not there.
Not anymore.
When he answered the Captain's question with a simple "Yeah" before turning his back on him, we realize this was so.
All time favorite movie scene, Roach is my favorite character in the whole movie. Love how the sound changes to his echo location.
This is my favorite sequence.
No plan, no aim, no mercy.
My workplace hits this vibe every other day
Nurse ?
This scene sums up the world right now. Hey soldier ? Do you know who's in command here ?
this whole scene is what it’s like working the graveyard shift at a manufacturing job lmao
Same here 😂😂😂
That’s fucking funny! Where?
Dude with the grenade launcher replayed this campaign many times on Veteran mode.
too many times if you ask me.
he got camo skin lol
Lance is tripping during this scene - and we are seeing it through his eyes.
That is an excellent scene. My favorite in the
entire movie.
Yeah for real! For days after watching the movie for the first time I kept catching myself thinking back to this scene.
"Yeah", the most insane single-world quote ever.
If someone can pull off the 1000 yard stare, is the Roach.
My uncle was in the Vietnam war, he said that Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket were exactly spot on. My uncle volunteered he was there from March 66 to July 68, I miss him everyday, he was my dad when my real father used alcohol as an excuse to be absent.
thank for your honesty and sharing this - I wish you well. You gave so much to your uncle, too.
I love the way Roach respond’s to Willard’s question. Just blank stare and sarcastic answer. He doesn’t even bother to elaborate further, he just walks back into his foxhole.
While the roach may be a little out there, you definitely want him on your team.
sadly we will never see outstanding movies like this, ever again. The quality is just crazy
The movies today are all CGI.
When I watch this scene, I feel so bad for the soldiers.
By the look in their eyes, you can tell even if they are lucky enough to live and go home, they are so messed up mentally and will never be able to function in society.
No one Comes Home.
That is film making at its absolute peak. "soldier, do you know who's command here?"......."yeah" doesn't even need to add the "and it's not us" to the end. Masterful.
> Emerges from the darkness
> Perfectly arcs his GL to take out the NVA soldier in one try with no flare
> Says he knows who's in command
> Leaves (back into the darkness)
> Becomes one of the most iconic parts of the movie despite only having like 1 minute 45 seconds of screen time
I love this scene because it is chaos and order at the same time. Roach is an enigma caused by fierce battles in war. If he got back to the "world", USA, he probably never recovered.
Great job on the acting to Rev. Herb Rice playing the part of “Roach”.
That last stare in Roach's eyes is the one Micheal Herr described so good in Dispatches: that young man must have seen a lot, too much to be asked such silly questions...
Great acting and movie
"Hey soldier, do you know who's in command here?" Priceless.Sheen's best work ever .
From the very first time I watched the scene, I can honestly say it's the puppy that not only emphasises the madness of the sistuation, but also a life form that (at least & in theory) should be totally innocent and kept away from the horror(s) of war. Just like (and for example) women and children. But and for me, it's the puppy that silently and subconsciously reminds to viewer that in actual fact, nothing can escape the madness of war, that war is totally unforgiving and unfortunately, all innocence will be lost during war.
This scene is a master piece.
I always felt the guys still at the Do Lung bridge fighting would never make it home, and their brains were so fried from PTSD they probably should not return. Always a tough scene to watch.
Roach is the character that really stood out for me. When asked, do you know who's in charge here and he answers yeah! Man that chilled me to the bone.