have you seen the redux version?

Pacing suffers but now that I have seen it, I can't go back to the other version and not have the French plantation sequence.

It's a slow burn but I thought it was pretty good. It's worth a look.

It is not worth watching more than once. Yes, you see some very extended new sequences which by themselves work well, but the pacing is destroyed. There is a French plantation sequence, more of the Playboy bunnies, and a lot of nudity. All nice, but the theatrical cut is the way to go.

The original theatrical version that runs 2 hour, 33 min is the one to watch if you're a first-time viewer. Coppola made the right decisions back in the late 70s with this edit IMHO. The "Redux" version from 2001 adds 49 minutes of 'new' footage which should've simply been relegated to the "deleted scenes" section of the DVD (and, later, Blu-ray). Not every idea that is birthed during the creative process is worthy of the final product and "Redux" is proof of this.

That said, there is some worthy material in the Redux version and, if viewed with an open mind, it helps to fuller understand the characters of Capt. Willard (Sheen) and Col. Kurtz (Brando). At this point, I actually prefer "Redux" to the original cut from 1979, just because it's offers a fuller picture and therefore better understanding.

So I suggest seeing the original version first and, if you like it and want to know more, check out Redux, although you'll probably be disappointed, at least initially, since the 'new' footage (and edits) tend to drag the story down.

I have yet to see the "Final Cut," which removes 20 minutes from the Redux version, making for a 3 hour 3 min, viewing experience. It's the cut that that Coppola favors so it might be worth catching.

If you're a fan of the film, you should absolutely see the Redux. There's some very interesting additional scenes in it. As others stated, it kind of wrecks the whole movie. But absolutely it should be seen at least once, which is exactly how many times I watched it. The more you know about the whole chaotic nature of how the movie was made, the more rewarding it is seeing the additional material, and the further insight into the filmmaking process and decisions that were made in producing a final cut, it's all pretty neat. Even just culturally though, to see a side of that war that's never been given much attention, that alone is pretty enlightening.

I saw it in a theater when it came out and for the life of me can't recall whether I would recommend it or not. But I am writing to mention this: When calling the NYC theater to get the times, the recording said "Apocalypse Now Redo"

Having originally seen the Redux version and finally getting around to the theatrical version a few nights ago I feel the theatrical is a lot better.

The Redux version adds a lot of fluff that kills the flow of the film.

The French plantation scene is pretty boring and definitely seems out of place. The other added scenes seem a little too gratuitous but kind of a fun watch. Overall the theatrical version is much better, redux show the importance of having a good editor.