Apocalypse Now Essay

Apocalypse Now Essay
Apocalypse Now is a film produced by Francis Coppola in 1979 about the Vietnam war. The film
was based off of the novel, "Heart of Darkness", and is the story of an Army Captain, Captain
Willard, and his mission to hunt down and terminate Colonel Walter Kurtz. The reasoning for
sending Willard to kill one of his fellow Americans is due to the fact that Kurtz has become
unstable and has been operating against his orders with the Montagnard army and committing
murder. Kurtz has gone insane during the war and his methods are thought of as unsound and he
needs to be taken care of. Captain Willard's joins the crew of a Navy patrol boat heading down the
Nung River on the way to Cambodia to carry out his mission to terminate Colonel Kurtz. During
...show more content...
Everyone that Willard talks to seems shaken up and not stable. After seeing the brutal scene of
war going on at the outpost the crew starts having second thoughts about continuing with Willard
and some of the crew gets killed. After realizing that all hope with the men is gone Willard and
the crew finally find the camp where Kurtz is operating. When arriving the crew is shot at by
arrows from natives that are now under the command of Kurtz and the sight of dead bodies
everywhere and heads of dead men is what the crew sees when pulling up. Before Willard gets off
the boat he orders Chef, one of his crew members, to call in an airstrike on the position if he
doesn't come back in time. The natives that are under command of Kurtz grab Willard and drag
him through the mud and throw him in a cage. While Willard is in the cage Kurtz throws Chef's
head into the cage and this shows how the war has turned Kurtz into a monster and is no longer
sane. After being around Kurtz for a few days Willard learns that the war has really affected Kurtz
horribly. Kurtz is no longer the man he used to be and has gone completely insane and mad.
Eventually, Willard keeps his head straight and carries out the mission by terminating
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Apocalypse Essay
Apocalypse
There have been many stories written about the apocalypse or the end of human civilization. They
often focus on man's struggle to avoid annihilation. "War of the Worlds", by H.G. Wells and
"Independence Day", directed by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, are examples of the unique
qualities of films concerning the end of human civilization. Such Apocalyptic films offer a unique
perspective on human character in an extreme setting.
Apocalyptic stories are unique because there is no historical event to use as a reference. There have
been events where a small group has faced annihilation but humanity as a species has never faced
assured destruction. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963, there was some belief that any use
...show more content...
In many stories dealing with 'The End', people are faced with an external threat and therefore are
united in a common interest. The idea of a unified human civilization is also appealing to audiences.
Unifying the world ideally would end many of the conflicts between nations. The threat of total
annihilation is one of the few events that could potentially unify the world in such a way.
In H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" humanity is invaded by Martians who threaten to wipe out
mankind. In the movie, many characters begin to work on a way to stop the Martians with no
success. Many men (women did not play an important role in the film), who would otherwise not
cooperate, begin to work together without any conflict or dispute. In addition, some people who
stayed behind in Los Angeles begin to help each other during the attack. This degree of charity
would never be seen in normal times in Los Angeles. The level of cooperation and goodwill in the
film is a positive portrayal of humanity and its resilience.
Other films combine different aspects that appeal to audiences. Some films use individual characters
to represent the positive attributes of man. The film "Independence Day", for example, has a brave
pilot who is willing to sacrifice himself to destroy the alien threat and another character that rescues
survivors of the initial attack. Another character, the U.S.

Apocalypse Now Case Study
Leaving Vietnam ala Apocalypse Now, in a helicopter soaring over the water to an aircraft carrier
in 1975, is definitely the best way to get out of a war zone, in style. Diem (pronounced Ziim, later
changed to Ziem) Nguyen grew up in a Buddhist family, that spoke Vietnamese and basic French. As
a child, Ziem lived in a four–story house in Ho Chi Minh City, on the south side of Vietnam. Her dad
worked as a pharmacist on the first floor of the building. When she was too young to go to school,
she spent her days sitting on a tall stool greeting customers, always with a smile. As Ziem got older,
she started "diagnosing" the customers' illnesses when they walked in the door, suggesting drugs to
help them, but the customers thought it was more cute than practical. On the second floor was a lab
where her dad made the medications that he would later sell. Her family lived on the third and fourth
floors of the building. Outside of Ziem's house was a city where car...show more content...
They stayed there for about four months then she was matched with her family's sponsor, four
churches from Mount Vernon, Iowa. During her four–month stay in Fort Chaffee, she slept in dorm
style rows of buildings with lines of bunk beds on top of bare floors. Her oldest sister (whom I
was put on the phone with to make sure the facts were correct) had just gotten married. She left
Vietnam later than Ziem and took a completely different route. But coincidentally, her sister also
ended up in Fort Chaffee out of three camps that she could have picked. In her first few days in
Iowa, Ziem was introduced to Cup of Noodles. The Americans in the camp thought that it would
"make her feel more comfortable." Only about four months after she moved to the US, she started
to get a grasp on English but was still placed in second grade (one grade below what she would have
been in for her age). She had a tutor, Mrs. Stoner (not a joke) who helped her learn

Apocalypse Now, Saigon
Adaptation is a unique word that means the action of process of adapting or being adapted. In the
movie Apocalypse Now, Saigon was where the movie took place in Vietnam. The adaptation of
Heart of Darkness in the Vietnam War created an atmosphere where the soldiers needed to adapt to
their surroundings in the Vietnam jungle. The war was devastating and gruesome for soldiers on
either side to be a part of. Even though the Congo River in the 1890s was one way to include it in
Heart of Darkness, it makes perfect sense to relate it in the Vietnam War. As a soldier in the Vietnam
jungle, it is pretty difficult to remain calm when airstrikes are occurring overhead. Nothing seems to
be going right for these men, but when you encounter Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore,...show more
content...
Kurtz adapted very well to the jungle, the people, and the war. He found ways to communicate
with the people there and get them to understand why he was there in their territory. He made
peace with them and got the natives to follow him as the leader. Kurtz was smart in a different
way. He knew how to make decisions on the spot and make good decisions under pressure. The
jungle was also a great example of how he managed to adapt. He could navigate his way around
the jungle and set up camp where it is difficult to get to. It wasn't located in a place where you can
just drive to. The river was a brilliant way to get people to and from his camp. The war itself was
the last point in which Kurtz adapted quickly and efficiently to. War is not the easiest thing to
adapt to, especially if it is the first time being there. This obviously wasn't Kurtz's first rodeo. He
made tremendous accomplishments while going on his own path to make things happen for the
better of his crew and crew members. The end of the film really depicted the moment Kurtz's death
that showed what he did to help make things possible. He last words echoing creates a dramatic

Apocalypse Now Analysis
In Francis Ford Coppola's critically acclaimed movie " Apocalypse Now" he portrayed a journey
of five soldiers into psychological madness down the harsh Vietnamese jungle river, and through
these four specific scenes in cinematic order of the boat's landings, Francis used this screenplay
to boast utter psychological madness of the human mind. The first scene that deconstructs the
stages of madness is the beach landing scene where the crew launches their patrol boat and
destroys a village alongside Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. Throughout this montage of scenes,
also the longest shot segment in the movie, shows the men descending into the first stage of evil,
which is the "love of war; dehumanization of the enemy". Throughout these scenes at " Charlie
Beach ", we really see an unfair fight led by Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. Kilgore has installed a
philosophy upon his men to disregard the military and fight this war as a game. In the first
opening shots of the battle scene, Francis uses a beautifully done shot of the Helicopters
descending Into the village in preparation for an assault. From this scene, we see how unfair the
fight is. Right before the guns fire, we get two shots. The first shot is the raging helicopters that
look like cowboys on horses or Calvary. The second shot is the peaceful and quiet Vietnamese
villages. With these two shots, it demonstrates how the platoon sees war as playing cowboys and
Indians. In many of the background shots of the village siege, we

Apocalypse Now Psychology
Essay: Apocalypse Now (film) The Vietnam War has a big influence on the modern American
history. The war ended in 1975 and left imprints in the minds for many of the victims as well as
soldiers. In Apocalypse now we are experiencing the war from Captain Willard's point of view,
which gives us an insight of the War from one who took part of it. The opening scene starts with
us seeing Captain Willard lying in his bed thinking back to when he was in the war. He tells about
how the war at some point has changed his life. An example of this is when he tells about how
feeless he broke up with his wife without a word. He also tells about how he, when he is at home,
wants to be in the jungle, and when he is there, he wants to be at home. In other words, he...show
more content...
He feels restlessness as many of the returned soldiers do. Later in the intro, he tells about how he
felt after getting home from his first tour. He says; "When I was home after my first tour it was
worse". His PTSD was worse after the first time he went home from war than the other times he
was on tour. In the intro, it makes clear that Captain Willard is ill with PTSD when he starts to
dance and act weird, as well as he decides to take off all his clothes until he is naked. Later he
starts to smash his hand into things as well, which makes him bleed. It tells about how traumatic
it is to experience war for the first time. The poem "The Hollow Men" by T S Elliot it shows how
terrible war itself are. "Is it like this. In death's other kingdom. Waking alone. At the hour when we
are Trembling with tenderness". It is the feeling that went through the soldiers and all the others
who are sent in war. If we take a look at the text "THE GENERAL GOES ZAPPING CHARLIE
CONG (1966)" The American author Tom Wolf once said about exact this article

Essay about Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
This film, from 1979 was directed by Francis Ford Coppula and starred Martin Sheen (Capt.
Willard) and Marlon Brando (Col. Kurtz). The film takes place during the 1970's in the middle of
the Vietnam War. Coppula was rewarded for his hard work by winning the Academy Award for
cinematography. The story is based on the novel "Hearts of Darkness", by Joseph Conrad. The
book and film depicts Capt. Willard in the middle of the Vietnam searching for Col. Kurtz, who has
gone mad and started his own private war. Apocalypse Now uses its scenes to show three types of
horror including psychological, gore, and surprise. Psychological horror plays with human
rationalization. Gore shows a stunning or violent action. Surprise horror...show more content...
Coppula uses psychological horror to illustrate the barrier between Willard's world and Kurtz's
world as a means of horror in the viewer's mind. The second type of horror is gore, in which a
painful experience is relayed to the viewer. Gore comes to life in films by using special effects to
have the viewer empathize with the characters. The best example of this in Apocalypse Now is
when the river boat captain is speared through the chest gruesomely. He then attempts to impale
Willard, by him towards him and using the same blood soaked spear still in him, before he
inevitably dies. When you see the captain get speared through his chest you feel sympathy for his
suffering and you feel his anger when he tries to kill Willard. At the same time, the viewer feels
the desperation of Willard as he fends for his own life. Coppula uses gore horror here to create the
element of empathy and fear for both the Captain, who dies for what is really Willard's war, and
for Willard, who inadvertently has killed the Captain by putting him in this situation. The surprise
horror is created through a dramatic presentation of events or a sudden shocker. By timing a
motion or noise correctly the viewer experiences the danger themselves of a situation. The scene
that best uses surprise horror in the film is when Willard and the character Chief are in the jungle
looking for mangos. The two are suddenly attacked by a tiger from out of

Apocalypse Now
There are certain film adaptations that convey the literal meaning of a novel rather than spreading
the same theme and ideals in a derivative form. Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola,
obtains inspiration through the plot and message from Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness.
The setting in Apocalypse Now differs from the setting of Heart of Darkness, however the theme of
becoming hollow and being consumed by the darkness is portrayed through similar events in history.
European Imperialism and the Vietnam War involved the displacement of the natives, along with the
decaying integrity of the men involved within the conflicts. Conrad and Coppola respectively utilize
the implementation of film and literary techniques in order to

Social Commentary On The Movie 'Apocalypse Now'
Apocalypse Now
I have always enjoyed movies. But at some point I started to think of movies as more than just
entertainment. I began to view them as a movie critic would, rather than just a casual viewer.
Because of this perspective, I think of "Apocalypse Now" as one of the best American made movies
I have ever seen. As a student of and an active participant in the late twentieth century media age, I
feel justified in making this statement. In my lifetime of observation of American media, including
fourteen months of intense movie watching in conjunction with my employment at a local video
store, I have had an opportunity to observe a broad sampling of the films, and feel more than
qualified to make this statement. By referring to...show more content...
Apocalypse Now is the story of a Green Beret named Willard who journeys through Vietnam by
river to confront an officer who left the army in the pursuit of his own private war. Willard's
journey is not just a trip down a river, it is a metaphorical journey, and creates the effect of multiple
levels of meaning. In addition to a superbly constructed story, Apocalypse Now can be viewed as a
social commentary, an exploration of human conscience, or a moral metaphor. I truly enjoy
dissecting and analyzing movies, as well as literate, at this level. I try to understand what the author,
or film maker is really trying to say.
Looking at the movie from one angle, it can be considered a social commentary of the war in Viet
Nam. By including such characters as Lance B. Johnson, who clearly represents President Lyndon
B. Johnson, we see him lose his personality and conscientiousness to the war, eventually having to
be dragged out of the fire by the soldier, Willard. This is also demonstrated by the scene where
Coppula, himself, appears as a war commentator attempting to direct the actions of the soldier
fighting before him. When looking at the movie from this angle Apocalypse Now is similar to a
style which I associate with Oliver Stone's latter movies, JFK and Natural Born Killers.
I also see the movie as a journey between the polar opposites

Apocalypse Now Summary
Apocalypse Now starts with U.S. Army captain, Benjamin Willard, waiting in the room of his
hotel in Saigon to receive a mission. After his tour in Vietnam, Willard is very psychologically
stressed and often has hallucinations of the war, but he continues to have the need to undertake
special operations missions. It is then that two special intelligence officers reach out to him. They
tell him about his mission, which is to travel along the Nung River into Cambodia to end the
command of Special Forces Colonel Walter Kurtz, who has apparently gone insane. Willard boards
a Navy boat that is going to take him up the Nung. On it are four other crew members, Chief, Lance,
Mr. Clean, and Chef. They continue their travels along the river and come

Apocalypse Now Essay

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