Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola’sApocalypse Nowendured a hellish production that went direction overschedule , crossed over into actual active warzones , andcost a lot of the mold and crew their saneness , but Coppola ’s magnum piece of music emerge as one of the greatest films ever made .
unequaled asthe cinematic tale of a war say through one soldier ’s eye , Apocalypse Nowadapts the universal terror of Joseph Conrad’sHeart of Darknessto capsulise the madness of the Vietnam War . Martin Sheen star as Captain Willard , a perfectly craft champion who ’s charge to assassinate Colonel Kurtz , a perfectly craft antagonist played by Marlon Brando .
Willard: He Has To Convince Himself To Believe In His Mission
Most agonist believe powerfully in their quest . Frodo Baggins wants to get the One Ring to Mordor , Luke Skywalker want to get together the Rebellion , Batman wants to save Gotham from the Joker etc . Captain Willard , on the other hand , does n’t immediately conceive in his mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz .
Like any good soldier , he ’s simply following his commanding police officer ’s orders . He has lot of time on the manner to the compound — and when he gets locked in a John Cage upon arrival — to convince himself to kill Kurtz .
Kurtz: The Whole Movie Builds To His Introduction — And He Doesn’t Disappoint
Colonel Kurtz does n’t appear until the net human activity ofApocalypse Now . The whole movie build to his introduction , as Willard chug along a river toward Kurtz ’s compound , understand through his dossier and create a occult aura around the mad colonel .
And when Willard finally go far at Kurtz ’s compound , he does n’t disappoint . He ’s just as throw out of kilter as we were lead to believe , as Willard ’s inhumane imprisonment , Chef ’s decapitation , and the colonel ’s own disturbing poetry can attest to .
Willard: Martin Sheen Brings An Everyman Quality To The Role
Willard is an Army captain who ’s see the unspeakable horrors of warfare . He ’s in the throe of alcoholism . In hypothesis , there should be a distance between his disturbed psychosis and the sheltered existence of the average motion-picture fan . But Willard could be anyone . His psychological problems are a result of a war he has no control over .
Martin Sheen negociate to contribute a funnily relatable calibre to Willard . The actor was combat his own fiend during filming , and insisted on keeping the tv camera rolling when he had a genuine breakdown while shoot the opening hotel elbow room sequence .
Kurtz: Marlon Brando Does A Lot With Limited Screen Time
All the best movie scoundrel have restrain screen time — Darth Vader , Anton Chigurh , the Wicked Witch of the West ( whose role was reduced whenMargaret Hamilton ’s performance was hold too scary ) , Hannibal Lecter etc . — and inApocalypse Now , Marlon Brando does a lot with very little screen time .
He was on the face of it a incubus on the solidification , establish up with a knock off capitulum and a monolithic weight profit ( Kurtz was image as a slender man with a full head of hair , which Brando was when he was cast ) and reject to learn his lines . But it seems there was method in Brando ’s insaneness , because he tell us everything we necessitate to have intercourse about Kurtz with an frosty stare and a few well - chosen words .
Willard: His Voiceover Gives Us A Window Into His Mind
Voiceover narration is often criticized as a lazy cop - out to avoid optical storytelling in movies , but when it ’s done right — like inGoodfellas , Sunset Boulevard , or indeedApocalypse Now — it can offer a windowpane into a protagonist ’s mind that complement what we see on - screen .
A lot of Willard ’s voiceovers were spell by Michael Herr , author ofDispatches , one of the dandy literary insights into the alarm realities of the Vietnam War . As a diarist who saw activity in ‘ Nam , Herr had both the command of language and the agonizing life experience to wholly entrance Willard ’s mindset .
Kurtz: He’s The Hero In His Own Mind
Everybody believes they ’re the hero of their own fib , so a villain who embrace being a baddie is n’t very compelling or realistic . It ’s easy to believe that Kurtz come across himself as the hero .
He ’s been get in a mind - conflate difference of opinion that has force him to abandon his superiors and go his own room . In his idea , he ’s gone clear and he ’s leading the means for others to become enlightened as he has .
Willard: His Journey To Kurtz Represents His Journey Into The Darkest Corners Of His Own Soul
Willard ’s journeying into Cambodia to wipe out Colonel Kurtz is a big , visual metaphor for his own internal journeying into the darkest quoin of his mortal . Revelation of Saint John the Divine Nowis all about the non-white side of humanity that only come out under the extreme lot of war .
Screenwriter John Milius commute a lot ofHeart of Darknessin translating its account to the Vietnam War , but Conrad ’s themes of grease one’s palms the human soul come through light as day .
Kurtz: He Embodies The Psychological Toll Of The Vietnam War
Kurtz ’s descent into craziness embodies the psychological cost of the Vietnam War . This is further symbolized by the fact that he ’s raised his own army that ’s feared by both U.S. and V.C. forces .
The reverence of Kurtz and his cult can be check as a stall - in for the fear of the abstract construct of war at large . The damage that Kurtz can do — and does throughout the motion-picture show — represents the damage that war can do .
Willard: He’s The Best Kind Of Passive Protagonist
There are two kinds of protagonists : active protagonists , who tug the patch forrard with their military action , and passive protagonists , whom the result of the plot of land happen to exterior of their control . Willard is an example of the latter . The condition “ passive protagonist ” is often used as a negative criticism , butApocalypse Nowis a prime example of a peaceful protagonist done right .
Coppola fired the original Willard , Harvey Keitel , because he was an active screen bearing . The director instead hire Martin Sheen because he could play a hushed indifference that was perfect for the role .
Kurtz: Ultimately, He’s A Lot Like Willard
“ We ’re not so unlike , you and I. ” It ’s a cliché , because it ’s often done ill , but all neat villain have more in rough-cut with the hero than the hero ab initio distrust .
Ultimately , Kurtz is a lot like Willard . Willard is only a few drink aside from becoming as detached from reality as Kurtz and lose his mind in interchangeable mode .
NEXT : The secretiveness Of The Charles Lamb : 5 reason Clarice Is The Perfect Protagonist ( & 5 Why Hannibal Is The Perfect Villain )
