Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford COPPOLA was theatrically released in 1979. An unorthodox film set in The Vietnam War. However, the director has gone on to say: "My film isn't about Vietnam. It is Vietnam. It's what it was really like. It was crazy. And the way we made it was very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment and little by little we went insane."
The film's production lasted 10 years with a budget of $31.5 million. COPPOLA struggled during production and consistently questioned whether to continue filming. Apocalypse Now (1979) was financed largely outside of the Hollywood Studio System, COPPOLA contributing $19 million from his own money, even putting his car and house at risk. By release, Apocalypse Now (1979) had gained a reputation of mythical stature.
Screenwriter, John Milius, originally intended to give a complete adaptation of the Joseph Conrad 1898 novella, Heart of darkness. Both the film and novel follow a narrative of soldiers journeying up a long and hostile river. The journey can be read as a metaphor on the descent into madness, or darkness. Reflecting the character's inner struggle and dehumanisation as soldiers.
As the characters travel up the river, they are met with encounters that represent the evils of war. Colonel Kilgore demonstrates the dehumanisation of the enemy; he looks for the best waves to surf during a siege on a Vietnamese camp. Kilgore ignores the battle and internal conflict, focusing on his own pleasure and entertainment in battle. How he throws playing cards on the fallen Vietnamese soldiers suggests that he sees this as a game. The USO performance by Playboy girls shows the loss of morality. Giving the soldiers the idea that they are no longer boys, they are men. A tactic used to make soldiers more confident and lose their innocence. The Playboy outfits represent American patriotism and cultural identity: a cowgirl, a federal soldier, and a native American.
The characters of Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz embody the combat against dehumanisation. Their prime conflict is to obtain the Heart of Darkness. They both understand that war is just an excuse the give into primal instincts.
The film's production lasted 10 years with a budget of $31.5 million. COPPOLA struggled during production and consistently questioned whether to continue filming. Apocalypse Now (1979) was financed largely outside of the Hollywood Studio System, COPPOLA contributing $19 million from his own money, even putting his car and house at risk. By release, Apocalypse Now (1979) had gained a reputation of mythical stature.
Screenwriter, John Milius, originally intended to give a complete adaptation of the Joseph Conrad 1898 novella, Heart of darkness. Both the film and novel follow a narrative of soldiers journeying up a long and hostile river. The journey can be read as a metaphor on the descent into madness, or darkness. Reflecting the character's inner struggle and dehumanisation as soldiers.
As the characters travel up the river, they are met with encounters that represent the evils of war. Colonel Kilgore demonstrates the dehumanisation of the enemy; he looks for the best waves to surf during a siege on a Vietnamese camp. Kilgore ignores the battle and internal conflict, focusing on his own pleasure and entertainment in battle. How he throws playing cards on the fallen Vietnamese soldiers suggests that he sees this as a game. The USO performance by Playboy girls shows the loss of morality. Giving the soldiers the idea that they are no longer boys, they are men. A tactic used to make soldiers more confident and lose their innocence. The Playboy outfits represent American patriotism and cultural identity: a cowgirl, a federal soldier, and a native American.
The characters of Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz embody the combat against dehumanisation. Their prime conflict is to obtain the Heart of Darkness. They both understand that war is just an excuse the give into primal instincts.
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