Apocalypse Now

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now ranks as one of the highest Vietnam War movies. At the peak of the Vietnam War, skilled soldier Captain Benjamin Willard is extracted from a drunken, troubled state to accept his most intrepid and secretive mission thus far. Having completed one tour of duty in Vietnam, he returns home only to find himself miserable amid the confines of civilization. Military officials thrust him into the heart of chaos and destruction, otherwise known as Cambodia, to locate and exterminate the deranged psychotic Colonel Kutz. As they surpass safety and progress up the Nung River, Willard confronts not only the same terrors that ultimately lead Kurtz to insanity, but the primitive barbarianism instinctual of human nature.

Oddly enough, it appears Willard is most sane in the confines of war rather than the quite ambience of a hotel room. The loud, dangerous, environment of a battlefield grows to become a comfortable home for Willard, as his mind is most at ease when in control of the chaos. He cannot stand stillness, yet yearns for the turmoil of Vietnam. Ironically, Willard’s mission includes executing an ex-commander who has become mentally unsound, while it is evident Willard mirrors a similar state and is equally unstable.

For various reasons, it is clear Apocalypse Now is an anti-war movie and discourages war. Each perspective you look at or character you decipher proves the theory that war benefits no one but the government and leaves nothing but a trail of damage. Not only are soldiers forced to endure challenging circumstances while on the battlefield such as lack of food, sleep, and shelter, but the memories and images etched in their minds will haunt them forever. Apocalypse Now focuses predominantly on the effects war has on soldiers and depicts the insanity that takes over their mind when surrounded by such a difficult atmosphere. By examining the various characters involved we can see the psychological effect it has on their mind. Chef, having been enlisted at a young age, depicts the waste of an education that is thrown away when soldiers are sent off to war and the permanency of the pain it leaves them in. Kurtz symbolizes the outcome of human immorality. The injustice we impose, the horrors we inflict, and the harm that we cause, are all valid reasons as to why Kurtz lost faith in the human race. Numerous times we witness innocent lives being wrongfully taken, not only Vietnamese souls but American ones as well. When we cause such atrocities as the Vietnam War, how can we be looked at as an empathetic species? If we have no mercy we deserve no compassion, a likely motto that Kurtz adopted as his own.

Despite Coppola’s uncertainty of who to cast as Captain Willard, Martin Sheen remains the obvious choice demonstrating exceptional acting abilities surpassing all expectations. Coppola primarily envisioned Steve McQueen as Willard, yet he refused to spend 17 weeks overseas away from America and therefore decline the position. Second in request was Al Pacino, who then provided the same excuse as well as a fear of falling ill in the jungle and rejected the role as well. Upon finally finding someone who agreed to the terms, Coppola hired Harvey Keitel to take on the job. A week into filming in the Philippines Coppola regretted his decision and replaced Keitel with Sheen. Despite the hard effort of finding a suitable role, Coppola ultimately succeeded in recruiting the perfect actor.  

  War has been a part of humanity since the beginning of time, etched in one’s genes. This movie illustrates the power the military has over its army followers and the lack of freedom to move, think, and act one has once enlisted. Overall, Apocalypse Now harshly depicts the difficult circumstances a war entails and the long term effects it has on its victims.