An allegory is a symbolic representation of something abstract or spiritual. Often times, an allegory serves to teach a lesson. The film Apocalyse Now: The Complete Dossier (Redux), is an allegory for the Vietnam War. The film uses a number of visual images to portray ideas about the War, such as that enemies were not clearly distinguishable, that there was no "right" or "wrong" side in the war, and that the benefits of controlling the Vietnamese were not as satisfying as they seemed.
Throughout the film, it is very difficult for the Americans to distinguish who their enemies are. Even when they realize the soldiers they are confronted with are supposed to be their allies, they still cannot let their guard up and trust the other soldiers. An example of this is when the small American troop that the main character Benjamin Willard is travelling with encounters a larger group of French soldiers, the men are still uneasy with the confrontation and are slow to lower their weapons, as are the French. The American soldiers have an extremely difficult time distinguishing the South Vietnamese from the North Vietnamese, as well. Again, even when they realize that the Vietnamese are supposed to be their allies, they are unable to decipher whether they will be hostile or not. These examples show just how confused the line between allies and enemies was.
From the beginning of the film, Willard is on a secret mission to find Colonel Walter Kurtz, a former American soldier who now controls and leads a large group of hostile Vietnamese fighters. However, when he finds Kurtz, he is unable to kill him right away. This is because he somewhat understands where Kurtz is coming from, so to speak. A seasoned soldier, Willard knows how war can affect a person, and how "horror," as Kurtz puts it, can drive a person mad. This is why Willard hesitates in killing Kurtz, since he sees a part of himself in the older man. This symbolizes how there usually is not a definite "evil" side in war, because people have reasons, although not always justified, for why they do horrible things. However, Willard does eventually kill Kurtz, most likely because he sees the part of himself that he resents in Kurtz.
Another symbol within the film is the effect of having control over people. The Americans and French seek control over the land, and in essence the Vietnamese people, throughout the War. However, when Kurtz finally achieves this through becoming a spiritual as well as military leader for the Vietnamese, he still does not find true happiness. Likewise, when Willard kills Kurtz and the Vietnamese accept him as their new leader, the thought visibly sickens him and he leaves the encampment before he can get sucked into the power offered by the Vietnamese.
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An allegory is a symbolic representation of something abstract or spiritual. Oftentimes, an allegory serves to teach a lesson. The film Apocalyse Now: The Complete Dossier (Redux) is an allegory for the Vietnam War. The film uses a number of visual images to portray ideas about the war, such as that enemies were not clearly distinguishable, that there was no "right" or "wrong" side in the war, and that the benefits of controlling the Vietnamese were not as satisfying as they seemed.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film, it is very difficult for the Americans to distinguish who their enemies are. Even when they realize the soldiers they are confronted with are supposed to be their allies, they still cannot let their guard up and trust the other soldiers. An example of this is when the small American troop that the main character Benjamin Willard is travelling with encounters a larger group of French soldiers, the men are still uneasy with the confrontation and are slow to lower their weapons, as are the French. The American soldiers have an extremely difficult time distinguishing the South Vietnamese from the North Vietnamese, as well. Again, even when they realize that the Vietnamese are supposed to be their allies, they are unable to decipher whether they will be hostile or not. These examples show just how confused the line between allies and enemies was.
From the beginning of the film, Willard is on a secret mission to find Colonel Walter Kurtz, a former American soldier who now controls and leads a large group of hostile Vietnamese fighters. However, when he finds Kurtz, he is unable to kill him right away. This is because he somewhat understands what Kurtz is going through in his mind. A seasoned soldier, Willard knows how war can affect a person, and how "horror," as Kurtz puts it, can drive a person mad. This is why Willard hesitates in killing Kurtz, since he sees a part of himself in the older man. This symbolizes how there usually is not a definite "evil" side in war because people have reasons, although not always justified, for why they do horrible things. However, Willard does eventually kill Kurtz, most likely because he sees the part of himself that he resents in Kurtz and he wishes to kill it.
Another symbol within the film is the effect of having control over people. The Americans and French seek control over the land, and in essence the Vietnamese people, throughout the War. However, when Kurtz finally achieves this through becoming a spiritual as well as military leader for the Vietnamese, he still does not find true happiness. Likewise, when Willard kills Kurtz and the Vietnamese accept him as their new leader, the thought visibly sickens him and he leaves the encampment before he can get sucked into the power offered by the Vietnamese.
This film relates to the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad because both works focus on the horror of war, which is in essence the darkest part of the human heart. In the novella, the character of Marlow (who is Willard's counterpart) is sent by the Belgium Company to find out what Kurtz, an ivory trader, is doing in the jungle. As Willard travels deeper into the Vietnamese jungle, Marlow must also travel into the deepest parts of the Congo. These dark parts of the world symbolize the darkest part of a person's heart, which knows no rules or morals. This is used to describe where people go in times of war.