Blog 8, S. R.

The definition of Allegory means the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions and truth or generalizations about human existence; like a symbolic representation of something bigger. In ties with the movie Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (Redux) by Coppola the allegory represented is the images shown in the movie that show the horror and violence of the war, how it connects to the corrupted governments and the loss of ones innocence because of all of this.

The American soldiers had to do combat with the south vietnamese in the war, but they also allied with the north Vitenamese. Considering that the north and south vietnamese looked very similar it was hard for the american soldiers to trust the north vietnamese because they werent always positive that they were on their side. In the movie the two allies confront each other but since there isnt hundred percent trust on both sides, both groups take a long time to lower their guns just in case one was to shoot, the other would be ready for it. This made it easy for instance if a south vietnamese wanted to pretend to be on the american soldiers side as a war tactic it could work because of the similarities in apperance with the north vietnamese. This was one of the struggles of the war and it this probably not being the biggest. Knowing that it makes you think how worse could things get for both the american and vietnam soldiers.

Captain Willard starts off the movie struggling with his nightmares of his past experience being in the war. It shows images of bombs and you can hear helicopter sounds to signify that he is currently in the war. He wakes up and he is still in Saigon. Being in the war Willard, experiences the stresses of the war. He relieves himself through drinking alchohol, whiskey especially and it is suppose to help him cope with the war. There is also a strong possibility that he has Post tramactic stress disorder. Throughout the movie, Captain Willards biggest stress is completeing his mission which is to assassinate Kurt who is the new leader for the south vietnamese. Colby who is another american soldier cant handle the pressure and ends up joing the the south vietnamese leaving his old family behind.

The american soldiers end up figuring out that they are fighting a pointless war and that it is a joke. They werent there to help the people of vietname. They were just there killing them and making their lives harder than it already was. The movie showed this and how the goals of what the soldiers were actually there for were distracted by all the horrible things that were going on there.

The last scene sums up the movie where Captain Willard finally completes his mission and kills Kurtz. The last words that Kurtz says is "the horror, the horror" which explains the war at a whole. It explains the horror of thinking about going to the war in the first place, the horrors of being in the war and the horrors of what the war does to you as an individual after. Willard trys to leave the community after he kills Kurtz and it is ironic how the community looks at Willard as a hero which in im opinion shows how pointless the war was.