The film Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (Redux) by Coppola is an allegory for the Vietnam War because of the abundant symbolism present in the film. This symbolism is present through visual images as well as through the actions of the characters. Some of the ideas that are presented and symbolized in the film are loss of innocence, control, and the American government's view on the war as well as the corruption within the government.
The idea of a loss of innocence, is symbolized in several different ways. One way this can be seen is through Colonel Kurtz who has apparently gone insane due to the war and settled in Cambodia with a group of devoted follows composed of Vietnamese as well as Americans. Colonel Kurtz has lost his innocence because he has been transformed by the war in such a way that his life is forever changed. He is no longer fazed by many of the things that go on in the war and now has very different views of humanity which is shown through the murders he has been accused of. Kurtz brings to life the horrors and tragedies of the American intervention in Vietnam through his descent into madness and shows the futility of the American's goals in the war by pushing his actions to the extreme.
Another way that the film shows what war does to soldiers is through Willard at the end of the movie when he is preparing to kill Kurtz. He states that he will be promoted for his actions but that it doesn't matter because he is no longer part of their army. Willard has changed at this point because he has seen how corrupt the military is through his mission and has seen what war itself can do to a soldier through Kurtz's madness.
Control is a major idea in the film as well since the film revolves around the fact that the military is looking to kill one of their own men, Kurtz, who happens to be highly decorated . They are looking to kill him for his misdeeds and to prevent him from showing the true face of the war to the public even though the majority of his actions have benefited the military. This also shows the corruption within the military and the government because Willard's mission to kill Kurtz, along with several other missions he completed in the past, do not exist and never will exist. Control can also been seen in the scene where Willard and the men are visiting with the French families after Clean's death. The French state that "We fight for our ground but you Americans fight for nothing." This line implies that while the French families have a reason to stay and fight, the Americans are there so they can eventually shape Vietnam to their liking and for their purposes.
The American government's attitude towards the war can been seen through Kilgore's words and actions. The American's believe they are superior and cannot be defeated which is evidenced through Kilgore's fearlessness upon landing on the beach during a fight. The American's poor values can also be seen through Kilgore in that he refuses to transport the boat upriver until he hears that a famous surfer is on board and is then willing to do anything and everything to help the surfer, Lance, out. He is even willing to launch a full attack with napalm where the boat needs to go as long as Lance goes surfing with him. We can also see his poor values when he tells his men to 'surf or fight' during the attack so that he can have a better sense of the waves. In all, Kilgore depicts America's belief that they are superior which allows them to act carelessly regardless of the situation.
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The film Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier (Redux) by Coppola is an allegory for the Vietnam War because of the abundant symbolism present in the film. This symbolism is present through visual images and names as well as through the actions of the characters.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a loss of innocence, is symbolized in several different ways. One way this can be seen is through Colonel Kurtz who has apparently gone insane due to the war and settled in Cambodia with a group of devoted follows composed of Vietnamese as well as Americans. Colonel Kurtz has lost his innocence because he has been transformed by the war in such a way that his life is forever changed. He is no longer fazed by many of the things that go on in the war and now has very different views of humanity which is shown through the murders he has been accused of. Kurtz brings to life the horrors and tragedies of the American intervention in Vietnam through his descent into madness and shows the futility of the American's goals in the war by pushing his actions to the extreme.
Control is a major idea in the film as well since the film revolves around the fact that the military is looking to kill one of their own men, Kurtz, who happens to be highly decorated . They are looking to kill him for his misdeeds and to prevent him from showing the true face of the war to the public even though the majority of his actions have benefited the military. This also shows the corruption within the military and the government because Willard's mission to kill Kurtz, along with several other missions he completed in the past, do not exist and never will exist. Control can also been seen in the scene where Willard and the men are visiting with the French families after Clean's death. The French state that "We fight for our ground but you Americans fight for nothing." This line implies that while the French families have a reason to stay and fight, the Americans are there so they can eventually shape Vietnam to their liking and for their purposes.
The American government's attitude towards the war can been seen through Kilgore's words and actions. Kilgore is a tag name which represents the war machine that is the American military in the worst way. This is seen in the way that Kilgore is willing to torch the beach in order for him to surf and by Kilgore's fearlessness upon landing on the beach during the fight.
He is even willing to launch a full attack with napalm where the boat needs to go as long as Lance goes surfing with him. We can also see his poor values when he tells his men to 'surf or fight' during the attack so that he can have a better sense of the waves. In all, Kilgore depicts America's belief that they are superior which allows them to act carelessly regardless of the situation. Because they are American, they are allowed to take the 'law' into their own hands and act as the superior race. The music being played as Kilgore and the soldiers land on the beach represents this.
ReplyDeleteEven the name of this film is allegory. An apocalypse is when the end of the world is occurring because humanity has not been able to live morally. The name acts as an allegory because it seems as if the end of the world has arrived when the American's show up in Vietnam. They act as a false god, destroying anything and everything in their path. The war is the end ff America and Vietnam as we know it because the war has caused both countries to dishonor themselves. Willard acts as the messenger of the apocalypse while Kurtz symbolizes the corruption that is taking over the world.
The film also parallels Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". Willard's journey into Cambodia parallels Marlo's journey into the Congo. The further and further down the river Willard travels, the more sinister, out of control and anarchical are the situations he encounters. Willard is traveling into the heart of darkness as he travels down the river because the soldiers he encounters have been taken over by the war and by the jungle and have begun retreating into their own hearts of darkness. When Willard reaches Cambodia and finds Kurtz it represents his own arrival in his heart of darkness. Kurtz represents the worst part of the human soul, a place Willard reaches as well. Willard and Kurtz are much the same man in many ways with Willard seeing his own heart of darkness in Kurtz. In the end, Willard fulfills his mission and kills Kurtz to prevent his own heart of darkness from taking over his life, much like it has done to Kurtz.