I first read about the movie apocalpsye now when i was reading about the vietnam war in Wikipedia. Now, i figured i must get my hand on this movie and watch it.
I finally did manage to get my hands on this movie, and Am I glad i did that.
firstly with a stellar cast of Marlon brando, marting sheen and harrison ford, put together by cappola’s screenplay and direction, there is nothing else on can ask for.
i guess i can say that it did spook me out a bit, cuase in the middle of the night i woke up seeing the faces of the tribals all over, thinking they have machine guns and are going to open fire once chef and i ride out in the boat.
the way the movie flows keeps you in your seat, along with the psychodelic music of the doors goes well with the abstract theme.
initially when you start the movie you wonder, whats going to be happening, the grim portrayal of the vietnam war, and like willard says, the more like home they try and make it, the more they miss it. mere teens on the boat, in the war everywhere.
sometimes it makes you wonder what is it that pushed them into going to war? i read somewhere that it was the fact that between germany and japan the allies had no base, and this would have been ideal for it was close to both countries.
the movie brutally portrays the determination of the us soldiers to stay alive, and the vietnamese to push them out by any means, the scene that captures the latter is the one at the school yard, where the little girl throws in the grenade into the huey. and the former is when they are making a surprise inspection of the boat. like willard says “first we cut them up with a machine gun, and then give them bandaid”. rather true.
i foudn the film to portray a mans confusion in life, as he procedes with what he is supposed to be doing, and when you get there, you wonder if you should be doing what you came to do or do in your judgement what is right? but then, agian, what are you there to do in the first place? you are sent in to do someone elses dirty work, you do it no matter how dirty it is? does this prove your loyalty? or does it prove that you have no say in the matter. a similar thought stream eminated from X3, but will talk about that later.
Martin sheens charecterization is great, with a cold cruel killer. like he says, i went back, but i realised my mind was still here. will one ever be the same after a war?
Brandos portrayal of Kurtz is awesome. The buildup of the charecter, nd the final display when he cuts off “chefs” head. cold, cruel. but then when you hear him talking about the vietnamese who cut off their innoculated childrens arms, then you realise, Krutz will do anything to get the job done, and below the exterior, he is still human.
i guess its some of these questions that plague all of us through out our lives.