Apocalypse Now is probably the
most disturbing and terrifying war movie that I have saw and I think captures
the horrors of war brilliantly. This movie does not just simply show the
horrors but it portrays the chaos and the confusion that goes along with it. It
gives you a bone-chilling feeling that’s actually pretty scary. It was not
something I saw; it was something I felt. Apocalypse
Now is hardly a war movie but it is an account of the corruption and
deterioration of human nature.
The
acting is superb. The character Colonel Kurtz, portrayed by Marlon Brando,
demonstrates what war can do to a soldier just by looking at his eyes. You can
see the insanity in his eyes which is unsettling and I have to applaud Brando
for capturing that. His character displays what war can do to the human psyche.
One step into madness and there is no going back. When Captain Willard reads
Kurtz files, we see that Kurtz was a respected Green Beret with a family—he was
normal. Nonetheless, a part of him surrendered to the awfulness of human
brutality.
This film also raises the question of whether a soldier
is a hero or an assassin. The reality of war is even the most innocent or moral
man will end up corrupted. The famous line told by Kurtz “The horror… the
horror” resonates in the last scene and continues to linger in the air even
after the film ends. This line speaks so much truth and draws a connection to
Willard’s own corruption. He killed a man. Although it was part of his
assignment, it was ruthless and cold-blooded. Is he a hero or an assassin? The
movie never answers the question but it does not need to. There is no satisfying answer to
that question.
Captain Willard gained and lost something in this scene.
He gained knowledge but lost his morals which essentially begs the question—what’s
more important: achieving the power of knowledge or following a code of ethics?
It’s complex and complicated to answer. Another line in this movie that I believe
sums up the overarching theme is what Kurtz told to Willard, “You have the
right to kill me. But you do not have the right to judge me.” Overall, Apocalypse Now shows what the effects of war can do to a man and
how it can deteriorate the human psyche when taken in the most extreme condition
of violence, chaos, and brutality.
Meriem :) I loved how you described the statement "The horror.. horror" and its meaning behind it because I actually did the same thing. Your description of Willard's character was really to the point because it is so true that the movie couldn't portray Willard's character to be an actual hero strongly. I also felt Willard's character to be very similar with Billy Pilgrim when he gets his flashbacks in the hotel room and when he says that if he is at home he wants to be in the war and vice versa. Even a lot of themes in this movie presented Tim O'Brien's short stories in a great manner. But you my dear wrote an excellent movie review :)
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