Apacolypse Now :: essays research papers

The movie Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Coppola, is based on Conrads novel The Heart of Darkness. The movie has to do with survival, obsession, and finding ones self. The inclination of this paper is to let the reader get a better understanding of how tribal chief Willard (the main character) goes through survival, obsession, and courage while trying to hunt down Kurtz.Captain Willard is on a mission into Cambodia during the Vietnam War to find and kill an harebrained Colonel Kurtz, as he experiences his journey of wickedness. In the past, Kurtz was an officer and a sane, successful, brilliant leader. Now he is insane after being corrupted by the horror of war and the cultures he met. People used to look up to him and speak highly of him. Now e veryone knows he is just a man who after bit for his country became a crazed lunatic.Captain Willard is constantly trying to survive throughout this mission. He has to float in a boat through Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He runs i nto some natives along the way and has some encounters with them. For example, the captain of the boat is killed by a spear, which is thrown, by a native. When he reaches the land that Kurtz has taken over, he strives very hard to survive. The fist images that you see are hanging dead bodies over the water, dead bodies along the shoreline. It is an island filled with mass murderers and cold-blooded natives. The natives there are so very much under Kurtzs actor that they are willing to kill Willard in a heartbeat. Captain Willard develops an obsession for trying to find Kurtz. It is non only a mission anymore, it is more of something that Willard must do for himself. Willard is stalking Kurtz in the movie, this kind of portrays Coppola stalking himself, raising questions which he feels compelled to answer but cannot. Because of his peevishness to find and kill Kurtz he becomes a marvelous leader. Everyone aboard listens, and goes to him. They are all risking their lives for Willar d to get where he has to go. Kurtz is another example of leadership. He is obsessed with the power and leadership he has over the natives. You have never seen such stronger leadership over an entire population, as you see in this movie. Kurtz reigns over these people as if he is God.