Comparing Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness Essay -- Movie Film com

Comparing Apocalypse Now and softheartedness of Darkness In the opening scenes of the documentary film Hearts of Darkness-A Filmmakers Apocalypse, Eleanor Coppola describes her maintain Franciss film, Apocalypse Now, as being loosely based on Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness. Indeed, loosely is the word the period, setting, and circumstances of the film are completely different from those of the novella. Yet, a close analysis of character, plot, and theme in each respective work reveals that Conrads classic boloney of savagery and madness is present in its cinematic reworking. The story of Heart of Darkness is narrated by its central character, the seasoned mariner Marlowe, a recurring figure in Conrads work. Apocalypse Now features a corollary to Marlowe in headwaiter Willard, a U.S. Army special forces operative assigned to go up the Nung river from Viet Nam into Cambodia in order to terminate the command of one Colonel Walter Kurtz whom, he is told, has gone totally insane. It is fitting that Marlowes character should be renamed, as Willard differs from Marlowe in several signifi grasst ways 1) He is not the captain of the boat which takes him and a party of others up the river 2) He does not reflect the deep psychological and philosophical insights that are a signal feature in Marlowes character, and 3) He is sent on his flush specifically to kill Kurtz, unlike Marlowe who is simply piloting others in the capacity of captain of a steamboat. However, Willard does communicate Marlowes fascination (growing, in detail, into an obsession) with Kurtz. Also significant is the fact that he holds the rank of captain, tying in with Marlowes occupation. As to the character of Kurtz, it is worth noting that while signi... ...it, and Kurtz, whose soul went mad, all remain relatively in tact. One can still feel The horror, the horror, Works Cited and Consulted Brooke, Riley. Heart Transplant. Film Comment Sept.-Oct 1979 26-27. Browne, Ray B, ed. Rituals and C eremonies in Popular Culture. Bowling Green Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1980. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer (New York Doubleday & Co., 1978) Coppolla, Francis Ford, dir. Apocalypse Now. Perf. Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen. 1981. Dittmar, Linda and Michaud, Gene, ed. From Hanoi to Hollywood The Vietnam War in American Film. USA Rutgers University Press, 1990. Hellman, John. American Myth and the Legacy of Vietnam. New York capital of South Carolina University Press, 1977. Philips, Gene D. Conrad and Cinema The Art of Adaptation. Dallas Peter Lang, 1995.