...Joseph Tanaka Dr. Whipple Eng 150 Apocalypse Now Review The sound of machine guns, the whirl of helicopter blades, and “the smell of napalm in the morning” makes Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola look like a traditional, action-packed Vietnam War movie. However, upon further examination, the film reveals a much deeper, ominous, and senseless reality that realistically depicts the Vietnam War. Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece of the nineteen sixty counter culture movement that is transposed into the characters of the Vietnam War. The aspects of Apocalypse Now that make it one of the most horrifying movies of the Vietnam era are the characters, the plot, and the setting. The horrifying way human beings treat one another is an enduring quality present in the characters Apocalypse Now. Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore’s Ninth Air Calvary embodies the brutality of the war because of his callous attack on a village filled with non combative residents. In the scene of the helicopter attack on the Mekong Delta village, a Vietnamese villager comes up to an American helicopter loading a wounded soldier and throws a hat with a grenade inside, blowing up everyone inside. Upon seeing this attack by a single villager, Kilgore exclaims, “Holy Christ she’s a savage, somebody get that Dink!” and a group of helicopters decimate her family trying to run away. Not only ruthless was Kilgore’s response but also the amusement that his own soldiers felt while shooting the woman and other innocent civilians...
Words: 1360 - Pages: 6
...will be investigating the use of Walter Murch’s Sound design on Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Conversation (1974) whiles exploring the use of different sound aesthetics found in a scene from each film. Examining these different techniques will shed light on just how much it affects the nature of the film itself and it’s audience through an audio-visual perspective. Apocalypse now has a fascinating use of sound that conveys tension, character subjectivity and at times suggests a psychoneurotic mind state in which diegetic/non-diegetic sound and music together alludes. How does Murch use sound and music to push the films narrative? In what way does Murch’s theories on sound help us understand the way in which it helps shape its accompanying visuals on screen or vis-versa. This will form part of a theoretical inquiry into sound in cinema as a whole whiles looking at the possible outcomes of a film without the use of some of these groundbreaking methods. Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola is set during the Vietnam war, Cpt. Willard travels up the Nung River in Cambodia to kill Colonel Kurtz as part of top secret mission that apparently ‘doesn’t exist’. Apocalypse Now is widely regarded as a timeless masterpiece, unsurprisingly gaining Walter Murch an Oscar for his work on the beautifully orchestrated sound mix. Right from the start Murch describes his approach to this film as ‘jumping with both feet into the fire’ (Jarrett & Murch, 2000). This expression sums up...
Words: 2073 - Pages: 9
...Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date An analysis of the film Apocalypse Now The Apocalypse Now is an outwardly delightful, weighty perfect work of art with surrealistic and typical arrangements itemizing the disarray, roughness, dread, and nightmarish franticness of the Vietnam War. On first look, Apocalypse Now may resemble a war film or maybe even a dramatization. It felt like a thriller, loathsomeness, an epic and also a film that was past the typical limitations classification to me. O'Donnell (p 19) points out that lighting is as a key segment in the film close by fogs and shadows. The general appearance of the film is dull and shadowy concerning the subject of war and the faint experience that the officers grasp in that. As the enterprise begins, the lights are steadily raised. Willard starts his vessel ride in nightfall. However, as the excursion gets more profound, the movie gets gloomy, the shadows get maintained, and light is darkened. The movie’s lighting is profoundly illustrative of the risks of the conflict in the wilderness and the allegorical voyage that the warriors attempt in the otherworldly domain. The vessel, relevantly named "Erebus" (the dim locale of the netherworld, the one that the dead must go before they achieve Hell; the underworld), is not lit by any stretch of the imagination, yet is the only asylum in the profound wilderness around. The lights are flashy and difficult to the eyes (Hell’s fire) whereas the blacks are demanding to the...
Words: 1610 - Pages: 7
...Apocalypse Now-Heart of Darkness Apocalypse Now was set in Vietnam 1968. At this time the Vietnam War was controversial. The American antiwar movement was gaining power. John Milius wrote the original screenplay based on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but updated it to take place during the Vietnam War. During both times there was a great undertaking of territory. The Congo was being acquired by European presence in Heart of Darkness. As Conrad’s experience took him into the Congo; he observed firsthand knowledge of the atrocities of European imperialism. He witnessed the enslavement of a society and the rich wealth of the ivory trade. In Apocalypse Now it was the American presence for South Vietnams independence that was at stake. America became involved in the conflict between North and South Vietnam because its policy makers feared the spread of communism. American young men were sent by the thousands every month to Vietnam. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives. The main theme of both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now are based on a man that is known as a great military leader, and has a dossier full of accomplishments. Kurtz, which has been overtaken with darkness. His mind is not that of someone who is thinking straight. Kurtz in Heart of Darkness turns out to be emaciated and weak when Marlow first gets to see him and Kurtz in Apocalypse Now a strong figure with a sinister presence when encountered by Willard. In Apocalypse Now Kurtz is in Cambodia with...
Words: 637 - Pages: 3
...The film Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola is an adventure war film set during the Vietnam War. The film follows the central character, Captain Benjamin Willard, on a mission to assassinate the mutinous and presumed maniacal Colonel Walter Kurtz. The film presents itself as a film about war, but it also represents the racial attitudes of the time period. In the film Apocalypse Now, there is an onscreen storytelling element that allows viewers to gain a better understanding of the brutality the Vietnamese suffered from the American soldiers. There is a scene in the movie where Kilgore commands a bombing of a small village near the sea, just so some of the American soldiers can surf. During the scene small school age children...
Words: 351 - Pages: 2
...Then and Now Life, is it the same as it was millions of years ago? No, this is because of what is known as evolution. The world is forever changing. There seems to be something new discovered all the time. This maybe because the scientist have not had time to explorer everywhere and everything. However, there could also be another explanation to this, evolution. Evolution is a scientific theory that helps to explain the presences of new varieties of living things, both now, in the present as well as in the history of the earth. The theory of evolution is based on the differences and similarities that occur within living things over a period of time and among habitats. It takes in consideration the biological processes that occur of genetic drift, natural selection, gene mutations, and changes in the habitats that occur. This theory explains why in the past there may have been many different varieties of a species, but now there are far less of them. A species changes over time. It can grow bigger, smaller, develops new traits, or many other things can change in it. The evolution of a horse is an example of this. Over 50 million years ago, the horse was an animal that was about the size of today’s dog. The earlier horses were better suited for a tropical area than the plains of out west. However, because of evolution they adapted this maybe because of other animals that were predators or because of the lack of resources that were available. Horses even had multiple toes...
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...Do you know who you are? Seems like a crazy question, but it is real. You are my greatest gift from God. You are not only my greatest gift; you are apart of God's greatest creation. This is a stressful time for you. Your body is going through so many unfamiliar changes. These changes are probably super uncomfortable for you. These changes are called puberty. Believe it or not, mom went through these same feelings that you are going through right now. Looks like you will be putting on a bra pretty soon. If you have not already, expect to feel some tenderness around your chest and nipple area. Do not panic! You do not have breast cancer. You will have boobs soon. This is just the beginning of you blossoming into a beautiful young lady. The sensitivity in that area will go away. Also, get ready to wake up one of thes mornings to have grown more inches than you ever have in your life. "Puberty" brings forth the fastest increases in your growing since you were a baby. (70, Santrock) Both of your grandmothers and I reached a height of about 5'5, 5'6. You will more than likely reach these heights too, due to heredity. You will gain a few pounds to go along with those new inches. This is not a bad thing. This is a great reason to go shopping! Shopping for new bra's, shirts, pants and panties. Yes, new panties are going to be needed also. When there are changes up there, there will also be changes down there too. These changes are very natural. Embarrassing, but natural. Everyone goes...
Words: 664 - Pages: 3
...A Tool Used Then and Now My tool is a sharp-pointed stone. It’s usually made from flint, a type of stone. Homo Habilis made it by banging two stones together and breaking one of them, leaving it with a sharp edge. It could also be made by just flaking and chipping pieces off the edges of a flint stone. Early humans used this tool to cut bones, meat, twigs, and dead animal skins. Although this tool was substantially distinguished from others, it is very easily made and has multiple purposes. This tool was also used as a weapon, allowing early human ancestors to travel to different regions where they may have encountered dangerous animals. This enabled early humans to use this tool to hunt and to protect themselves. This tool reflects the past because it was created by ancient ancestors in ancient times. It reflects the present because knives and arrows were invented from the idea of a sharp pointed rock and are used in similar ways today. It reflects the future because overtime people will develop and discover more ways to use and make sharp objects. Time has affected this tool because where in ancient times this tool was hand-crafted using stone, modern inventions are often made from metals using robotic machinery. The one thing that remains the same is its purpose. My perspective of this tool is different from an ancient point of view because I simply see it as an ancient tool used long ago. We no longer have to make our tools by hand. I can just go to a store and buy...
Words: 483 - Pages: 2
...civilization full of corruption and evil. Conrad’s first description of Brussels is an example of this. “In a very few hours I arrived at a city that always made me think of a white sepulcher.” It is significant that Conrad describes the building as a white coffin, because the job there is sending men out to retrieve ivory, ultimately resulting in their death. This cycle of evil begins and ends in this town. Describing the town as white is misleading, because the town holds an obvious feeling of death. Conrad makes it clear that this is a deception that the darkness of the jungle does not contain. When Marlow approaches dying slaves in the darkness of the jungle, he states: “They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, - nothing but black shadows of...
Words: 984 - Pages: 4
...Vi people. Jake, one of the main characters in the movie, becomes more and more like them with every encounter with the alien race. The film, Avatar, depicts the differences between characters and their views on nature and the world. Most of the humans are portrayed as arrogant and selfish, showing no remorce or respect for the indigenous people or their environment. In contrast, the Na'Vi people love their mother planet, Pandora, and live in harmony with each other and all its creatures because they respect it. During the first couple of scenes in the movie, you can already get the feeling that money and greed drives the humans. Jake, the protagonist, was an exMarine that got wounded in combat and is now paralyzed and discovered that his twin brother has passed upon recovery. While attending the cremation ceremony he is approached by two employees of Resources Development Alliance (RDA). They explain to Jake that his brother was a part of the scientific group working with the miners on Pandora. The two RDA workers refer to Jake's brother as a...
Words: 1824 - Pages: 8
...David Santamaria Ms. Pasonelli AP English 7 November 2015 Light vs Darkness: The Irony within Heart of Darkness Through history there has always been a battle between good and evil, light and dark, the innocent and the guilty. Many times authors, spanning over a wide range of genres have embedded this battle into their stories. Joseph Conrad, did just that in his creation of Heart of Darkness. Amongst the deep jungles of the Congo River, Conrad places Marlow into a world where darkness dominates everyday life. Marlow throughout the story is seen to have pure intentions and can be seen as a symbol of light, whereas Kurtz who has been amongst the heart of the Congo for various years, can be seen as the embodiment of darkness. Now, the distinction of light and dark, good and evil, innocent and guilty, is not only represented between Marlow and Kurtz, but also by Kurtz’s intended and his mistress of the darkness from Africa. Conrad in the depiction of these characters uses irony to show that light is representative of ignorance and naivety whereas darkness is the embodiment of the truth and experience. To be naïve is to show lack of experience. This trait lies at the heart of every man and woman as well as boy and girl. Naivety goes hand in hand with ignorance and can often be seen as an embodiment of innocence as well as purity, which are representative of light. Marlow within Heart of Darkness, ultimately proves to be naïve as well as ignorant throughout various times...
Words: 1460 - Pages: 6
...Ramandeep Kaur Essay Assignment ARTS-2000-0BW In this essay, I will be analysing two sequences from two different films. The first sequence is the last scene from the movie “Apocalypse now” directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie depicts the story of war, not as much the war between Vietnamese but the war within us. At first, movie appears very realistic and formalist and by the end, it is appearing symbolic as during the final scene Benjamin Willard finally killed colonel Kurtz and On the other hand ceremony of slaughtering the buffalo was happening at the same time which illustrate both scenes as one symbolic event. There are few editing techniques that worked well in this film are Sergei Eisenstein’s creative editing techniques who is a famous Soviet filmmaker. Eisenstein’s discovered three types of montage that is Rhythmic montage, Tonal Montage and intellectual montage which is also called conceptual or thematic montage. Eisenstein’s philosophy of intellectual montage which explain a way of editing that could form relation and symbols to two different shots created from juxtaposition. At the end, these two images of shooting and killing of Colonel Kurtz while Villagers were performing the ritual of slaughtering the water buffalo combined to make the connection between the viewers signifying the execution of civilian was more like a vulnerable slaughter. Another editing technique that greatly worked in this film is Rhythmic montage which is editing on the basis...
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...AUGUST 8, 2014 ARIEL G. VILLANUEVA BSBA-111 CASE STUDY: QUALITY IN PRACTICE “UNDERSTANDING THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER AT LAROZA’S PIZZA” I. COMPANY PROFILE: LaRosa’s is a privately held chain of neighborhood pizzerias with 54 location in Cincinnati, Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeast Indiana, that offers full-service dine-in, carry-out and take home delivery. In 1997, as a part of a new strategy planning process, LaRosa’s identified growth as a key strategic goal. The executive management team had developed three growth strategies but could not agree on which one to follow because of a lack of a fact-based foundation for the decision. In 2000, a project team was formed to tackle this issue and was given complete latitude to make any recommendation for an Italian/pizzeria concept based on customer needs and expectations. The key tool that successfully led to an understanding of their customer’s and to a new and innovative restaurant design was Voice of the Customer ( VOC). VOC is a structured methodology for listening to customers that is promoted by the center for Quality of Management ( CQM) an industrial consortium based on Boston. The experience of using VOC changed the company focus from “ product-out” to a “market-in” mentality. It gave them a decision making tool based on factual data, broke down communication silos within the company, and eliminated the age old sales and marketing versus operations conflict. II. MAJOR ISSUES: ...
Words: 403 - Pages: 2
...Heart of Darkness There are many themes that run through the novel Heart of Darkness. There are however two main and significant ones. These are the theme of restraint and man's journey into self. The importance of restraint is stressed throughout Heart of Darkness. In the novel Marlow is saved by restraint, while Kurtz is doomed by his lack of it. Marlow felt different about Africa before he went, because the colonization of the Congo had "an idea at the back of it." Despite an uneasiness, he assumed that restraint would operate there. He soon reaches the Company station and receives his first shock, everything there seems meaningless. He sees no evidence here of that "devotion to efficiency" that makes the idea work. In the middle of this, Marlow meets a "miracle". The chief accountant has the restraint that it takes to get the job done. He keeps up his appearance and his books are in "apple-pie order." Marlow respects this fellow because he has a backbone. "The cannibals some of those ignorant millions, are almost totally characterized by restraint." They outnumber the whites "thirty to five" and could easily fill their starving bellies. Marlow "would have as soon expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield." The cannibal’s action is "one of those human secrets that baffle probability." This helps Marlow keep his restraint, for if the natives can possess this quality Marlow feels he certainly can. Kurtz is...
Words: 765 - Pages: 4
...Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness presents a character that appears to be above all others in society and enlightened according to Carl Jung’s idea of individuation; however, the character, Kurtz was an extremely unexceptional man. He wasn’t a mover, part of the 1%, or enlightened; ultimately, he knew how to say the right words to convince people and himself of these titles. In the very end not even Kurtz knew who he truly was due to him trying to change himself and putting all of his efforts trying to be someone else. Kurtz adapted to the situations he was presented with and acted in a way that offered the best results for him personally. Like a chameleon Kurtz’s survival instincts led him to learn how to change and shift to match the people he was with in order to manipulate them into idolizing him. There is not much presented about Kurtz from the narrator or Marlow’s accounts of him but there is enough information provided to discern the many different accounts of Kurtz and realize that there was no concrete version of “Kurtz”. The desire for acceptance and individuation resulted in the creation of a persona of an individuated person and Kurtz trying to adapt in a way that unlike the chameleon was meant for him to stand out. As a consequence of his actions many of the first nations learnt firsthand how someone's dark side can drive them to do unspeakable things. In addition, because of Kurtz's unconscious attempts at adaptation he ended up being the perfect portrayal of the...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2