APOCALYPSE
Please jot down answers to all the
questions. You do NOT need to do
longer answers.
1. Describe
the film's opening. How does it set us
up for the rest of the film?
2. One
of the most memorable things about the film is the narration, written by
Michael Herr and spoken by Martin Sheen.
What role does the narration play in the film as a whole, and what are
some of your favorite moments?
3. Think
about the scene in which Willard is briefed on his mission. What impression does the General make on
you? Do events bear out what he has to
say about Kurtz?
4. The
two central characters in the film are of course Kurtz and Willard, though we
do not see Kurtz until near the end. Look at the way their characters are developed. How do we learn about them, about their
backgrounds? Do we learn more and more
about them as the film progresses?
5. This
is a voyage of discovery for Willard, and he realizes that from the very
beginning. What does he learn--about
the war, about himself, about humanity in general?
6. All
the war scenes have an ironic craziness about them, though the earlier war
scenes seem somewhat less nightmarish than the later ones. How is this atmosphere created? Think of the cinematography, sound, setting,
as well as the story itself.
7. One
of the common developments in the War Film is to have men from different
backgrounds pulling together for the common goal. How does Apocalypse
Now, and the patrol boat in particular, work both within and against this
tradition?
8. Apocalypse Now is a blend of Realist and
Expressionistic (Formalist) scenes. Which scenes come to mind when you think of the two styles?
9. How
does the setting (the Jungle, the River) contribute to the overall mood
of the film?
10. Coppola
has referred to Apocalypse Now as a "film opera." He is referring
in part to its Expressionistic style, but he is mainly referring to the complex
use of sound in the film. It is a blend
of different kinds of musical and sound effects: both diegetic (part of the
story) and discursive (added to the soundtrack). Identify scenes in which the use of sound is
especially effective.
11. At
the time it came out, many critics loved the first part of the film, but felt
that it rambled off into never‑never land towards the end, so that the
film came off as an overblown, failed masterpiece. They are certainly correct that the film
moves into another dimension as Willard approaches Kurtz, but the question is,
do you find the latter style justified? Or simply pretentious? Either
way, support your judgment.
12. Much
of the flavor of the last part of the film comes from the source, Conrad's Heart of Darkness. In fact, the film's most famous line, Kurtz's
"The horror; the horror," comes is a line in the novel. What is "the horror"? What has happened to Kurtz in his montagnard
kingdom?
13. What
do you think of the ending? Is it
appropriate? Does the plot work out as
it should?
14. It
is of course hard to watch this film and not think about our current political
situation, particularly given the way that Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan seem
intertwined in the public mind. To what
extent are the lessons of Apocalypse Now
relevant to us today?