Apocalypse Now

The themes in the movie Apocalypse Now are influenced by the novel Heart of Darkness, but the main narrators are changed because they have different purposes for finding Kurtz. The movie opens with the scene where Captain Willard is having a mental breakdown because of his memories of fighting in the Vietnam War when he returns to Saigon. He screams and his hands are bloodied after breaking objects in his room. In the novel, Marlow is introduced as meditative because he is sitting calmly on the boat when he begins his story. They have opposite reactions to their experiences with war, which shows that Marlow is better at controlling his emotions. Also, when the natives shoot at the ship with arrows and the helmsman is speared, Willard does not get blood on his shoes, which is significant to Marlow's character traits. Marlow is focused more on changing his shoes than his dead crew member because he is self-absorbed. However, the movie reveals that Willard also cares about himself and his own mission when he shoots the innocent woman with the puppy, so he will not be further delayed from retrieving Kurtz. Willard's crew members are still young and have little experience with war. He has a weaker relationship with them than Marlow does because his helmsman tries to strangle him before he dies. Marlow's The crew includes the manager, pilgrims, and cannibals whose strength he admires. Willard is more aggressive because he is determined to confront Kurtz when he murders him, while Marlow longs to talk to Kurtz. The novel concludes with Marlow speaking with Kurtz's wife and lies to her about his last words. The movie ends when the natives look to Captain Williard as the new leader and he leaves with the last crew member on the boat. Marlow is a calmer and less violent characher.

The movie makes direct references to the book and Kurtz is a similar character. They describe the river as a snake, which seems foreboding and dangerous. Both of the narrators are traveling through a war torn country to find Kurtz and promise to carry on the memory of him and his reputation. They are allured by Kurtz's mystery and his well regarded career. In both stories, Kurtz becomes insane and leaves his military orders. He takes control over the natives, who he mercilessly kills, but now he suffers from illness. Captain Willard has a different mission than Marlow. He follows orders to arrest Kurtz for murder and finally terminate his control. Kurtz seems stronger in the movie because he captures Willard as prisoner, so he can explain his actions for his son. Then, he waits for Willard to kill him with a sword. In the novel, Marlow wants to bring Kurtz back to Europe. Rather than facing Marlow, he tries to escape and then dies from illness on the ship before he returns home. In both works, Kurtz's last words are "The horror, the horror." The movie also quotes the book when the American says people do not talk to Kurtz but listen to him and Kurtz has enlarged his mind. Kurtz threatens to kill the Russian because he wanted his ivory and the American because he takes his picture. He claims to be in Cambodia for humanitarian projects and in the Congo to trade ivory, but he actually exploits the natives. The movie's Kurtz leaves severed heads and bodies on the ground and steps of his house, while the novel's Kurtz puts heads up on stakes as symbols. There was more action and death in the movie than described in the book, and it does not focus on women's roles in society.