An allegory is a figurative symbol of a literally meaning. The way an allegory works and conveys its message is through symbols, actions, or other representation that is not literal. The idea of using an allegory is to use the characters and figures to show the deeper meaning behind the story. In Apocalypse Now, Coppola uses allegory to convey a message to the viewer about the Vietnam War and how serious and destructive it was.
In the opening scene of Apocalypse Now the viewer sees Willard in a hotel room in Saigon. He talks to the viewer, and possibly himself, about how when he wakes up he has to realize all over again that he is not in battle. The focus then turns to the sound of helicopter blades but it turns out the sound is only a ceiling fan. In the hotel room, he drinks heavily and practices karate until he bleeds. These crazed actions emphasis how Vietnam changed him and how radically the war shook him up. It is clear that he suffers from PTSD. Coppola opens the movie with this to grab the viewer’s attention and make them focus on just how awful and life changing the Vietnam War was on the soldiers. Willard is approached by two officers about taking on a mission to kill a soldier named Kurtz. Kurtz is a prime example of a wounded soldier. He realized that he could never be normal and was so changed by the war that he abandoned his platoon and lived with natives. He is an allegory of how the soldiers lost their innocence and had to escape any way possible from themselves and the war. Willard begins to think about his mission and the Vietnamese men he has killed in the past. His mission now is to kill a fellow American soldier. This is a symbol of just how confusing the war was for these soldiers and the chaos that it brought to everyone. Willard and his crew had to kill a very large amount of Vietnamese people to get to one single American soldier. The mission shows mass confusion and disorganization because missions that are given to soldiers are usually very detailed and the orders will be exact to ensure that the mission goes as planned. The mission that was given to Willard was vague and hardly any information was given to him before he agreed to it. There is no clear motivation behind it other than the fact that he left his platoon. The soldiers during the Vietnam War were confused about what they were fighting for and why so many were being killed, similar to the confusion shown in Apocalypse Now.
Another symbol in the movie is the river that they are traveling down to find Kurtz. As they go down the river, Willard and the soldiers on the boat with him start to change and become more affected by the death and destruction. They begin to genuinely feel the hardship of being in Vietnam and in the war. The further they travel down the river, they become more disconnected from the men they once were.
When the boat and Willard finally reach Kurtz, it is Willard’s mission to kill him. As Willard shoots him, Kurtz says “The horror…the horror” which shows just how awful the Vietnam War was and that at the end of it all, Kurtz was only thinking about how awful the destruction in Vietnam was.
An allegory is a figurative symbol of a literal meaning. The way an allegory works and conveys its message is through symbols, actions, or other representation that is not literal. The idea of using an allegory is to use the characters and figures to show the deeper meaning behind the story. In Apocalypse Now, Coppola uses allegory to convey a message to the viewer about the Vietnam War and how serious and destructive it was.
ReplyDeleteIn the opening scene of Apocalypse Now the viewer sees Willard in a hotel room in Saigon. He talks to the viewer, and possibly himself, about how when he wakes up he has to realize all over again that he is not in battle. The focus then turns to the sound of helicopter blades but it turns out the sound is only a ceiling fan. In the hotel room, he drinks heavily and practices karate until he bleeds. These crazed actions emphasize how Vietnam changes him and how radically the war shakes him up. It is clear that he suffers from PTSD. Coppola opens the movie with this to grab the viewer’s attention and make them focus on just how awful and life changing the Vietnam War is on the soldiers. Two officers approach Willard about taking on a mission to kill the soldier named Kurtz. Kurtz is a prime example of a wounded soldier. He realizes that he could never be normal and is so changed by the war that he abandons his platoon and lives with natives. He is an allegory of how the soldiers lost their innocence and has to escape any way possible from themselves and the war. Willard begins to think about his mission and the Vietnamese men he has killed in the past. His mission now is to kill a fellow American soldier. This is a symbol of just how confusing the war was for these soldiers and the chaos that it brought to everyone. Willard and his crew had to kill a very large amount of Vietnamese people to get to one single American soldier. The mission shows mass confusion and disorganization because missions that are given to soldiers are usually strong in detail and the orders will be exact to ensure that the mission goes as planned. The mission that was given to Willard is vague and hardly any information is given to him before he agreed to it. There is no clear motivation behind it other than the fact that Kurtz left his platoon. The soldiers during the Vietnam War were confused about what they were fighting for and why so many were being killed, similar to the confusion shown in Apocalypse Now.
Another symbol in the movie is the river that they are traveling down to find Kurtz. As they go down the river, Willard and the soldiers on the boat with him start to change and become more affected by the death and destruction. They begin to genuinely feel the hardship of being in Vietnam and in the war. The further they travel down the river, the more they become disconnected from the men they once were.
Throughout the film, the audience sees similarities between Kurtz and Willard. Both of these soldiers are lost and have to find another way to live their lives. Kurtz finds a native village so he escapes the Vietnam War to live with them because he cannot be a soldier anymore. Willard cannot live a normal life at home after he leaves the war, so he goes back to Vietnam to fulfill more militaristic duties. Willard only finds comfort in being in war, just as Kurtz finds comfort in being away from the war.
When the boat and Willard finally reach Kurtz, it is Willard’s mission to kill him. As Willard shoots him, Kurtz says “The horror…the horror” which shows just how awful humans can be. The Vietnam War changed young men into killing machines and ruined their humanity. Kurtz thinks it is horrifying that Willard could be so heartless. Kurtz sees right through Willard and knows that killing him doesn’t faze Willard.