Apocalypse Now V. Heart Of Darkness

Apocalypse Now has many similarities with Heart of Darkness, yet on the other hand varies significantly. One significant difference is that the movie takes place during the Vietnam war where as the book takes place in the Free Congo State. The major events in the movie correspond to the book, such as each station, the arrow attack, and the death and portrayal of Kurtz. Apocalypse Now, however, was much more violent and graphic than the book. Both, however, captured the heartless nature of warfare. A major difference between the two is that in the movie, the captain is sent to kill Kurtz but in the book, he dies of illness. His last words remain the same in both works.

            I found it interesting that in the movie, the soldiers are portrayed almost as savages, where usually soldiers and warfare are glorified. The large emphasis on battle highlighted the savagery. The book hints towards this but does not go into as much emphasis on it. It goes into great detail about the soldier and the harsh, inhumane conditions they endure. Heart of Darkness is arguably more dark and bleak than the movie, however I found the ending of Apocalypse Now to be much less hopeful than the ending of the book. The movie’s gruesome atmosphere did not mirror the atmosphere of the book, for Heart of Darkness is told in a story format where Apocalypse Now is in the perspective of a first hand experience. The movie does not include the trip Marlow is on as he relays his story. Regardless of perspective, Marlow’s story and experiences are still depicted in the movie. The photo journalist is also depicted consistently between the two works. My mental image of Marlow does not match that of the protagonist of the movie. I pictured him to be much more rugged and weathered.