Apocalypse Now Review

Image from: http://terrytibbs.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/apocalypse-now-holy-hell/

Apocalypse Now takes place during the Vietnam War and follows Captain Willard's classified mission into Cambodia to terminate American Colonel Walter Kurtz who has gone insane. Willard is taken up the river to his destination by a navy patrol crew and also receives some help from an Army helicopter cavalry group. Willard and his crew face some dangerous obstacles and some crew members are lost before he reaches his destination.

Apocalypse Now depicts the danger and uncertainty of the Vietnam War. The film is full of sudden attacks, death, and destruction which paints a picture of what a war zone would be like. However, the film is not all gloomy because many of the characters provide some comic relief at times such as Lt. Colonel Kilgore who seems to be more interested in surfing than safety and always seems to escape every threat without a scratch. The way comedy is intermixed with serious themes and senarios gives the film a nice balance of emotions.

The film makes good use of striking visual images wheather it is depicting the bright lights of a USO show or gun fire and smoke rising amung the jungle. These visuals add a lot to the movie by allowing the viewer to better understand Willard and his crew's experiences.