Apocalypse Now, by F.F. Coppola :: essays research papers

Throughout the film "Apocalypse Now " by F.F. Coppola, there is a parallel between the Indian wars and the Vietnamese war. We can compare the Vietnamese with the Indians and the American soldiers with the cowboys. In the beginning, it is the triumph of the Cowboys, that is to say, the triumph of US soldiers. Colonel Kilgore's US Cavalry arrives in helicopters, playing Wagner's Ride of the Walkyries. A lot of elements show their superiority : the number of soldiers, their military power and the music, all of which tend to indicate that Kilgore's men are sure of themselves. Then, from the show scene onwards, the US gradually loses its superiority. In this scene there is a real opposition between Cowboys and Indians (several girls wear Indian clothes and cowboy clothes). From this moment, US civilization declines: the soldiers become wild when they see the girls, so much so that the girls have to escape. In fact, this scene emphasizes their cruelty, their violent behavior. Moreover, even if the show is organized for the US soldiers, the Vietnamese are present too, but behind a fencing. At the end of the film, the US civilization is replaced by the Vietnamese civilization. We can see in the arrow scene that the boat master is killed by a spear and not by a firearm, this shows us that even with a spear, we can be killed. In Kurtz's village, we can see that even the photojournalist has turned Indian because he wears war paint on his face. What is striking is that Willard tries to understand the Vietnamese and finally admires them, this in particular shows the decline of US civilization. So we can conclude that the Vietnamese civilization (that is to say Indians) replace the US. As we can see in the village scene, before the helicopter attack, there is an atmosphere of calm, of peacefulness and harmony until the US soldiers arrive. As soon as the Americans are present, all is destroyed, exterminated and chaos, destruction, disorder prevail after the attack. This film insists on the fact that it is the Americans who are the barbarians. F.F Coppola used the comparison wi th the Cowboys and the Indians to make us realize that the Americans are the conquerors of the world because they always want power and the territory of the weakest nations. At first sight, the two main characters appear completely different, but we soon realize that their lives are very linked.