Never get out of the boat unless you are going all the way.

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2009)

There must be something inherent in man, something from long ago, that sits deep within us; a scary thing, frightening to those who would choose - or who are forced to - gaze at it.
In making this movie, Coppola must have seen this thing that is not always visible. And if he did not see it in its entirety then in what must surely be a cliché by now, he saw enough of it to allow the heart of its darkness to pulse throughout this film.
And just as Coppola was changed by his experience in the jungle, so too his most mysterious character. Something happened to Colonel Kurtz. Something he saw fractured his mind, the diamond bullet shattering his perceptions into a single struggle that he himself, deep within his heart, knew he was unable to comes to terms with. And this is the crux of this movie, that this journey into darkness can promise a truth so clear that it blinds you, a truth so powerful that is keeps a hold of you and does not let you go and traps you into staying exactly, exactly where you are.
For the critics of this film, I wonder if they would ever admit to the existence of the dark place within. Admitting it, will they discover empathy? Art - and the film maker's craft is certainly that - surely requires the observer to join forces with the artist so as to see and to experience the world from the perspective of whatever the artist has discovered. Coppola, following the path of his own film making, ensures that his central character Captain Willard, journeying deep into the jungle, deep into his heart, has his own chance to discover the horrific artistry of the Colonel.