The theme of this film lies in the manifestation of fear, pain, and horror that grips the lives of the men that live through it and die from it.

Rating: Null/10 (17 September 2011)

Apocalypse Now is based on the incredible challenges of the Vietnam War. The plot revolves around the mission of Martin Sheene's character Captain Willard. He has been affected by the War in such a way that it has become impossible for him to act as a normal citizen and war is the only thing that makes sense in his life. Captain Willard has been sent out deep into the jungle to destroy Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, played by Marlin Brando, who has taken the war to a whole new level, and has left the controls of the Army behind him. Colonel Kurtz has gone off the reservation and the Army wants his reign of terror put to an end. The movie revolves around the steps that Captain Willard must take to get to Colonel Kurtz and how he completes his mission. While this is the action sequence the actual theme of this film lies in the manifestation of fear, pain, and horror that grips the lives of the men that live through it and die from it. Director Francis Ford Coppola masterfully brings the pain of the solider directly into our minds with the incredible cinematography that is used to bring life to the film. The shots of the jungle illustrate how solitary and confined the American soldier was in Vietnam, yet how close the enemy could be at any time. Coppola dares to expose the reality of life in a land that destroyed the lives of so many young men from this country. He does this with a sense of love and respect for the living veterans, and honor for the fallen, yet he has refused to sugar coat how painful and disgusting war is. Coppola has created a masterpiece that will be acknowledged as an incredible example of the plight and trials of the Vietnam Soldier. Watching the way that Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall, seems to make light of the war and ignores the danger and destruction of everything around him paints a picture of how easy it is for these men to walk the thin line between insanity and bravery. If it is true that a man can actually "Love the smell of napalm in the morning", it forces one to wonder if that smell can been disconnected from its effects, or if a man can actually enjoy the smell of burning and death. The film is an ire reminder and example of how devastating the Vietnam War was to so many people. It also connected us with the very real truth that every man has a breaking point and every man is capable of doing things that they would never imagine possible when placed in dire situations. The darkness that engulfs the film is evident throughout the film everywhere from the fear of soldiers who are seemingly deserted, to the darkness of the jungle. The lighting in the jungle shows the viewer how quickly one could be lost in the vastness of the country, and how dangerous it is to be anywhere in Vietnam. The enemy is more than just a man with a gun, it seems like everything in this place wants to kill them. Darkness surrounds every character in the film even if they are intent on ignoring it or seeking every opportunity to find an escape from it. There are moments of carefree living where the crew seems to have not a care in the world, but these moments become obvious failures in experience and understanding. Fear drives the movie from a sometimes unseen seat, yet the truth and reality is fully understood that the seriousness of the situations will have effects lasting a lifetime to all the characters, no matter how long or short those lives may be.