Apocalypse Now & Heart of Darkness themes

There are many themes one might pick out of Heart of Darkness or Apocalypse Now. The following suggestions by no means cover everything. It's also possible to start with a topic or theme you find interesting and work backward -- if you want to write about race, murder, dying, class distinctions, US foreign policy, disabilities in veterans, covert operations, insanity, or many other things, you can probably find scenes and characters to illustrate whatever points you want to make. Otherwise, you might begin by picking a particularly interesting passage or scene, and analyzing it closely to unfold its rich message and to make a particular point. Or you could write about the busines of filmaking, writing, acting, or editing that went into this movie or into Heart of Darkness: why does Willard keep explaining what's happening? How does the movie relate to the book? Why does Coppola decide to show such horrible scenes and keep them in the background, like Willard casually complaining about having to track down Air Cavalry while bloody families pass by the camara, and the camara doesn't even bother to focus on them. Or you might do something similar by following a particular character or concentrate on a particular type of activity, like killing or loyalty or relations between men and women. The key in all cases is to find the point you want to make, and to pick a moment, character, or other focus that gives you the information to properly illustrate and discuss what you want to say.

As an example of a moment that one might write about, in class we returned several times to the moment when Willard slaughters the wounded vietnamese woman in the sampan. Our discussion involved various impressions of the relative value of a military objective and military discipline, and the moral injunctions against murder. Even though that scene only lasted a few moments in the film, one could write many pages about it because the characters' reactions relate to complex factors that drive important personal and political decisions. By making an observation about some general principle in the scene, one gets focus and relevance, and also gives oneself enough latitude to write a whole essay, or even more. If one just describes the scene, there might not be much to write about. But if one starts to discuss the issues of morals in a wartime situation, things get tough, and one has a chance to make a real statement. At that point, it's possible also to use historical examples or current events that relate to the point as well.

Here are a few other key moments that occur to me:

1. Williard in the hotel, the evidence of his problems, and his relation to his wife and to his mission.

2. Intelligence at Na Trang, the layers of secrecy and the motivations for the mission. Murder charges during wartime, like, say, the My Lai Massacre under Lt. Calley in Vietnam.

3. Air Cav, Kilgore's obsession with surfing, the destruction of the two Vietnamese villages, the use of Wagner and of airstrikes.

4. The USO show and bargaining the fuel for the women.

5. The bridge and the edge of actual combat.

6. The photojournalist and the reception at Kurtz's compound. What's involved in being a follower?

7. Kurtz himself -- his theories; his appraisal of war; his sanity or insanity as opposed to the sanity or insanity of Willard, Kilgore, or the folks at Na Trang.

And there are others. One might start with a current event and look for connections too.