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Apocalypse Now

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In a stark contrast with the film We Were Soldiers, Apocalypse Now embraces the darkness, fear, and hypocrisy that is the Vietnam War. If you were to watch these two movies about the Vietnam War, you would think that the US military forces were two separate entities. As Randall Wallace showcases the strength of American values and honor associated with the Vietnam War in We Were Soldiers, Francis Ford Coppola, director of Apocalypse Now, tears down the substance of these American values and unveils the hypocritical nature of the United States’ involvement in Vietnam through an interesting plot. This film follows Army Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) as he returns to Vietnam for a second tour of duty, but this time on a classified mission unlike …show more content…

Author Tom Engelhardt describes the gradual withdrawal associated with many Americans and their support of the United States military activities during the Vietnam War in his book The End of Victory Culture. In his book, he tracks the changes in American military history from 1945 to the post-Vietnam War period and what he describes as the end of “Victory Culture” in the United States. Throughout the book he clearly highlights how the attitude that America always defeats their enemies was an unquestioned myth since 1945. In the first part of his book, Engelhardt writes “Between 1945 and 1975, victory culture ended in America. Its decomposition through those years of generational loss and societal disillusionment to Vietnam, which was its graveyard for all to see”(Engelhardt, 10). Engelhardt goes on to show how the generation of Americans that grew up during the triumphant times of military victory in World War I and II created a “triumphalist” culture that set the stage for American failure in Vietnam. As Engelhardt shows, the Vietnam War was a turning point in many American opinions. Engelhardt adds how “The answers of 1945 dissolved so quickly into the questions of 1965”(Engelhardt, 10). He uncovers the doubt that ran through the hearts and minds of so many American soldiers and citizens back home. The questions that arose that Engelhardt mentions became too numerous for thousands of Americans back home. As the number of casualties rose, along with US commanders ordering more troops the American public become more disillusioned with the Vietnam War. As the 1960’s wore on, the triumphalist nature faded away as Americans began to realize that the US involvement in Vietnam was a mistake, and hoped for an

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