Essay Apocalypse Now / Heart of Darkness

In the novella Heart of Darkness, and the film Apocalypse Now, both Joseph Conrad and Francis Ford Coppola question the supposed dichotomy between civilized society and uncivil savagery. Although both the novella and the film differ in setting, Africa and Vietnam respectively, both [uncover] man’s primeval nature, as their protagonists journey down the respective rivers, and descend into the heart of darkness. Perhaps the most significant aspect in the journeys of both Marlow and Willard, is witnessing the psychological breakdown of “civilized” men as their removal from society and exposure to the primitive practices of the “savages” living in the jungle, unleashes their own primordial instincts. This frightening observation effectively conveys

In Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, both Joseph Conrad and Francis Ford Coppola create similar statements through their creations as they both centralize their views upon the effects of environmental changes that affect the human condition. The film Apocalypse Now vaguely reflects a similar message pursued by Conrad’s novella, due to the difference in time period, place setting, and circumstances in which the film was created. Conrad wrote his novella during British colonization, focusing upon imperialism. Coppola’s film similarly focused upon the barbaric nature of man, which demonstrates the insanity of the Vietnam War. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad centers his main focus upon the journey of Marlow, a sailor, who travels into

following the story line of the Heart of Darkness is amazing although the settings of each story are from completely different location and time periods. From the jungle of the Congo in Africa to the Nung river in Vietnam, Joseph Conrad's ideals are not lost. In both the book and the movie, the ideas of good and evil, whiteness, darkness, and racism are clear. Also, characterization in both the novel and the movie are very similar. Both The Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now examine the good and evil in human

Sometimes, a work is so great that artists from other forms of expression are compelled to interpret that work in their own medium. Francis Ford Coppola took James Conrad’s classic novel Heart of Darkness and updated it to the time of the Vietnam War. James Conrad’s classic novella Heart of Darkness is a tale about a seaman who makes his way up the Congo river in search of a man and his ivory. In 1979, Francis Ford Coppola released Apocalypse Now, centered around an Army officer that has been ordered to assassinate an insane American officer. He, too, must travel upriver, but this time it is on the Mekong River in Vietnam. However different, both of these stories

Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is the story of Captain Willard's journey up the Nung River in Cambodia to kill a general, Kurtz, who has lost control of himself. It is set in the Vietnam War and is a very gritty and affecting film. Imagine my surprise when I learned that it was sort of based on Joseph Conrad's famous novella, Heart of Darkness. Conrad's book, the tale of the sailor Marlowe's African adventure, is a study on the evils of colonialism. The two stories at first glance do not seem very similar, but after examining both, it is quite shocking the degree of similarity between the two. Many people have been able to draw comparisons to Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola's film

   In the opening scenes of the documentary film "Hearts of Darkness-A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," Eleanor Coppola describes her husband Francis's film, "Apocalypse Now," as being "loosely based" on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Indeed, "loosely" is the word; the period, setting, and circumstances of the film are totally different from those of the novella. Yet, a close analysis of character, plot, and theme in each respective work reveals that Conrad's classic story of savagery and madness is present in its cinematic reworking.

It is noticeable that elements of Joseph Conrad’s novella ‘Heart of Darkness’ is appropriated into Francis Ford Coppola’s film ‘Apocalypse Now’ however it is set in the jungles of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As the title suggests, Conrad’s novel deeply explores the ‘darkness’ potentially inherent in people’s hearts. Heart of Darkness is set on the Congo River during the European occupation of Africa and was written in the 18th Century at the time of Belgian Imperialism. Conrad explores the effect of exploitation on humanity. Similarly, Coppola’s film explores the metaphorical ‘darkness’ in Vietnam that causes the ‘apocalypse’ in the soldiers’ hearts, when they were sent to Vietnam.

Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, details army captain Ben Willard’s adventure though the jungle to kill deranged Colonel Walter Kurtz. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is set in the early 1890’s and presents Marlow’s curiosity for Kurtz; he travels through the Congo in search for him and witnesses the perils of imperialism and the effects it has on both the colonizers and the colonized. Although Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness are wholly different genres of timeless entertainment, they both present the dominant theme of man’s innate savagery and the ability to descent into madness when subject to the right conditions. Both works heavily emphasize the vulnerability that man has of falling under the spell of darkness.

Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad in 1899 inspired director, Francis Ford Coppola to create the film Apocalypse Now, which was released in 1979. The two parallel each other, yet they each reflect the time periods and prejudices of their creators. Through Conrad’s work, the horrors of the Europeans’ journey into the Congo is exposed. Alternatively, Coppola’s work exposes the horrors of Vietnam. The film begins and ends with the eerily accurate song, “The End,” by The Doors, who were an important voice in Coppola’s era.

Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad and “Apocalypse Now”, a movie directed by Francis Coppola represent two outstanding examples that compare relevant ideas regarding racism, colonialism, and prejudices. The two combine film along with descriptive language to portray their mastery during different eras. For Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses his writing techniques to illustrate Marlow in the Congo, while in “Apocalypse Now”, Coppola uses film editing and close ups on important scenes with unique sounds to identify Willards’ quest for Kurtz. Both portray the idea of colonization in foreign lands that otherwise may have been uninhabited by their own people if left alone.

In the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, we follow the main character, Marlow, as he recalls his experiences while working for the European imperialist cause in Africa. Marlow is very impressionistic in that he describes situations and characters without revealing their true meaning to us directly, we must look at how Marlow differs from the other men in the Congo to discover his personal thoughts. Conrad’s book focuses on the various negative effects British Imperialism had in Africa, criticizing those who believed they were doing good through his prevalent “reverse dark and light” comparisons riddled throughout the story. This method of comparison was also used by Francis Coppola, a filmmaker, to create the movie Apocalypse Now, which

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is the 1979 epic Vietnam War film based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. However the word ‘based’ as to be called into question as the two differ quite dramatically. The periods in which the two stories are about are completely different, within 70 years of each other, as is the setting and the circumstances. However, through the ideas of savagery and madness character, plot, and the themes which both pieces seem to convey the two stories are very similar and it is clear that Coppola was heavily influenced by Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now have themes that deal with darkness in the human mind and evil forces outside the mind. Conflicts between imperialism and savagery are motifs set in the jungle in both stories. Conrad and Copolla give vivid descriptions and imagery of the darkness created from the decline of the human mind into madness. The significant difference in the two works is the medium they use to tell the story and how they present the two main protagonists, Marlow and Willard. Conrad’s story depends on strong narration and descriptive imagery in a written, paper medium to show Marlow’s journey and his encounters with light and darkness in the jungle. In contrast, Capolla uses choreography and visual images on film to show

There are certain film adaptations that convey the literal meaning of a novel rather than spreading the same theme and ideals in a derivative form. Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, obtains inspiration through the plot and message from Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness. The setting in Apocalypse Now differs from the setting of Heart of Darkness, however the theme of becoming hollow and being consumed by the darkness is portrayed through similar events in history. European Imperialism and the Vietnam War involved the displacement of the natives, along with the decaying integrity of the men involved within the conflicts. Conrad and Coppola respectively utilize the implementation of film and literary techniques in order to

Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness to disguise his disapproval of European imperialism in the Congo. He describes the chaos and savagery found in the Congo to convince Europeans that they should stay out of Africa. Francis Ford Coppola made Apocalypse Now to disguise his disapproval of American involvement in Vietnam. He depicts the merciless slaughter of countless Vietnamese to show Americans that the United States does more harm than good in Vietnam. In each instance, the creator’s country claims one goal, but accomplishes something entirely different when in battle. Marlow and Willard face the corruption, personified by Kurtz, differently, but both Heart of Darkness