Apocalypse Now Screening Report:
1. “Apocalypse
Now” is a 1979 war film directed by Francis Coppola and stars Martin Sheen,
Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando. The screenplay adapted from the novel “Heart
of Darkness” was written by John Milius; however, Coppola re-wrote most of the
film and a documentary entitled “Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse”
tells the story of the many obstacles production encountered. “Apocalypse Now”
received widespread acclaim and many scholars have tried to decipher the hidden
messages within the film. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and
for a Golden Globe award. Even though it did not win any major awards it is
regarded as one of the most influential films ever made.
2. The
TMC article entitled “Apocalypse Now” talks about the strong influence the film
had over the general audience, the obstacles production overcame to make the
film and Coppola trying to capture the full essence of what Vietnam was about. The
film came out in 1979 during a time where there were numerous films about the
Vietnam War, which tried to answer the question why America was involved in the
first place. The idea of the project was introduced by George Lucas, who was an
assistant for Coppola at the time, wanted to adapt John Milius’ “The Psychedelic
Soldier” script as a documentary. Lucas planned to shoot in South Vietnam but
eventually signed on to direct Star Wars: A New Hope. However, Coppola coming
off of his Oscar winning Godfather films signed on to direct the film. Orson Welles was Coppola’s first choice for
the role of Col. Kurtz along with Robert Redford, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.
The role of Willard was given to Harvey Kietel after Al Pacino turned down the
role but soon Kietel backed out of the role. Eventually Martin Sheen was cast
as Willard and Marlon Brando, who starred in Coppola’s “Godfather” and was 100
pounds overweight for the role, was cast as Col. Kurtz. The shooting schedule
was unlike anything ever seen in Hollywood; a span of 238 days over a sixteen
month period and required a budget of $31 million. Coppola wanted to capture
the full essence of the war in Vietnam. He allowed Pentagon officials to read a
draft of the script but they refused to cooperate with Coppola. Production of
the film began on March 1st 1976 and it was probably the most
enduring filming process ever. Members of the crew became stricken with
malaria, Coppola lost nearly 100 pounds due to mental fatigue and Sheen
suffered a minor heart attack on set. In addition, filming was not allowed in
certain portions of the jungle due to hidden bombs and the Philippines
unwillingness to cooperate with the crew. Principal Photography ended on May 21st
1977. The film received mixed reviews upon its release but received eight
Academy Award nominations, which they won for best cinematography and sound. In
spit of all the mixed reaction the film it has become an important piece of
American history and regarded as one of the great films of all time.
3. The
article goes into greater depth about the hardships that many of the crew faced
while making the film. The many casting prospects they had lined up for the
role and why it is an important film in cinema history. The article also
changed my perception of filmmaking and it shows that in order to make a great
film you have to do things that many would find unpleasant or foolish. Even
though I was not a fan of the film, the message is very clear and it captured
what it was like to fight in the Vietnam War.
4. Overall,
I was not a fan of the film. There were certain sequences where it felt like it
just dragged along. The action was very good and it kept the Coppola mark of
being very gory and violent. However, the story appeared convoluted at times
and I was not too sure what the main point of the film was. The music was average;
there was nothing too exciting until the final ten minutes when it got very
eerie and mysterious. The acting was solid even though there was no one that
jumped off the movie screen. One of best parts was the cinematography because
it covered every angle in the jungle, gunfight and social moments; it was well
deserving of its Oscar win. Even though the film is important in American
history, I did not find it entertaining or captivating.
CHECKLIST
FOR PLAGIARISM
1) (X) I have not handed in this assignment for any other
class.
2) (X) If I reused any information from other papers I have written
for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) (X) If I used any
passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used
indentation and citation within the text.
4) (X) I have not padded the
bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of
the paper.
5) (X) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I
personally read.
6) (X) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it
could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in
the bibliography.
7) (X) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the
paper lacks interpretation or originality.
8) (X) I checked yes on steps 1-7
and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in
my paper.
Name: Wayne Clark
Date: 5/14/14
