Apocalypse Now (1979)
Genre: War
Directed by Francis Ford Coppolla
Written by John Milius & Francis Ford Coppolla
Starring: Martin Sheen & Marlon Brando
Instructions: Write a 2-paragraph blog post about a movie you've seen that fits either the Western or War genre. If you can't think of one, consider the five components of a Western (which also apply to most war movies) - wide open landscape, outlaws, law enforcers, a journey story, and characters escaping/chasing each other. Include the necessary film info (see above example for Apocalypse Now) along with a photo, what the film's about (without giving away too much!), who the film's major characters are, and a detailed description of both your opinion of the film and how it fits the components of a Western. Consider the vocab of the class and re-read your sentences before you publish! To get an idea of an A-grade blog post, read my example for Apocalypse Now below.
Captain Willard (played by Charlie Sheen's father, Martin) already seems highly affected by the terrors of the Vietnam War before he's sent out on a mission to kill the rogue traitor Colonel Kurtz, creepily portrayed by Marlon Brandon, who is most famous for being the Don Corleone in The Godfather. Along the way we see some very surreal and strange images of the East-Asian landscape, including a very memorable appearance by Robert Duvall as a maniac lieutenant who loves surfing and "the smell of napalm in the morning." Though some parts of the film are funny, the platoon suffers many attacks and psychological traumas throughout, and we get to see the true horrors of forcing men on a crusade of death.
As Willard and his crew travel down the Nung River, we the viewer get to see areas of Vietnam and Cambodia as both breathtakingly beautiful and downright savage. The landscape of the film is arguably its most vivid aspect, with everything from the wet outset of the jungle to the ominous haze of fog captured through expert cinematography and camera work. This is just one example of how the film helps us understand the dual nature of war, and war movies in general - that even though it seems like an atrocious experience to go through, to the point of potentially committing atrocious acts yourself, we always hope the law enforcer (or the U.S. soldier) will win over the foreign enemy.
