Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now Essay - 1782 Words

ENGLISH EXTENSION ESSAY – Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now The dark core of human nature has been a timeless notion, explored and extrapolated by many literary critics. Both the core text, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and its film appropriation, Apocalypse Now directed by Francis Ford Coppola, ignite interest as to question whether humans are essentially creatures of dark nature when stripped down to bare essentials. When these are linked to values of greed and hunger for power and domination, these forces emerge through extreme characterization. Furthermore, through the manipulation of the setting, one can also see the dark forces are reflected in the surroundings. Under the guise of civilisation, the central characters pursue†¦show more content†¦The confusion in morality manifested in mentality changes can also be found through the driver of the boat seen in, That fool-helmsman, his hands on the spokes, was lifting his knees high, stamping his feet, clamping his mouth, like a reined in horse. The use of simile and animal im agery shows Helmsman losing his mind. Marlow describes Kurtz as being a gifted creature and of all his attributes, the one that stood out pre-eminently, was his ability to talk, his words--the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness. Through the use of high modality language and asyndeton, Kurtz Ultimately, Conrad presents to the audience that one cannot simply go forth to dominate another culture and not be affected. This is highlighted in the end of the novel as Marlow sits in contemplation and comments, the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky--seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness. The use of pathetic fallacy leaves the audience with an unsettled feeling that is unresolved, as the ending leaves it up to the reader to make judgments. Apocalypse Now is the film appropriation of Heart of Darkness directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1979. Similarly, the film indicts the AmericanShow MoreRelated Comparative Essay of Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now1050 Words   |  5 PagesComparative Essay of Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now The ties between Joseph Conrads book, â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Francis Coppolas movie, â€Å"Apocalypse Now† are unmistakable. Apocalypse Nows correctness in 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 Conrads ideals are not lost. In both the bookRead MoreEssay Apocalypse Now / Heart of Darkness862 Words   |  4 Pages When Joseph Conrad sat down to write Heart of Darkness over a century ago he decided to set his tale amidst his own countrys involvement in the African Congo. Deep in the African jungle his character would make his journey to find the Captain gone astray. Over eighty years later Francis Ford Coppolas Willard would take his journey not in Afica but in the jungles of South Asia. Coppolas Film, Apocalypse Now uses the backdrop of the American Vietnam War yet the similarities between the ConradsRead More Comparing Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness Essay1489 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   In the opening scenes of the documentary film Hearts of Darkness-A Filmmakers Apocalypse, Eleanor Coppola describes her husband Franciss film, Apocalypse Now, as being loosely based on Joseph Conrads 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 thatRead More Apocalypse Now vs Heart of Darkness Essay1120 Words   |  5 Pages Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now lacks the impact of its inspiration, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. While the basic elements of imperialism and human nature remain intact, the characters of the film bare little resemblance to their literary counterparts. The film serves as a re-interpretation of Conrad’s novella, updated from 19th-century British imperialism in the Congo to a critique of 20th-century U.S. imperialism in Southeast Asia. Cop pola’s changes in setting and plot structure, howeverRead MoreHeart of Darkness vs. Apocalypse Now Essay816 Words   |  4 Pages 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, focusingRead More Revealing the Heart of Darkness in Apocalypse Now Essay2178 Words   |  9 PagesRevealing the Heart of Darkness in Apocalypse Now Often a novel filmed as a movie departs from the original story, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.   However, many great works of literature have inspired movies, and served as the basis for a great film, even though the film may approach the literature in a different way. Such is the case with Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now, which was inspired by Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness.   Coppola and the screenwriter, John MileusRead More Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesTransformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since Francis Ford Coppola’s   Apocalypse Now was based on Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, it is possible to draw many parallels between the two works. Both can be interpreted as metaphors for a journey through the inner self, and each has its own particular message to convey. In many ways they also appear to have similarities to Arthurian Legend, in particular the quest for the holy grail, and other allegorical journeyRead MoreEssay on Compare and Contrast Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now1353 Words   |  6 PagesApocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is the story of Captain Willards 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 Conrads famous novella, Heart of Darkness. Conrads book, the tale of the sailor Marlowes African adventure, is a study on the evils of colonialism. The two stories at first glanceRead More Light and Dark in Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness Essay1677 Words   |  7 PagesDark in Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness    In Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Marlow chooses a brighter path than his counterpart in Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now, Capt. Willard. The two share in the duty of searching for and discovering Kurtz, as well as taking care of his memory, but their beliefs before encountering him place the characters at opposing ends of a theme. These opposing ends are light and dark, representing good and evil. In the opening pages of Heart of DarknessRead MoreHuman Nature in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay744 Words   |  3 PagesHuman Nature in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now In Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now the reader learns more and more about human nature as Marlow, Captain Willard, go farther and farther up the river in search of Kurtz. An evil side lies within every man, but this evil remains repressed by society. When moving up the river and farther away from civilization, the evil side begins to break out. Whenever basically different cultures meet