Apocalypse Now (1979)
This is said to be the all-time best anti-Vietnam war movie ever made. It depicts the senseless actions of the Yankees to steam-roll Charlie (Vietcong) to smithereens without a thought. It just occurred to me that perhaps they were trying out the new experimental bombs and biological agents with all the mighty powerful fleet that they had. Vietnamese civilian lives and civilisation are treated as subhuman and are vaporised to nothing by immature youngsters who are fitted in army fatigues and armed with killing machines but have no clue of its actions and repercussions. Many of them had not even been exposed to the ways of the world and many cracked under pressure in these overwhelmingly extreme conditions.
An Army Captain, Willard (Martin Sheen), who has marital issues back home, is summoned to track down a highly decorated American Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who is said to have gone astray recruiting his army to build his fort to fight Americans and Vietcong!
Capt. Willard's escapade en route to Col. Kurtz's hideout illustrates the foolhardy of GIs in bullying the local population. For some, it is all just a game. Some came prepared with their surfboards to surf in the nearby lake after annihilating a whole Vietnamese village with napalm. Some GIs have big dreams to fulfil after their tour of duty but unfortunately, it never materialised. The film also shows the supposedly disciplined soldiers who are boozing and behaving rowdily. The Army actually flew in scantily clad Playboy playmates to entertain them and to boost their morale.
After finally reaching his destination, Willard discovers Col. Kurtz to be a highly philosophical and poetic soldier who is disillusioned with the purpose of war. He tries to justify his actions via quotes on humanity and civilisation.
Real lessons from reel:
In war, there are no winners, only losers. In modern wars, the real mongers of wars do not get their hands dirty. They orchestrate and cajole plebeians to do their jobs in the name of liberty, freedom, nationalism, ideology and upholding God’s prophecies. The real agenda, however, is business, power and oil! Under the cloak under allegiance to a piece of cloth, a nation, race or religion, many simple minded have been hoodwinked to raise arms against their own kind. Surprisingly, among all of Nature's creations, we are the only creatures on this planet who kills for the pleasure of our leaders. The rest of them kill for food, territory or mate!
This is said to be the all-time best anti-Vietnam war movie ever made. It depicts the senseless actions of the Yankees to steam-roll Charlie (Vietcong) to smithereens without a thought. It just occurred to me that perhaps they were trying out the new experimental bombs and biological agents with all the mighty powerful fleet that they had. Vietnamese civilian lives and civilisation are treated as subhuman and are vaporised to nothing by immature youngsters who are fitted in army fatigues and armed with killing machines but have no clue of its actions and repercussions. Many of them had not even been exposed to the ways of the world and many cracked under pressure in these overwhelmingly extreme conditions.
An Army Captain, Willard (Martin Sheen), who has marital issues back home, is summoned to track down a highly decorated American Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who is said to have gone astray recruiting his army to build his fort to fight Americans and Vietcong!
Capt. Willard's escapade en route to Col. Kurtz's hideout illustrates the foolhardy of GIs in bullying the local population. For some, it is all just a game. Some came prepared with their surfboards to surf in the nearby lake after annihilating a whole Vietnamese village with napalm. Some GIs have big dreams to fulfil after their tour of duty but unfortunately, it never materialised. The film also shows the supposedly disciplined soldiers who are boozing and behaving rowdily. The Army actually flew in scantily clad Playboy playmates to entertain them and to boost their morale.
After finally reaching his destination, Willard discovers Col. Kurtz to be a highly philosophical and poetic soldier who is disillusioned with the purpose of war. He tries to justify his actions via quotes on humanity and civilisation.
Real lessons from reel:
In war, there are no winners, only losers. In modern wars, the real mongers of wars do not get their hands dirty. They orchestrate and cajole plebeians to do their jobs in the name of liberty, freedom, nationalism, ideology and upholding God’s prophecies. The real agenda, however, is business, power and oil! Under the cloak under allegiance to a piece of cloth, a nation, race or religion, many simple minded have been hoodwinked to raise arms against their own kind. Surprisingly, among all of Nature's creations, we are the only creatures on this planet who kills for the pleasure of our leaders. The rest of them kill for food, territory or mate!
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