Alex Aloise - Apocalypse Now

For the life of me, I can't remember if we watched this movie in class this semester. But what the hell? I'll right about it anyway. I've seen the film a couple of times, both in school actually. The movie is about the Vietnam War and its effect on the human psyche. It leads to Kurtz's eventual transformation into the bloodthirsty savage that Willard encounters at the end of the film. We are led to believe that the same will happen to Willard. However he sees Kurtz and realizes exactly what war can do to a man and decides to take his life in the opposite direction. Or does he? It can be argued that Willard becomes just as sadistic as Kurtz when he butchers him with the machete at the film's climax. The alternating shots between Kurtz's murder and the sacrifice of the water buffalo can be interpreted as being one in the same. The natives were sacrificing the water buffalo to their gods. While Willard was sacrificing Kurtz to the gods of war. It was a very controversial film for its time and remains as one to this day. However I think it serves as a very good reminder of how transcendence can sometimes go in the oppostie direction as it should. Rather than leading to a positive enlightenment, it can lead to a slipping-down life of shadows and horror...horror.