Demo blog - Apocalypse Now

In this still, taken from

Francis Ford Coppala's 1979 Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now, the main character Capt. Willard represents the dominant image.The shot focuses on Willard in an effort to contrast him with the dreamlike/halluciantroy scene taking place behind him. The extreme brightness in the background highlights the fog and adds to the hallucinatroy aspect of this image. The characters are arranged proxemically social/public. On one hand the shot is social because there seems to be an inner circle of characters and public as well becuase it is obvious to the viewer that many other people are surrounding the main characters. This still is taken right before the culmination of the film. Here Capt. Willard has finally stumbled out of the ominous jungle and upon the village occupied by Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and his disciples. The village as a whole is seen as a kind of mythological outpost. A place that none of the American soldiers are sure exists and if so, what will be waiting when they arrive there. This still image exemplifies the mysticism surrounding the village. You see Willard, who appears to be the only sane person left. You see his ally (far right) covered in blood, wearing a leaf atop his head, and looking utterly confused. In the background you see forbidding rougue anglo soldiers. Fading into the fog there are countless minions of natives. On the left is Dennis Hopper's character who appears to be saying something which no one is paying attention to. The characters in the film, which become increasingly apart from reality the further they journey into the jungle, are seen here amidst a chaos which is so bizzare that none of them can comprehend it.