An Inside Look To Apocolypse Now Through The Hero's Journey

Apocalypse Now, made in 1979, is a movie that goes beyond the concept of war and deep into the human psyche. The writer uses the Hero’s Journey, like the Odyssey, as the framework of the storyline. This framework has many aspects but to understand the concept behind the Hero’s Journey as a whole an individual must understand the three main parts. The main parts of the Hero’s Journey include the departure, initiation, and return.

In the Hero’s Journey the adventure begins at home. In Apocalypse Now home is the apartment of Captain Benjamin Willard. There Captain Willard is reflecting on his life and how the war has impacted him as a person. Captain Willard is a conflicted individual. When he is at home he wants to be at war. On the other hand, when he is at war he wants to be home.

The call to Adventure takes place at Captain Willard’s apartment. He is in bed and he is awakened by two soldiers who have orders that Captain Willard must follow. Originally, Captain Willard refuses the call. The Captain refuses to get out of bed and the soldiers have to drag him out of his slumber and throw him in the shower. Captain Willard soon wakes up and accepts the call.

After the acceptance of the call Captain Willard meets his mentor, Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore. Lieutenant Kilgore is an older man that has a wild side. He makes his soldiers surf on the waves of Viet Cong when there is an actual battle going on. As a practical joke Captain Willard steals Colonel Kilgore’s surf board. In result, Colonel Kilgore has his men chase Captain Willard down a river in Viet Cong. They continuously play practical jokes throughout the movie.

Captain Willard crosses the first threshold when he gets on Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore’s helicopter. On the helicopter they fly to a Viet Cong battlefield. Once Captain Willard arrives on the battlefield there is no turning back.

Another element of the Hero’s Journey is test and allies. Captain Willard and his crew encounter tests of all kinds throughout the journey. Captain Willard’s soldiers are his support system and help him get through the everyday struggles of the mission. Each soldier is different and they bring something of value to the crew. The French and Lieutenant Colonel’s crew are Captain Willard’s allies. They help Captain Willard throughout his journey.

Captain Willard approaches the inmost cave when he and his crew are attacked by a tribe on their journey down the Viet Cong River. In result, one of Captain Willard’s soldiers is killed. This is an emotional part of the movie because it has the crew member who was killed mother talking to the soldier about home.

The supreme ordeal takes place when Captain Willard is captured by Green Beret Colonel Walter E. Kurtz. Captain Willard is then kept prisoner and is barely given and food or water to stay alive. Green Beret Colonel Walter E. Kurtz is a Harvard graduate and is a very bright man who has supposedly gone insane according to the U.S. Army. He enlisted in the army at an older age. Green Beret Colonel Kurtz also had the ability and the qualifications to become a general but decided to be a Green Beret instead.

The reward – seizing the sword occurs when Captain Willard eventually gains his strength back. He jumps out of the window and into the Viet Cong River. He then finds a machete and then sneaks past the guards and kills Green Beret Colonel Walter E. Kurtz. When Captain Willard walks out of the lair with the machete the village people all bow down because he is the new God.

The film ends after this event and the road back, resurrection, and return with the elixir are left to the viewer’s imagination. There is a belief that this movie could be what it is like for a soldier to adjust through two different worlds, the war of peace and the world of war. A question of multiple identities may occur within two parallel universes in which they are connected to one world. This question is something that can definitely be held up to a standard for reality in which is almost impossible but the imagination of the mind is lead to question what possibly could occur.