Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now

Heart of Darkness

The film version of Conrad's famous novel Heart of Darkness by Francis Ford Coppola entitled Apocalypse Now has been acclaimed as an important and insightful film. The novel is based on the early colonial invasion of Africa, while the film version deals with the context and the reality of the Vietnam War.

However, the film follows the major themes and underlying meaning of the novel and in fact expands on the novel by bringing these themes into the modern context. Coppola's film is essentially successful in capturing the atmosphere of the book and in portraying the conflict between good and evil in the human heart -- especially with regards to the character of Kurtz.

It should be noted that Coppola saw the film as much more than just another movie about the Vietnam conflict and the horror and confusion of that war. At the Cannes Film Festival in 1979 he stated that Apocalypse Now

… is not a movie; my film is not about Vietnam, it is Vietnam. It portrays what it was really like. It is crazy. It is very much like the way the Americans were in Vietnam. We were in the jungle. There were too many of us. We had access to too much money, too much equipment. And we went insane.

(McDonald, 2002)

In other words, it is a film about human nature and the evil that lies hidden in the human heart -- no matter whether it is in the colonization of Africa or in Vietnam. In this sense the novel by Conrad serves as an artistic platform on which Coppola builds his cinematic creation.

The Heart of Darkness can be interpreted on many different levels. These include the psychological, sociological, ethical and political dimensions. The book is about the effects of imperialism in Africa but it also explores themes such as the search for self and identity in human nature. Kurtz is the focus of both the film and the book. He portrays a character that has gone beyond the boundaries of accepted society. As such, this character allows us to question and interrogate the actions and values of society.

Kurtz is the successful colonialist in the novel and is portrayed as the decorated and lauded solder and military genius in the film. In both the film and novel we see Kurtz as a character that has moved outside of the norms and the restrictions of society. In this context Kurtz has gone " insane" because he no longer adheres to the laws, values or strictures of the society. Therefore, both the book and the film raise the central question; has Kurtz not become insane because of the ideals and values of a sick society? Is his insanity a reaction to the horror of colonialism, imperialism and war?

In these terms Kurtz is "beyond control." Some commentators see his character as having been corrupted the jungle and his exposure to "savagery"

Kurtz had lived in the Congo and was separated from his own culture for quite some time. He had once been considered an honorable man, but the jungle changed him greatly. Here, secluded from the rest of his own society, he discovered his evil side and became corrupted by his power and solitude.

(Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now)

On the other hand, there is the view that his corruption and degradation is a reflection not of the savage jungle but rather of the savagery that lies at the heart of colonialism and imperialism.

The view that Kurtz is insane can also be seen as the result of the battle between good and evil within the character. The famous lines, "The horror, the horror" could refer to the horror of evil that lurks in the human heart and which manifest itself in the inhumanity that occurs in colonialism and war.

This aspect is exceptionally well explored in Coppola's film. In the film we encounter through stark cinematic images the depravity of Kurtz and his total lack of conventional moral integrity. In the book the horror of Kurtz is hinted at in lines such as the following: "His & #8230; nerves went wrong, and caused him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rights, which & #8230; were offered up to him" (Conrad, 208).

While the atmosphere and moral darkness and insanity is well portrayed in the film, yet the film does not quite live up to the intense sense of horror and degradation that we find in the book's portrayal of Kurtz. It should however be said that to capture the insanity of the figure of Kurtz in Conrad's novel is an extremely difficult task. This can be seen for example in the following quotations for the novel.

"He rose, unsteady, long, pale, indistinct, like a vapour exhaled by the earth, and swayed slightly, misty and silent before me & #8230;" (Conrad, p.142)

and "There was nothing either above or below him, and I knew it. He had kicked himself loose of the earth. Confound the man! He had kicked the very earth to pieces. He was alone, and I before him did not know whether I stood on the ground or floated in the air." (Conrad, p. 144)

The language in these quotations suggests a level of insanity that is extremely difficult to portray in other medium. However, the film does manage to capture something of this character and succeeds in portraying Kurtz as depraved, confused and at the edge of madness. Therefore I would argue that the combination of sinister madness and calm reason is never completely conveyed in the film. However, one should also note that the "editor's cut" of the film (Apocalypse Now Redux) provides greater depth than the commercial version.

On the other hand the film is extremely successful in capturing the sense of madness and insanity that characterized the Vietnam War. While the novel describes the cruelty and horror of the colonial occupation of Africa in graphic detail, the film possibly goes even further in showing a deranged military that seems to have no control of events. This can be seen in the actions of the military commanders who seem to have lost control of the war to see it as a form of sport.