Apocalypse Now

The movie Apocalypse Now was filmed in 1979 and it shows all the tragedies of war. The main character, Captain Willard, is sent to Cambodia during the Vietnam War on a classified mission to kill a rogue US soldier, Walter Kurtz. This movie is very effective because it shows the negative impact of war on both sides. The director uses the actions, characteristics, and the words of the characters to impact the people watching.
Since Willard was sent on a classified mission, all of the men that he worked with blindly took orders because Willard wasn't allowed to share the details of his journey. This shows how in war people don't always know their exact orders, but they listen to their leaders and kill people even if they don't know the reason. But even though Willard is aware of the gruesome details of his mission, he still questions his orders. In the end Willard decides to follow through and kill Kurtz and his whole village. He is left questioning his actions and how he could do something so horrible. This shows reasons why some soldiers have PTSD and have a hard time coping with war. The director also made the majority of the scenes dark and in the shadows. This makes the image of war even more mysterious. The first scene Kurtz is shown, his face is in the shadows and it shows how war has changed him into a man that left his friends and family to create his own society in Cambodia. Lastly, in the movie Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore is a vital character because he shows the senselessness of  war. He bombs a whole village and kills innocent people because he wants to going surfing. This disgusts most of the people watching the movie and proves that not everything in war is justified.  This character is arrogant and selfish, and makes people think differently about war.
What very few people realize is all the problems encountered when making this film.The film has been noted for the problems encountered while making it. During the movie making process, Marlon Brando, Kurtz, arrived on the set overweight and completely unprepared, and lead actor Martin Sheen, Captain Willard, suffered a heart attack while on location. Also, while filming, costly sets where destroyed by severe weather. Even though it was very difficult to make the movie, I'm glad they did because it was an amazing film.