Apocalypse Now Why Willard Is A Perfect Protagonist (& Kurtz Is A Perfect Villain)

Apocalypse Now: Why Willard Is A Perfect Protagonist (& Kurtz Is A Perfect Villain)

Apocalypse Now is the definitive film about the Vietnam War, owing its legendary status Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando’s knockout performances.

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Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now endured a hellish production that went way overschedule, crossed over into actual active warzones, and cost a lot of the cast and crew their sanity, but Coppola’s magnum opus emerged as one of the greatest films ever made.

Unparalleled as the cinematic story of a war told through one soldier’s eyes, Apocalypse Now adapts the universal terror of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to encapsulate the madness of the Vietnam War. Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard, a perfectly crafted protagonist who’s sent to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, a perfectly crafted antagonist played by Marlon Brando.

10 Willard: He Has To Convince Himself To Believe In His Mission

Most protagonists believe strongly in their quest. Frodo Baggins wants to get the One Ring to Mordor, Luke Skywalker wants to join the Rebellion, Batman wants to save Gotham from the Joker etc. Captain Willard, on the other hand, doesn’t immediately believe in his mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz.

Like any good soldier, he’s simply following his commanding officer’s orders. He has plenty of time on the way to the compound — and when he gets locked in a cage upon arrival — to convince himself to kill Kurtz.

9 Kurtz: The Whole Movie Builds To His Introduction — And He Doesn’t Disappoint

Colonel Kurtz doesn’t appear until the final act of Apocalypse Now. The whole movie builds to his introduction, as Willard chugs along a river toward Kurtz’s compound, reading through his dossier and creating a mysterious aura around the mad colonel.

And when Willard finally arrives at Kurtz’s compound, he doesn’t disappoint. He’s just as deranged as we were led to believe, as Willard’s inhumane imprisonment, Chef’s decapitation, and the colonel’s own disturbing poetry can attest to.

8 Willard: Martin Sheen Brings An Everyman Quality To The Role

Willard is an Army captain who’s seen the unspeakable horrors of war. He’s in the throes of alcoholism. In theory, there should be a distance between his disturbed psychosis and the sheltered existence of the average moviegoer. But Willard could be anyone. His psychological problems are a result of a war he has no control over.

Martin Sheen managed to bring a strangely relatable quality to Willard. The actor was battling his own demons during filming, and insisted on keeping the cameras rolling when he had a genuine breakdown while shooting the opening hotel room sequence.

7 Kurtz: Marlon Brando Does A Lot With Limited Screen Time

All the best movie villains have limited screen time — Darth Vader, Anton Chigurh, the Wicked Witch of the West (whose role was reduced when Margaret Hamilton’s performance was deemed too scary), Hannibal Lecter etc. — and in Apocalypse Now, Marlon Brando does a lot with very little screen time.

He was apparently a nightmare on the set, showing up with a shaved head and a massive weight gain (Kurtz was envisioned as a slender man with a full head of hair, which Brando was when he was cast) and refusing to learn his lines. But it seems there was method in Brando’s madness, because he tells us everything we need to know about Kurtz with an icy stare and a few well-chosen words.

6 Willard: His Voiceover Gives Us A Window Into His Mind

Voiceover narration is often criticized as a lazy cop-out to avoid visual storytelling in movies, but when it’s done right — like in Goodfellas, Sunset Boulevard, or indeed Apocalypse Now — it can offer a window into a protagonist’s mind that complements what we see on-screen.

A lot of Willard’s voiceovers were written by Michael Herr, author of Dispatches, one of the greatest literary insights into the horrifying realities of the Vietnam War. As a journalist who saw action in ‘Nam, Herr had both the command of language and the harrowing life experience to wholly capture Willard’s mindset.

5 Kurtz: He’s The Hero In His Own Mind

Everybody believes they’re the hero of their own story, so a villain who embraces being a villain isn’t very compelling or realistic. It’s easy to believe that Kurtz sees himself as the hero.

He’s been caught in a mind-melding conflict that has driven him to abandon his superiors and go his own way. In his mind, he’s gone clear and he’s leading the way for others to become enlightened as he has.

4 Willard: His Journey To Kurtz Represents His Journey Into The Darkest Corners Of His Own Soul

Willard’s journey into Cambodia to kill Colonel Kurtz is a big, visual metaphor for his own internal journey into the darkest corners of his soul. Apocalypse Now is all about the dark side of humanity that only comes out under the extreme circumstances of war.

Screenwriter John Milius changed a lot of Heart of Darkness in translating its story to the Vietnam War, but Conrad’s themes of corrupting the human soul come through clear as day.

3 Kurtz: He Embodies The Psychological Toll Of The Vietnam War

Kurtz’s descent into madness embodies the psychological toll of the Vietnam War. This is further symbolized by the fact that he’s raised his own army that’s feared by both U.S. and V.C. forces.

The fear of Kurtz and his cult can be seen as a stand-in for the fear of the abstract concept of war at large. The damage that Kurtz can do — and does throughout the movie — represents the damage that war can do.

2 Willard: He’s The Best Kind Of Passive Protagonist

There are two kinds of protagonists: active protagonists, who drive the plot forward with their actions, and passive protagonists, whom the events of the plot happen to outside of their control. Willard is an example of the latter. The term “passive protagonist” is often used as a negative criticism, but Apocalypse Now is a prime example of a passive protagonist done right.

Coppola fired the original Willard, Harvey Keitel, because he was an active screen presence. The director instead hired Martin Sheen because he could play a muted indifference that was perfect for the character.

1 Kurtz: Ultimately, He’s A Lot Like Willard

“We’re not so different, you and I.” It’s a cliché, because it’s often done poorly, but all great villains have more in common with the hero than the hero initially suspects.

Ultimately, Kurtz is a lot like Willard. Willard is only a few drinks away from becoming as detached from reality as Kurtz and losing his mind in similar fashion.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/apocalypse-now-captain-willard-best-hero-colonel-kurtz-perfect-antagonist/

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