Parallels between Heart of Darkness by Conrad and Apocalypse Now by CoppolaApocalypse Now is a very lively and sometimes disturbing film centered on the Vietnam War. Because it is based on the short story Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, it is possible to draw parallels between the two. Both can be interpreted as metaphors for a journey through the inner self, and each has its own singular message to convey. Apocalypse Now clearly describes the dark hearts of men and explores the evils of war. But at the same time, it seems to glorify certain aspects. Anti-war footage was often brutal and portrayed destruction as the result of the human condition. The film Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, can be interpreted as both pro-war and anti-war in its intent, although the latter is a more valid interpretation. Apocalypse Now, graphic and disturbing, vividly depicts the true picture of war. . Coppola and his cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro, presented a series of visually stunning images throughout the film that kept the viewer from contemplating the Vietnam War, its goals and its flaws. These images also lead the public to anti-war sentiment. One of the first images depicting the anti-war disposition was the series of visuals shown during the film's opening sequence, as Captain Willard, the protagonist, is shown in his hotel room in Saigon. A song called "The End", by The Who, plays as images of helicopters flying overhead and bombs exploding flash on the screen. Willard is first shown lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling fan, which frequently merges with the helicopter's blades. Later it is shown, wea...... middle of paper ......ess, 1981.Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and the Sharer of Secrets. New York: Penguin Books, 1978. Fortmeyer, Russell. Rage-Filled Apocalypse Cast http://collegian.ksu.edu/issues/v099B/fa/n022/ae-apocalypse-fortmeyer.html premiered 1994 (accessed January 23, 2000).Heart of Darkness. Real. Nicolas Roeg. Turner Network Television (TNT) Pictures, 1994. Heart of Darkness: Theme/Symbol/Allusion/Foreshadow http://164.116.90.3/public/jarvinen/hod.html (accessed January 21, 2000). Nash, Jay Robert and Stanley Ralph Ross. “Apocalypse Now” The Cinema Guide. Chicago: Cinebooks, 1985. Urch, Martin. Apocalypse Now: A Film Review by Martin Urch http://us.imdb.com/Reviews/30/3030 premiered in 1994 (accessed January 29, 2000). Virtanen, Panu S. Plot Summary of “Apocalypse Now” http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9067/plot.html (accessed January 16. 2000).