I do not think "Apocalypse Now " is a horrible film but I did not like it. I think it is an amazing film with some of the most realistic war footage I have ever seen but I do not believe I can watch it again. The film was honest and raw but grueling to watch because of how graphic it was. From the very first scene to the very last I felt a sinking feeling in my gut and heaviness in my chest. The characters lingered in my mind as if I had known them personally and still I feel the weight of the film days later. I think this is exactly how Francis Ford Coppola wanted his audience to feel. I believe he made this film as honest and graphic as he could because he wanted his audience to know the true pain of war and man. .
I became attached to the main characters especially Willard. His voiceover provided most of the dialogue of the film making his character more emotional and I felt I knew him the best. Willard's character did not speak often in the film showcasing his tough exterior but the emotional voiceover gave insight to his delicate mental state. The breakdown of each character as the film progressed was heartbreaking. Lance was one of the more obvious characters to fall victim to paranoia and fear. He started as a laid-back surfer who slowly began to abuse drugs to escape from the hell they were stuck in. He grew withdrawn from the others and even painted his face with camouflage. The darkness of Lance and other characters made this film difficult for me to watch. I especially found the darkness of Kurtz, a brilliant military man whose wartime experiences unhinged him, to be the most difficult to watch. He became a man full of narcissism believing he was godlike figure no one could judge because of the psychological damaged he suffered throughout the war. .
Films like this one do not usually bother me but "Apocalypse Now " was one that made me want to shut it off several times.