Heart of Darkness vs Apocalypse Now

1342 Words6 Pages
Heart of Darkness vs. Apocalypse Now “Apocalypse Now” and Heart of Darkness are placed in two very different time periods and settings. The author of Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, and the film director of “Apocalypse Now,” Francis Coppola, both create an ominous journey with various similarities and differences. The setting in Heart of Darkness is featured in the Congo of Africa while “Apocalypse Now” is set during the Vietnam War. Film and novel alike use a river as a framing device to progress their respective characters deeper into the darkness that the settings present. Though both novel and film follow a similar plot and theme, the structures of the stories are what make the two truly different. While Marlow, the main character of the novel, and Willard, the main character of the film, both share many similarities, the two characters are not parallel; both having a different past causing clashing views, a different relationship with their respective Kurtz, and how they view the madness around them. Although Marlow and Willard are dissimilar, the two share common qualities. Both characters despise lies. Willard is tired of the lies told in war whereas Marlow just appalls all lies. Another quality that the two characters share is the need to “never get out of the boat” through their respective journeys (Coppola). Both film and novel feature Kurtz as a central character that is to be found by Willard and Marlow. After both characters meet their respective Kurtz, they feel a form of kinship with the character that they couldn’t find in other civilized characters on their expeditions. Both find some understanding with the Kurtz character, both relate to the man in different ways. Although there is a resemblance between Marlow and Willard, there are still many discrepancies that make both central characters dissimilar. Army Captain Benjamin Willard is a
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