Apocalypse Now is a brilliant commentary on the depravity of man kind. As the main character Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, heads deeper into the jungle he watches organized humanity erode away into animalism. Willard’s boat and crew get air lifted to a beach inhabited by Viet Kong so they can begin that journey up river, but also because the surf there is supposed to be phenomenal. One of Willard’s crew is a pro surfer from California whom Lieutenant Colonel, played by Robert Duvall, forces to surf the beach while the helicopters take siege on it. This was a perfect example of the deterioration of humanity. Chaos propels the scene. As the Lieutenant Colonel commands the surprise attack on the Vietnamese destroying their camp, he also joyfully barks out orders to his men surfing the waves amongst exploding shells the send pillars of water up around them. Later in the film the men come upon this USO theater right on the edge of the river and decide to restock their boat and stick around for the show. The appearance of the structure, blaring bright metal amidst a great unending darkness of forest and river, symbolizes the battle between humanity and animalism. The show that evening is full of half naked dancing girls that pour out of an Army helicopter, in front of bleachers packed with male soldiers. Not after too long the men loose their composure and start rushing the stage. As the playmates escape to the helicopter, men grab onto the land gear and onto each other in a string of hopeless soldiers who miss their beloved humanity.
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