Apocalypse Now — A Cinematography Review
“Apocalypse Now” is a modern re-imagining of the classic novella by Joseph Conrad “Heart of Darkness”. Instead of the mighty river of the Congo instead, Coppola’s film transports us to the controversial Vietnam War. Captain Benjamin Williard has been summoned to his commander's tent and is given a mission of extreme importance. One of the Army’s finest and a member of the special forces, General Kurtz has gone joined a group of Montagnards in the jungle and now not only thinks of himself as their god but is being worshipped as such. Clearly insane, Williard is instructed to find him and terminate him with what the military likes to call extreme prejudice (in other words assassinate Kurtz). Assigned a boat, Williard and the crew journey up the river into Cambodia (pssttt…we weren’t supposed to be in Cambodia just saying) to find Kurtz’s village and complete the mission.
So the cinematography in this film is everything and though Coppola was the brains behind the machine Vittorio Storaro was the eyes. Together this duo created (you guys already know how I feel about this film) one of American cinema’s classics and a true film masterpiece. Apocalypse Now could have had a whole different aesthetic as originally Gordon Willis the powerhouse cinematographer responsible for one of Coppola’s other masterpieces a little film called “The Godfather” (you might have heard of it). Willis opted out and though Storaro was being courted to be the DP of another movie after reading the inspiration for the film Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” Storaro was in. Apocalypse Now though a great story would not have stood the test of time nearly as well without Storaro’s masterful use of color, darkness and shadow and equally as important his manipulation of light.
The strong use of light and shadow in many scenes within the film serve to enforce the overarching concept of the inner battle of both Willard and Kurtz. Not only does Storaro’s masterful use of chiaroscuro highlight the inner struggle but also the exterior struggles inherent in the Vietnam Era. To heighten the struggles of the characters and the world surrounding them is the richly saturated colors and Storaro’s use of color to elicit raw emotions from the audience. Though some might think that a film is solely the director's vision without the ken eye of their cinematographer the visual story would not be nearly as impactful.
Another aspect of Storaro’s masterful use of light is the manipulation of light sources to create guiding shafts of illumination geared to focus our attention on what Storaro and Coppola want us to. Just as with the color saturation and shadow this seems to not only frame aspects within the frame that deserve our attention but to play with the inner and outer struggle being told by the story. Visually stunning and viscerally emotional all these techniques combine to create an awe-inspiring piece of cinema, Though I believe the genius and perseverance of Coppola was the heart of this film, Apocalypse Now would not have been nearly as impactful if it were not for the beautifully crafted cinematography of Vittorio Storaro.
My respect and admiration extend to not only Storaro but the rest of the artists that toiled to make this film. I know you guys know how much I love this film and I often suggest this film to many people touting its brilliance, but you also all know that all this is only my geekin’ opinion.
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