“Clear in His Mind, but His Soul is Mad”
The film Apocalypse Now Redux (2001) is a contemporary version of Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness. In the film, many themes are carried over, as well as many characters. The character Kurtz has strong similarities in both the film and novella. Both mediums emphasis the importance of maintaining Kurtz’s image, and what he represented to those in the jungle.
The way Kurtz is described by characters is very similar in each medium. In both works, Kurtz is described by those around him as “a great man.” Each Kurtz is held in high esteem by all of the natives he commands as well as by most of civilized society. The way the Russian in Heart of Darkness considers Kurtz to be perfect and superior to normal men, is similar to the way the journalist perceives Kurtz. The journalist in the film says, “you don’t judge the colonel like an ordinary man” because to the journalist, and all of his followers, Kurtz is more than a mere man. Kurtz is put upon a pedestal that he does not belong on.
In both mediums, Kurtz’s reputation is important to uphold. The company wants to protect Kurtz’s image so that people still believe that imperialism is a good and progressive institution. Similarly, the U.S. military wants to protect Kurtz’s image because to the American people, he represents America’s part in the war as protector of freedom and liberty. Both the company and the military are represented by Kurtz and must take care that he is maintained as a man of civility and compassion in the minds of the people, even though this is far from reality.
Because of this need to protect Kurtz’s image Willard and Marlow are sent to remove Kurtz from power. Kurtz’s honesty appeals to both Marlow and Willard, upon there arrival to the depths of the jungle where Kurtz resides. In the scene of Apocalypse Now, where Willard is waiting to kill Kurtz, he gets to understand Kurtz and feels a connection keeps him from leaving or killing Kurtz for days. Marlow also has a fascination with Kurtz and feels a connection to Kurtz’s honesty that makes him feel connected to Kurtz despite the simultaneous hatred he has for what Kurtz has done. Both characters experience “a fascination with the abomination” that is Kurtz.
Although there are many strong similarities between the Kurtz of the novella and that of the film, the same scene building up to Willard killing Kurtz, shows that there are definite differences between the characters and relationships in the novella and film. The Kurtz of the novella resists leaving the jungle as much as he can. In contrast, the Kurtz of the film wants to be put out of the misery he is living in. Willard describes that everybody including Kurtz himself wanted him to fulfill his mission. This exposes the difference between the two. The Kurtz of the film realizes that he has lost control and finally wants to be able to give up, even though he is not able to stop himself, whereas the Kurtz of the film wants to go on ruling as a god in the jungle forever. This difference shows a difference in the personalities of the two men.
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