Anti-War - Tammy Woehler
I disagree with Tomasulo when it's suggested that Apocalypse Now could be viewed both pro-war and anit-war. I think this film is one-sided and the side it is on is the anti-war side. It puts an emphasis on the harsh reality of what was happening in the war. It plays on the stresses that come with war; Colonel Kurtz, for example, loses his mind and kills people if he feels it to be necessary rather than following the rules of war. Also, while the war is going on, there were Playboy Bunnies visiting the soldiers. While the soldiers are off in Vietnam, they should be focusing on the reason they are there and what they should be accomplishing rather than getting a rise out of the entertainment. Another thing the soldiers were doing instead of their tasks, was that they were goofing off and smoking pot. This is not what should be happening. When the boat came up to the civilians, the soldiers were following protocal, inspecting their boat, making sure the papers were legitimate. But, then the soldiers panicked when the woman ran for the puppy and shot her, as well as the others on board. Innocent people died, not very pro-war. All of these examples are scenarios that can happen in real life, not just because it's a movie. But these examples are emphasized in this movie to get across the anti-war stance.