Apocalypse Now and the symbolism of cigarettes : movies

https://i.ibb.co/DDXJGZR/vlc-20230102-131241.jpg

I’ve seen lots of people speaking in regards to the limitless no-effort threads on this subreddit, so I put this collectively in an try and possibly spur some dialogue. I am not the best author, so I apologize if this is not a wholly engrossing learn.

Apocalypse Now could be certainly one of my favourite motion pictures, and I’ve seen that cigarettes and the smoking of cigarettes appears to represent Captain Willard’s “mission,” and I’ve outlined a number of examples seen all through the movie (I attempted to maintain it largely throughout the theatrical minimize, however I solely have Redux and I am not 100% on all the particular variations). I can’t get into specifics of what the mission, journey, Kurtz, or the movie means as an entire (however be happy to present your ideas within the feedback), so a number of that is written actually. I do not know if anybody will even learn this or what individuals will assume or if it has been talked about right here earlier than, however know that that is simply my interpretation.

The quickest demonstration of that is after Captain Willard steals Kilgore’s surfboard. He’s joking round and having enjoyable, with a cigarette behind his ear. Precisely when Chief Phillips steers the dialog again to what Willard must do, Willard takes the cigarette from his ear and lights it up. YouTube hyperlink (55 minutes in if the timestamp hyperlink would not work) “You prefer it like that, Captain? When it is scorching, furry?” “…by no means get an opportunity to search out out what the fuck you’re in some manufacturing facility in Ohio.” Reminded of what he has grow to be, he throws the cig away, disgusted.

Initially of the movie in Willard’s lodge room, a pack of cigarettes is proven sitting on a aspect desk. He smokes whereas considering his life, ready for a mission. “…All I may consider was getting again into the jungle”.

Captain Willard is flown to a military base through helicopter to get phrase on a mission. Col Lucas affords Willard a smoke originally of the assembly. He declines – he’s nonetheless weary of what is coming his approach. Lucas lights a cigarette whereas starting to current the mission.

Jerry (CIA) is chain smoking – he’s seen placing out a cigarette when Willard first walks in, then lights one other and even smokes by the meal. It is his present, his mission.

The final doesn’t smoke. He’s clearly uncomfortable with all of it. The smoke from Jerry’s cigarette wafts over him as he’s giving Willard the main points, and the final even glances at Jerry’s cigarette in an aggravated method. The final doesn’t have a say within the matter, he is simply there to present the mission legitimacy. A while into the meal, Jerry affords Willard a cigarette and he accepts. Jerry lights Willard’s cigarette. The mission is on.

When Willard first meets the PBR crew, Willard affords Chief Phillips a cigarette however he declines. Chief will not be shopping for into what Willard has to promote, which is demonstrated a number of occasions in his disobeying Willard’s direct orders, which even appears to immediately result in Chief’s loss of life. Clear smokes as soon as – when he first meets Captain Willard and by no means once more, after seeing what Willard is all about.

The crew meets Colonel Kilgore. Kilgore smokes whereas discussing the mission with Willard. He even blows a puff of smoke at certainly one of his troopers – who doesn’t smoke and is weary of the plan (“it is Charlie’s level!) – when he asks him a query: “You understand something about this level…?” Kilgore makes use of a cigarette holder to smoke. He retains a buffer between himself and his work. Nothing he does or sees appears to trouble him. And he’s on board however has an ulterior motive – browsing.

Captain Willard smokes closely immediately after taking up the mission, however much less and fewer the additional up river he will get, the extra lies and hypocrisy he sees, the darker issues get, the extra diluted the scenario turns into. Willard is smoking a cigarette whereas tearing up the file on Colonel Kurtz, eliminating the paper path.

Chef is seen smoking as soon as – after Chief Phillips is killed and Willard tells him what the mission is, simply earlier than they make it to the tip of the river. He even has the pack of cigarettes with him when the boat arrives. Chef has totally purchased into the mission.

The boat arrives at “Apocalypse Now.” The photograph journalist (Dennis Hopper) walks up and takes a pack of cigarettes from the boat. He (and Kurtz’s “military”) is taking cost. He smokes whereas starting to inform Willard about what is going on on.

Willard is smoking when he will get off the boat to go search for Col Kurtz however the rain places it out, as he’s encircled and brought prisoner. Darkness. Willard is locked up, in a cage, and the journalist offers Willard the final half of the cigarette the journalist was smoking. “I am not gonna show you how to. You are gonna assist him.” It’s now Kurtz’s present. “He knew extra about what I used to be going to do than I did.” Willard is freed and smokes a cigarette – now on Kurtz’s “aspect” – within the temple. “I wasn’t even of their fucking military anymore.”