Apocalypse Now Questions

Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.

  1. What does Apocalypse Now suggest is "the horror"?
  2. What insight does Apocalypse Now provide into why the Vietnam War was being fought?
  3. Why does the army want Willard to kill Kurtz? How has Kurtz displeased them in a way that Lt. Col. Kilgore, for instance, hasn't?
  4. Is Kilgore a "bad guy"? Is he different from Kurtz? How?
  5. Why is Kurtz committing atrocities and putting heads on stakes? What's his reason for using these tactics?
  6. What does the way the soldiers react to the Playboy Playmates indicate about how the war has affected them?
  7. Why does Kurtz let Willard kill him?
  8. How has Willard's journey changed him by the movie's end?
  9. Are people really under the control of their most primitive urges, as the film suggests?
  10. What's the purpose of the film's trippy, psychedelic imagery?
  11. What was it about the Vietnam War that lent itself to a Heart of Darkness adaptation?