Apocalypse Now Scene 9 Summary

Lance Just Says "Yes" to Drugs

  • They reach the last U.S. outpost on the river, where fighting's going down. Lance takes LSD.
  • Born too early to hear the "Just say 'No' to drugs" campaign, apparently.
  • Soldiers wade into the river and try to get on the boat, but they won't let them.
  • Willard disembarks with Lance (who has the puppy with him) to try to get information.
  • Evil and vaguely carnival-like music plays on the soundtrack as they venture past strings of bright lights and explosions.
  • They talk to the soldiers, who all seem pretty shell-shocked and messed up.
  • Willard can't find the commanding officer. There doesn't seem to be one.
  • A Vietnamese soldier taunts them from his position. One of the soldiers fires off a round and seems to shut him up.
  • Two Americans get blown off a bridge crossing the river.
  • Willard can't find the commanding officer, re-boards the boat, and tells them to just keep going on into Cambodia.
  • Rockets and flares blaze behind them as they leave.