Seth Paxton
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 1998
- Messages
- 7,585
Does anybody have any clue why the second half/ending to Apocalypse Now seems kind of blah?Um, because it isn't?
I always felt the whole film is driving us to find out what Kurtz's motivation has become so the last half is a real payoff on that (excluding the dragging Redux version). The entire trip is a Kilgore transformation and it requires his meeting with Kurtz to complete it. But perhaps because the narrative goal is slowly evolving from the much clearer "go up the river and get Kurtz" goal into sort of a "find yourself/make sense of the war" goal makes the film more difficult down the stretch, and therefore less taunt from scene to scene. It goes from a catchy dance tempo with obvious rhythm to a alternative jazz riff where the tempo is hidden from us.
I've always found the ending to be like Odysseus or Gilgamesh decending into hell to be tested and then emerge as a stronger warrior.
Yeah, the brooding under-the-eyebrow-stare is another trademark, even Cruise does it for Eyes Wide Shut.
PS - Never get off the boat.