Mrs. Jernigan's AP Class discussion

Part 2 Observations:

Your response should:

1. 200-250 words
2. Use quotations from the section
3. Analyze patterns and connect to meaning
4. Make an outside connection
5. Use creative thinking

Response 1#: React to the opening film clip and connect Coppola's patterns/content to Conrad's novella.

"All the children are insane/Waiting for the summer rain"

Morrison's "The End" initates us into the Vietnam haze of Coppola's Apocalypse Now. From its opening scene, Coppola gives us an inverted cosmos - a protagonist who loses himself in the great quest and who loses faith in his people. Conrad's little story plugged into the Vietnam War grants us endless vistas into the confusion of war, the ambiguity of man, and the inner darkness that threatens us all.

Morrison's lyrics always conjure the harlequin for me, the "be-patched youth" Marlow meets at the inner station who was "the most dangerous thing in every way" that Marlow had stumbled upon so far in the narrative. The harlequin - Kurtz's apostle - beckons Marlow into the inner chamber, offering initiation into the secrets of the wild and the man you only "listen to." In the opening scene, the surreal imagery only confirms Conrad's own clustering of appearance and reality, infusing dreams with nightmares and subjectivity. We stumble across the "midnight dances" and "unspeakable rites" involving the "initiated wraith" of Kurtz without ever getting a glimpse of the "shade" himself. Conrad keeps us outside the truth associated with these statements like he does at Kurtz's compound. While inside "the wilderness...had caressed him, embraced him, and consumed his flesh" so that all we get is a "lofty frontal bone" and a "voice" claiming all of Africa and the wilderness as his own.

Will the smoke and haze clear? Will Marlow also be initiated "amongst the devils of the land?" If not, then what indeed does Mr. Conrad have in store for us mere spectators?

The main element that I noticed, which would be hard not to, that continues through both the text of Heart of a Darkness and the movie we watched in class was the prominent backdrop of the thick lining of trees that faded in and out of view, never truly going leaving one's sight, even as the opening scene shifted. There's something rather ominous about the towering canopies and dense brush that block out the light from reaching beyond their peaks, and throughout the movie scene the skyline of trees stands against serene sky and a burning fire, causing you to wonder what truly is enclosed within them. On page 29 of Conrad's novel, the author notes that within the forest there is a sense of a "lurking death and hidden evil," which all falls into the areas "heart of darkness." The tree lining seems to be calm and placid, but there is strange and unknown things that rest deep within -- they remain, but the world and individuals around them do not. Conrad continues to note that the trees are like a curtain that run through the forest, and their barrier prevented the men from determining whether the sounds around them meant "war, peace, or prayer" as they could not tell in the deep covering. The unknown plays with ones mind as they struggle to interpret their surroundings in "darkness." The director of the movie plays on the same idea through his opening scene. The viewer is aware of the secluded location, but doesn't understand the whole of it, or why it bursts into flames, but we can comprehend that the darkness that was found within their changed the man on the screen.

The scene opened in a curious manner by showing a strong tree line into the jungle. Similar to Conrad's insurmountable jungle in Heart of Darkness, but the beauty is quickly dashed from its resting place by the civilizing forces which in the clip and the book are the American Napalm Strike or the outposts of the european company. Though the assumed audience in both would generally support or even glorify this act of savagery unto the savage and ancient woods. Interesting as well is that the protagonist is faded over the forest before, during, and after the land was cleared, but was only a shade which may connect to Heart of Darkness in that both he and Marlow are a queer mix of the civil and savage throughout portions of the works. Allowing a look tainted by both factions which gives unique perspective into the nature of the conflict between the virtuous and the vile.

The scene opens with a beautiful, murky forest, completely still and noisy with animals. Vietnam, similar to Africa, is mostly untouched by the white man, at least in this image. However, a helicopter passes by, breaking the thought of this being a quiet forest. Yellow smoke begins to appear, building with intensity until the bombs hit, and the forest is washed with orange flames. The white man has come to Vietnam, to Africa, and has begun to strip the landscape of every single beautiful thing it holds. A man's face appears in the background, leading the watcher to believe that this is that man's memory, just like Marlow reminiscing about his days in Africa. Both the flames of Americans and the greed of Europeans have destroyed a part of nature, and they head home with futility nipping at their heels. Similar to the way Marlow begins to go insane during his journey down the river to Kurtz and cannot sleep, the man in the background appears restless and agitated, clearly uncomfortable with the damage and death he has directly and indirectly caused. Before the white men came, Vietnam and Africa were places of immense noise, the wildlife teeming over the very edges of the landscape. Now that the white men have come, the noise has become deafening-the sound of bombs, pickaxes, and chains-and the moment the white men grow tired of killing, and choking the land of its resources, they will return home, leaving the land in complete and utter silence.
Marlow and the man both struggle to find the meaning within this utter depravity. They saw first-hand the destruction that their friends caused, and were totally unable to stop it. Perhaps at the time, they merely saw it as a means to an end. Maybe they even agreed with the despair. However, once they returned home, they realized what they had participated in, and saw how only the most evil of men would participate in what they had done, and with such apathy which they displayed at the time. I hate to say it, but perhaps both men realized the true depravity of man: that the very thing all men fear, the utter evil, the heart of darkness, is inside ourselves.

Anne wrote: "The main element that I noticed, which would be hard not to, that continues through both the text of Heart of a Darkness and the movie we watched in class was the prominent backdrop of the thick li..."

Nice observations, Anne Merrill. Your response reminds me of the bells.....lingering behind the black cloth of the wilderness, summoning, seducing, and wildly appealing. Will they overtake our young pilgrim?

When I saw the palm trees waving undisturbed, and the first helicopter fly by, I was reminded of the main theme in Heart of Darkness, the futility of Europe's outside presence coming into Africa. In the scene, the helicopters destroyed the area with napalm, complete and utter domination. The show of force resembled Marlow's thoughts as he and his men explored deeper into unfamiliar territory in Africa, "The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there--there you could look at a thing monstrous and free" (Conrad 396). Mankind had already shaped Europe into a comfortable enterprise he could control, but Africa seemed untouchable.

The man staring up at the ceiling reinforced this idea of Europe's domination over foreign lands. As he lay in his man-made bed, staring up at his man-made fan that made a noise like the man-made helicopter blades, I noticed the contents on his bedside table. Cigarettes and booze, the comforts of home. But when more of the bed was shown, a gun was clearly visible. Self defense? Or a calculated approach to forcing power over the situation? In any case, like Marlow and company, the helicopters and men have arrived at this strange new land and they aren't leaving anytime soon.

The opening scene of the film starts out with music that has a distinct beat, something concrete. As the story progresses the music begins to mesh losing its original meaning. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow struggles to find the one fact or object that can provide fulfillment. To him, Kurtz is the man he wants- who he thinks can fulfill his empty gap of confusion. However the information that he lacks, or that is being hidden, is only available in glimpses to Marlow. Just waste man in the clips memory only allows him to see partial moments.
As the clip continues the music starts to blend more and more instruments giving off an eerie feel. The director then uses smoke to envelop the entire situation then slowly allowing pieces of th story to be revealed. As Marlow continues his journey to get to the Interior, and also find Kurtz, he struggles with the constant, vague information he receives. Even as he travels down the river and hears the cry of natives the truth cannot be seen. The insanity of man starts to creep into Marlows mind leading him to think of taking desperate measures- just as the alcohol and gun portrayed in the clip. Marlow continues to "penetrate deeper into the heart of darkness". 45).

Hudson wrote: "The scene opened in a curious manner by showing a strong tree line into the jungle. Similar to Conrad's insurmountable jungle in Heart of Darkness, but the beauty is quickly dashed from its resting..."

In the film scene, Marlow (Captain Willard) does fuel the napalm fire with his cigarette. The civil savagery present in the quester seems also to be reflected in the inverted face and the stone idol nestled next to it. Perhaps both choices are options for our protagonist - will he become Kurtz or will he return to "civilization?"

Coppola's Apocolypse Now powerfully connected to Conrad's Heart of Darkness though shifting patterns and repeated content in the form of flashbacks. The scene mirrors itself; the ceiling fans are the chopper blades, making sense of the flashback as images appear and disappear. Contrary to other films including war scenes or flashbacks, the lack of dialogue or screaming as well as the lack of human appearance rendering a sort of tranquility throughout, despite the explosions and decimation of a peaceful, empty scene. It is a memory, a story in media res that has not been explained how it started and trails off incomplete to the tune of haunted silence.
The parallels to Heart of Darkness is uncanny, as shown through the destruction of a peaceful scene, much like the shelling of the empty beach. The use of only machinery at the beach is reminiscent of the failed attempts of forcing Western Civilization, and gives the vague sense that soldiers (people, really) become like those machines, destructive and forceful. The flashback combined with the man, lying there with remnants of what his life was on one side (a pretty girl, fairly normal effects) and what it has become on the other (the medicine, the alcohol) all culminating to the quiet inclination of horror at the gun so close at hand, laying in the bed alongside him. This mirrors the madness of the mind and how Marlow changes from the man he was through that, and also how the others are caught up in the same madness.

Jennifer wrote: "When I saw the palm trees waving undisturbed, and the first helicopter fly by, I was reminded of the main theme in Heart of Darkness, the futility of Europe's outside presence coming into Africa. I..."

Is then Heart of Darkness a story about nature versus man? The man-made trucks versus the sandy beaches of Africa? But we all know that nature can never be fully defeated.

Upon first viewing, the opening to Apocalypse Now seems to be random. Just shots of destruction and shots of a man. But underlying all of that, there is a narrative, a very present story going on in those three and a half minutes of film. It is the haunting and mental deterioration of a man. This man that we see, always unclear, just a shade in front of the war scene, is haunted. He is forever scarred by what he has seen, and will think on the sins that he has seen and committed day in and day out. Now, in an attempt to ease his mind and escape the past, he turns to substances, alcohol and cigarettes, and quite possibly drugs. I saw a spoon sitting on the table, and nothing to mix in his drink, so heroine may be involved. This idea of a man deforming, the hidden darkness beneath a happy song, is a clear part of Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
As we travel through the Congo, we see a similar pattern of deterioration in Marlow, as he travels further into the savagery and depravity of those around him, both in the natives and the pilgrims. He sees horrors and he sees pain everywhere he looks, eventually thickening his skin and giving him an outwardly cynical and apathetic strength. He throws his shoes away to get rid of the blood of a dying man, and laughs at the disbelief of those who hear his story. One very specific reference though, between the clip and book, is the fog. In the clip, the explosion is almost immediately blocked and protected by the rising yellow fog, or smoke, or whatever it was. In Marlow's confrontation, the fog hid the death and destruction beyond it, shielding and terrifying the travelers. Everything has an air of mystery, deception and evil to it, begging the question of what is behind the fog, and who actually came out of it.

Jaela wrote: "The opening scene of the film starts out with music that has a distinct beat, something concrete. As the story progresses the music begins to mesh losing its original meaning. In Heart of Darkness,..."

The use of smoke in the movie reminds me of when there's smoke in the novel, and Marlowe is unable to see what is truly there and resorts to others help for guidance. He's unaware or the natives and locals around him, as it is all "darkness" to him and unclear of what their true intentions are. I like your analysis or the music, too!!!!

Anne wrote: "The main element that I noticed, which would be hard not to, that continues through both the text of Heart of a Darkness and the movie we watched in class was the prominent backdrop of the thick li..."

I think the trees truly illustrate the sense of captivity in both works. The consistency and prominence bring about the idea that something is always happening whether it is on the surface or in the shadows.

Fire
The viewer is presented with a seemingly perfect setting with melodious music in the background when a yellow smoke begins to appear. Yellow. Flames then consume the trees. In literature, trees come to symbolize life, and the flames bring about a symbolic end to the life the trees once had. In a scene where the man and the flames are both transparent, it is almost as if the flames are in the man's mind, as if his mind is consumed with evil. The use of flames in this scene is foreshadowing to the flames, whether mental or physical that Marlow will soon experience. The fog coincides with the fog Marlow experiences as he travels down the river into the central station.
"And all the children are insane."
The camera then flashes to a gun, where it is now evident to the viewer the mans intentions. The flames have consumed him. Much like the trees, something once full of life is now being brought to its ultimate demise, both literally in terms of the trees, and figuratively regarding the mental denaturation of the mans mind. We are yet to see Marlow's mental denaturation, but it is hard to imagine a world where the inner station does not take some sort of emotional toll of Marlow's mind.

Both the film and the novel seemlessly string out symbolism. The trees in the film symbolize the shadows and the secrets that are seen throught the novel. Things are happening (torture, useless working, greed etc) within the darkness or hidden amongst the trees. Both are also very dream-like. In the film, we see a man opening and closing his eyes while a forest is being blown to pieces, maybe implying that the explosions were a memory of his. The novel does the same by weaving between past and present in a very methodical way. This is the case especially in part 2 as Marlow is going down the river.

Another element I found interesting were the parallels between the helicopter and the ceiling fan. My interpretation of it was that the people of Congo are used to sound of a helicopter, which more than like meant danger, while white or wealthy people are more accustomed to the soft sounds of a ceiling fan. Might this be social commentary on Coppola's part? If so, than both Coppola and Conrad bring forth social commentary into their works. Conrad's being on how he alters the symbolism of black and white.

The smoke in the beginning of the movie is reminiscent of the fog that coats the ship Marlowe guides down the river. This fog which shutters and allows glimpses through to the jungle on either side has the same characteristics as the dust rising in the movie. In both cases, the cause of the dust and the fog are unseen (although during the movie it can be inferred that helicopters and gunfire are the cause of the dust.) the eerie, almost mystical aspect of both can be felt in the way the dust wavers in and out of sight until completely consuming the screen like the fog settles abruptly and completely over the boat.
As a side note, pieces jungle also remain standing, tall and alive in the midst of the inferno, similar to how the jungle in heart of darkness fights against western invasion. The jungle takes its own back, saves the runaway and injured Africans from the white men just like this jungle stays strong through its trial.
The parallel drawn between the helicopter blades and the fan also rings fimiliar when considering the passage where the boat crawls along the river and noises of the jungle are often described in the context of western images (machine gun fire, shutters closing). In both cases a malicious and incomprehensible situation is compared to something relatable and familiar to create and eerie sort of calm. The people in these places are in a situation that's dangerous and to relate these situations to mundane, familiar surroundings is both to set the character at ease as well as create an atmosphere of hollow comfort, almost a menacing sort of shadow covering the true horror waiting in the shadows. The question then is whether the characters willingly convince themselves of the normality of their situations or if their minds are working to disguise the horrors beneath the illusion.

The first thing I noticed in the opening scene of Apocalypse Now that was similar to Heart of Darkness was the long still shot of the huge forest. Marlow insinuates that his forest is alive, and in the movie it is given a long amount of screen time almost like it is a key character in the plot line. Even though we hear music in the background and occasionally the blades of a helicopter, there is no noise emitting from the forest. It is vast, silent, and very mysterious.We also can see the futility of man, that no matter how much forest they blow up and burn, there is always more to fill its place, another theme in Heart of Darkness. The whole opening scene possessed a dreamlike quality, with the soothing music and the shots morphing into one another and overlapping, the man smoking a cigarette under a fan with the helicopter and forest and fire. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow consistently brings in powerful images, such as fog, to give his story a dreamlike quality. The sing choice for the opening scene had a line that said "this is the end, my friends." It is gloomy and hopeless, foreshadowing death and destruction with an air of resignation. This coincides with the opening scene in Heart of Darkness, where the gloom overtakes the Nellie while she floats on the river.

...and also the gloomy darkness that surrounds the steamboat as it heads down the Congo river towards Kurtz.

The clip begins with a shot of a beautiful, lush Vietnamese landscape with uninterrupted and still. Yellow dust or gas begins to cloud the screen as bombs are dropped and helicopters begin to fly. The fresh green Forrest is destroyed by the bombs, just a way man can destroy nature. Similar to what Marlow's company is doing in the Congo, the intelligent and motivated man is destroying what is innocent and naive. A man's face then is brought to surface within the image of the bombs and destruction suggesting that this scene is a memory, just as Marlow's retelling of his journey in the Congo is a memory. The camera also focuses in very close to the man's face and shows him upside down possibly suggesting that this experience has turned his life upside down or has great significance to him, just as foreshadowed in the book. Conrad is dropping hints that this journey is going to be more than just a job to Marlow and we also know that by the importance he emphasizes by telling the story. The scene begins to fade in and out on the Forrest being destroyed and the man. We see his room where he has things of the world outside of Vietnam such as pictures and letters suggesting he still has ties to the world and himself outside of the war. We know that Marlow, like this man, lived to tell the tale and still has a part of himself outside of the darkness. However, we see the man is smoking, drinking and looks completely miserable suggesting the war had some kind of dark impact on him. He also has a gun with him, a violent and aggressive instrument also staying with him after the war. This relates to Marlow in the way that he will take parts of this African journey with him, even the dark parts. Marlow is learning so much about the truth of his European colleagues and workers as he goes deeper down the river, realizing how impure the white is.

Both characters seem to be stuck on a memory that had extreme impact on them good or bad. Marlow is beginning to gain knowledge and intelligence through he truths being revealed to him, but also may be coming painted with the marks of savage darkness himself as he becomes closer to his destination. The man in the clip has survived his memory, although he may need alcohol and tobacco to keep his mind at ease, he still holds on to some parts of himself he had before. There are some aspects of each character that cannot be shaken.

What seemed to be the leading image in this film clip was the destruction of once-peaceful nature by men. The opening scene is of a line of trees, rustled by a passing helicopter stirring up yellow dirt. The forest is an unfamiliar, foreign landscape to those who are used to Western civilization. The movie clip takes place in wartime Vietnam, which was an entirely new environment for the American soldiers fighting there. Similarly, in Heart if Darkness, Conrad describes wild Africa as an eerie, almost otherworldly place, unfamiliar to the European eye.
Heart of Darkness clearly describes how the European men who inhabited Africa methodically defiled it, causing discord where there was peace, which was mirrored by the tranquil forest bursting into flames in the video. In fact, the imagery of flames is a huge component of both the movie and the novella. What the Europeans saw as a "sacred fire" that sparked the spread of European influence to Africa was really an uncontrollable destructive force that destroyed Africa as it had been known. In both Vietnam and Africa, white culture was seen as building a better future in foreign countries when, in fact, it was destroying it.

The first seen in the clip from Apocalypse now were the jungle trees, which are representing the jungle settings of both. There was white fog or mist that started to rise, just like the white fog that covered all of the inner station in Heart of Darkness. The helicopter flies around, and we later see that the fan on the wall of the man looking back reminded him of the helicopters. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow was also looking back on his experience, and the boat and water reminded him of his journey in Africa.

There is an abrupt shift when the jungle just bursts into flames, and this can represent the whole idea of the jungle becoming an inferno when intruders from the outside enter. Then we start to see the man's face, upside down, faded behind the burning jungle. The man being upside down represents how he is disturbed by his memories, much like Marlow. It starts going back and forth between the jungle and the man's bedroom, and we see a gun sitting on the bed, but it looks unuseful and powerless, like the weapons and machinery are in the jungle in Heart of Darkness. Toward the end of the clip, the fire is starting to settle down, but the jungle is unharmed by the fire. This shows how the jungle is impenetrable, and the men who enter will be consumed by it, rather and the other way around. Much like how Kurtz claims that he owns everything in Africa, but how Marlow sees this as comical and suspects the wilderness to "burst into a prodigious peal of laughter" at his ignorant claims.

Casey wrote: "The first thing I noticed in the opening scene of Apocalypse Now that was similar to Heart of Darkness was the long still shot of the huge forest. Marlow insinuates that his forest is alive, and in..."

I like the dream thing

The opening scene, peaceful at first, is interrupted by blinding dust that continues to spread while swirling in the wind. The scene continues to build in its intensity, through the presence of a helicopter amongst other things, until the forest is engulfed by orange flames. The dust reminds me of the white fog that blinds Marlow and his crew, hindering them from advancing towards the inner station. The fire made me think of the natives attacking the steamer, just as the fire destroyed the forest, the natives are an obstacle in Marlow's journey to the inner station. The arrows flying everywhere amongst confusion and a very surreal feeling go head to head with the clip. The hand reminds me of all the hard work and sleepless nights Marlow has experienced during his journey that may start to question his sanity.

Everything in part two had an air of eerie mystery and deception, just like the clip. As we continue reading, the pattern of deterioration, destruction, and evil is evident as Marlow "penetrates deeper into the heart of darkness" (45). Just as the fire changes the forest, this journey down the Congo is changing Marlow's view on man and on himself. Marlow and the man in the clip are both struggling, the man resorting in cigarettes and alcohol, while Marlow draws his own morals into question.

Carris, I like how you brought up the idea of mundane and known things used as comfort in uncomfortable situations. I think that is something that all of us can relate to.

Rachelm wrote: "The first seen in the clip from Apocalypse now were the jungle trees, which are representing the jungle settings of both. There was white fog or mist that started to rise, just like the white fog t..."

I didn't catch the connection between the useless gun and futility/useless machinery surrounding the story. I like this connection it's interesting!

Something that struck me upon watching the clip was the expression on the man's face as everything was happening in the background. His face seemed not only appalled, but there was also a sense of wonder, as if what he was witnessing, or perhaps remembering, was something incredibly inhuman and human all at once. Something that was to horrible to look at yet his eyes were glued to it. This reminded me of Marlow when he witnessed the African men on the shore, he could understand how inhuman and strange everything about those men were, but he also found some sense of pure humanity within them. Marlow is able to connect himself with these people who seem to be of a different world with the simple idea that they were, in fact, of the same world. What's truly inspiring is the way Marlow sees this connection as something ugly but also beautiful. Another moment in this clip that I think struck me the most was the dream like overlap of the man and the exploding wood. It was as if the man in the clip was returning to past events in his life and reliving everything he had experienced.
Through Marlow's descriptions of what he saw it could be taken as madness, or it could be taken as a description of something so dreamlike. Marlow says that at, what seems like random times, the past returns to you in different forms and for Marlow it was a un restful and noisy dream that he remembered through the "overwhelming realities of this strange world if plants and water and silence." What was seen in this clip is something that Marlow must have seen, an upside down reality filled with inhuman humans and dreams of madness.

In the film and the book, the line of trees is very prominent. In the beginning of the film they are pictured most of the time. The book also has the trees incorporated into almost every scene. The music in the beginning of the film has a very prominent drum beat, which is slightly haunting. The river that is travelled down in the book is haunting and filled with the unknown, which is what the music sounds like. There is a lot of smoke in the opening scene which relates to the fog surrounding the river and jungle.
The fan and helicopter sounds mix together and become one at points throughout the film. This is similar to the drowning sounds of the jungle and all the noises coming from the guns and natives. Morrison comments about eyes in his song which correlates with the guys (I'm assuming is Marlow) eyes. He is also upside down most of the beginning of the film.

Casey wrote: "The first thing I noticed in the opening scene of Apocalypse Now that was similar to Heart of Darkness was the long still shot of the huge forest. Marlow insinuates that his forest is alive, and in..."

I thought your comments on the dream like quality of both was interesting!

Hey rachel what else did the trees represent to you in this scene and how else could it relate to the heart of darkness?

The Thicket of Madness

Most everyone has mentioned it, but the thickness of the trees that surrounds the steamboat in the novel and the dream- like sequence in the movie plays role in theme of darkness and madness that Conrad and Coppola are trying to grasp. The wild, dark jungle's infinite stretch is similar to the descent into darkness from the hero's journey. As part two of Heart of Darkness plays out, the madness deepens like the trees thicken. It seems that way in Apocalypse Now as well. As the dream progresses, the trees are covered in smoke and soon catch fire. The madness from the trees in both scenes "made you feel very small, very lost, and yet it was not altogether depressing that feeling" (63). In the film, the man seems to be lost in the madness of his thoughts or his dream but never seemed disturbed by these memories. Perhaps, man enjoys some of the madness, as Conrad commented before. Conrad and Coppola seem to portray that madness is not always depressing. Its scary and thriving like a jungle.

Conrad uses the setting of the trees so strongly that at times Marlowe felt "bewitched and cut off forever from everything [he] had known once- somewhere- far away- in another existence perhaps" (60). Similar to the dreamer in the film, his past surroundings had caused him to float away to a mad state of mind where the things he had known at one time all layered themselves together. It also could be compared to In the Lake of the Woods. O'Brien utilizes setting and recollections of the past in that novel to create a level of madness for John Wade and for the reader. Both Coppola and Conrad have used their settings to emphasize madness.

Another interesting part in this section was the strange stillness felt by Marlowe. In the film, the beginning is very silent and very still with a steady beat. However, after reading about this silence and watching it on screen, it "did not in the least resemble peace. It was the stillness of the implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention" (61). The brooding force in the film seems to be the helicopters that buzz past the screen and the force in the novel seems to be the white man that hovers over the stillness. Both Coppola and Conrad seem to be playing at a stillness, which is normally a positive aspect, being tarnished by an overpowering force. It will be interesting to see where this stillness takes Marlowe in his journey.