Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now
Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad and “Apocalypse Now”, a movie directed by Francis Coppola represent two outstanding examples that compare relevant ideas regarding racism, colonialism, and prejudices. The two combine film along with descriptive language to portray their mastery during different eras. For Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses his writing techniques to illustrate Marlow in the Congo, while in “Apocalypse Now”, Coppola uses film editing and close ups on important scenes with unique sounds to identify Willards’ quest for Kurtz. Both portray the idea of colonization in foreign lands that otherwise may have been uninhabited by their own people if left alone. In the Heart of Darkness, while Marlow and the crew are traveling to reach Kurtz, the pilgrims open fire with rifles which creates a fog of smoke for all on board. The African helmsman on board leaves the wheel to open the shutter and shoot with his rifle. During this muffled period Marlow grabs the wheel to control the boat and as he does so, the helmsman takes a spear in his side and falls to the floor. The helmsman is lost and he slowly dies quietly. Conrad uses the sense of mayhem with the fog and the continuous shouting in the story to help the reader understand what exactly is happening in the situation. Due to all the raucous the helmsman feels he needs to step in and help which gets him killed. Conrad identifies key aspects, such as the weapons the pilgrims were using in the rifles, along with how the helmsmen falls to his death after being arrogant and trying to fight when in reality he should be steering the boat. Marlow is viewed as very intelligent in this scene by the reader as he takes it into his own account to steer the steamer away from the bank. Conrad’s use of descriptive narration and point by point illustration of the scene helps the reader fully understand the magnitude of the situation. Regarding the same scene in “Apocalypse Now”, the crew members start the scene in a