... Vietnamese make it wholly unreliable, and the very worst example of mainstream contemporary American movie making. Universally lauded by critics as not only the greatest war movie ever made, but the most potent anti-war film as well, Apocalypse Now was Francis Ford Coppola's stab at Vietnam. Using Joseph Conrad's novel Heart Of Darkness as his inspiration, he updated it from 19th century British ... imperialism in the Congo to a critique of 20th century U.S. involvement in South-East Asia. Originally released in 1979, its sole purpose was to reflect on the futile nature ... of America'...

• Word Count: 3466
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... created movies that act powerfully on viewers" emotions by focusing on dramatic events and ideas, such as stereotypical Vietnam veterans and their Vietnamese enemies, survival as a form of heroism, cynicism as a form of self-preservation, rather than historical accuracy. The only major production during the Vietnam Conflict, John Wayne's 1968 The Green Berets, illustrates how directors concentrated on drama ... due to his experiences in the war. Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 release, Apocalypse Now, is another Vietnam War film that follows the ahistorcial nature. The central plot, based on...

• Word Count: 3681
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate