Adaptations can come under great criticism when they do not remain faithful to every passage of the original text as it is often argued that the adaptation will lose the original meaning of the text. “Apocalypse Now” as an adaptation differs from the original novel “Heart of Darkness” but retains the same values ​​and morals. I will focus on the similarities in the character development of Willard and Marlowe despite the circumstantial differences in each text and also on the similarities of Kurtz and his influence in both versions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the time the novel “Heart of Darkness” was being written, the concept of colonization was viewed positively, as seen in the text. Although colonized populations initially saw some benefits, colonialism was not “simply a matter of Europeans imposing themselves on African societies.” (Rassool 2017). However, empire builders had to be able to justify their actions and did so by imposing their “superiority”. on the colonized. Colonialism quickly acquired a hostile meaning linked to theories of white racial supremacy and was condemned by Conrad as little more than an example of violent robbery. Despite this Conrad does not describe Marlowe as particularly anti-colonisation, but believes in the civilizing aspect of it but not the savage robbery. This is reflected in the novel primarily through Marlowe's observations as they travel upriver. The difficulty in comparing both themes and characters in the adaptations is of course that we are not dealing with colonization but rather the Vietnam War in "Apocalypse Now." The key similarity is that both characters develop an awareness of the futility of war and violence. and the lack of action each of them takes in retaliation. Both characters feel a certain kinship with Kurtz, Marlowe shows a kind of reverence to the extent that he alienates numerous individuals by aligning himself with Kurtz. Willard begins to show an increasing understanding of Kurtz and his decisions as he descends into the madness of war as he travels further upriver. Although much of the adaptation's content has been changed to appeal to a more modern and diverse audience and also to fit the period in which it was created, the main theme of imperialism remains prominent as the American occupation in Vietnam is depicted as a form of Western imperialism. Conrad used Kurtz as the embodiment of colonialism, turning him into a mad individual who sees himself as a God who has the right to do whatever he wishes to the natives because of his European identity. It is essentially a condensed metaphor for colonialism as a whole. In his report he states that "by the simple exercise of our will we can exercise practically unlimited beneficial power" but does not say how they could do so until the end of his report which directs them to "Exterminate all the brutes!" (Conrad PG 45) In 'Apocalypse Now' Kurtz is used not as a metaphor for colonialism but rather as a consequence of war. He is clearly psychologically damaged by the things he saw and did for the military, much like Captain Willard who is unable to reassert himself in civilized society because he no longer feels he belongs there after his first tour in Vietnam. We can see examples of Kurtz's madness from the various corpses and heads that adorn his camp. Kurtz however does not seem to be bothered by this at all and this is probably due to the atrocities he has already seen and committed while compiling his account ofwar. The hypocrisy of the US military is referenced throughout the adaptation in the same way that the true reasons for colonization are revealed in "Heart of Darkness". We see a gang of helicopters carry out an airstrike on a Vietnamese village without remorse, yet when a member of that same Vietnamese town throws a grenade at one of the army helicopters. Colonel Bill Kilgore calls them "fucking savages." (Duvall, Apocalypse Now) Marlowe also recognizes the hypocrisy of authority in the novel. He sees colonization as helping uncivilized people, but begins to see it for what it truly was as the novel progresses. “They took what they could get for the sake of what they could get. It was just a violent robbery, a large-scale aggravated murder, and men going at it blindly. (Conrad, PG 8) It seems that in both examples it was not what Kurtz did but who he did it to. When he called himself a God in "Heart of Darkness," he was threatening the authority of the colonial powers, and in "Apocalypse Now" it wasn't the way he killed that drew attention to him, but the fact that he killed some Vietnamese . intelligence agents. The soldiers who entrust Willard with his mission also recognize the struggle for morality that comes with being a soldier. «In this war, things get confused out there: power, ideals, old morality and practical military necessity, because there is a conflict in every human heart between the rational and the irrational, between the good and the bad. And good doesn't always triumph.' (Spradlin, Apocalypse Now) In the novel it seems that Marlowe is one of the few people to recognize that there is something wrong with the treatment of the natives. There are parallels between Kurtz preaching about judgment in "Apocalypse Now" and numerous characters in "Heart of Darkness." “Certainly,” grunted the other; "have him hanged!" Why not? Everything, everything can be done in this country. (Conrad, PG 48) Race plays a much larger role in "Heart of Darkness" than in its adaptation and we can see throughout the novel the numerous references to color and nationality that Conrad makes. The color of these African natives is mentioned numerous times but Conrad does not necessarily portray them in a negative light. Marlowe almost seems to have a certain kinship with some of them, like his helmsman, which we realize when he dies. «The black man asserts a right against the white man that is almost intolerable. It is the assertion of this statement that both scares and fascinates Conrad, "...the thought of their humanity - like yours Ugly." (Achebe, PG 257) We also see Willard begin to realize how wrong the whole war was and how much it would affect him and his crew to continue their mission. “Oh man, the shit piled up so fast in Vietnam you needed wings.” stay above it' (Sheen, Apocalypse Now) One of the main similarities between Marlowe and Willard despite the stark differences in the setting and circumstances of their situation is that while they recognize the wrong they see, they don't actually do anything about it When the crew encounters the boat of Vietnamese farmers, Willard kills the injured woman simply so he doesn't have to divert his mission. Marlowe acknowledges that he does not fully agree with some aspects of colonialism, but ultimately attempts to bring Kurtz home anyway "Apocalypse Now" Willard kills Kurtz despite appearing to agree with him to some extent and returns to civilization, presumably to move on and be promoted to Major as he referenced earlier in the film. Despite the message offered by both versions, the Uselessness of violence and the effect such actions can have.