April 8th Quiz Makeup

In my personal opinion, diagesis and assemblage are the most powerful uses of cinematic form in Apocalypse now. In my 8th Rush I tried to explain how Willard was changing and gradually realizing his place in the war and that it was because of his growing admiration and opinions of Col Kurtz as he read through his files. Willard was realizing that the kind of man that Col Kurtz was interested in cultivating as a soldier was someone that was not far off from himself. Slowly he begins to realize the irony in the situation and so does the viewer. The scene that stands out the most to me that captures this idea is the scene on the boat when The Rolling Stones song, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" is playing. All the soldiers on the boat are separate from each other, being fully themselves (Lance is water skiing, the captain is driving the boat, Willard is reading his files...) and not really in contact with each other besides the fact that they are on the same boat. It is not until military radio comes into the scene and sets the tone with a weather report, and eventually bringing all the men (and assumingly all other soldiers listening to it at the time) together for that moment; except for Willard. Willard does not engage with the song. He remains on the outside of the experience because he is immersed in the writings of Col Kurtz. The assemblage of this scene is brilliant! While Willard reads the writing of Col Kurtz, "As long as our officers and troops perform tours of duty limited to one year, they will remain dilletantes in war and tourists in Vietnam", he is eating a Hershey's bar, throwing the wrapper off the boat and listening to The Rolling Stones while his solders water ski off the back of the boat and dance. Shortly after, they pass another boat that is full of more soldiers who are fucking around and "mooning" them. The irony of this scene is palpable and without the diagesis and assemblage, it would not be nearly as powerful.

I am actually considering writing about Apocalypse Now for my paper. I hope it might be okay to change at the last minute to whatever I am inspired by at the time.