Michael Herr's Apocalypse Now

Michael Herr’s literary success for the representation of Vietnam and work on the film Apocalypse Now gives insight to the truth about the war but also differs from other works both off and on the screen a by demonstrating realism, even at the expense of the integrity of those involved. While some may find Herr’s literary representation of Vietnam, and the violence therein, to be graphic, it pales in comparison to the impact of the visualization on screen in Apocalypse Now. Through his works, and several others we have studied, there is the discovery of dehumanization through colonization, and the real meaning of it. This essay will define what is it to be a colonizer, and examine whether Herr fits the mold. Also, it will look at the detrimental effects of colonization through not only Dispatches and Apocalypse Now, but several works from the Vietnam and Africa sections. Also discussed will be the impact on those colonized and lessons to be learned from history, and how they are manifested in the film Apocalypse Now.
The term colonizer can be defined as a person or group who settles in an area and claims dominion over the land and inhabitants that they’re in.
Marlow shows no hesitation in the assassination of Kurtz, and many of the men who were on board with him showed no reluctance, or mercy, toward anyone along their journey up the river. Other Vietnam pieces also rang true of this notion, including the portrayal of Kien in The Sorrow of War, and his actions throughout Vietnam. The author, Boa Ninh, even focuses on the idea of corruption of the mind and soul during the war by stating, “I envied his inspiration, his optimism in focusing back on the painful but glorious days. They were caring days, when we knew what we were living and fighting for and why we needed to suffer and sacrifice. Those were the days when all of us were young, very pure and very