The Quest of World Literature; Dracula Vs. Apocalypse Now
Introduction
Apocalypse Now is a war film produced in the year 1986 in Vietnam. Its critical protagonist is the U.S army captain Willard Benjamin. The central conflict of the film is Willard’s struggle against the hypocrisies and the horrors of war and the darkness that is within himself. However, even though he is faced with numerous challenges, he has to strive hard enough to complete his mission and kill Kurtz Colonel as well. The rising action of the movie is evident when Willard works his way through upriver to Kurtz, the climax, on the other hand, the height of the film is achieved when nature through Willard, terminates Kurtz (Killian, 37). After ending Kurtz, Willard grabs an opportunity to become a godlike figure by replacing the Colonel.
Produced in another decade and time is Dracula, which was constructed in 1992. Dracula was set in the late 19th century, and it is full of dark, horrific, and gothic scenes. Dracula was set in Eastern Europe and England. The major conflict within the excerpt is the scene where a vampire with diabolical motives preys upon the American and English good people, threatening the society’s foundation until they are forced to dedicate their lives to against the evils of the earth (Cox, 40. Dracula and Apocalypse now are comparable in one way or the other. They have acted in different decades and different settings, both an equal. This paper, therefore, we will compare and contrast the themes, characters, and their evolution through history. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Discussion
Similarities
Modernity
Dracula and Apocalypse Now are comparable; for instance, modernity is a key theme that is both of them. Analyzing through the idea of modernity in both Dracula and Apocalypse Now, quotes from the excerpt will be used to support the evidence. In Dracula, the Count Prisoner comforts himself by using a modern enough technique of journalizing in a shorthand. Few people have fully comprehended the writing. “It is the nineteenth century; vengeance is up to date unless my senses deceive me; the traditional centuries have had their powers which cannot be terminated by modernity.” (Killian,7) Modernity in Dracula is evident with the way Harker gets to be impressed by the advanced technology. “We shall first board that ship, once we identify the box, we shall place a branch on the wild rose on it…” (Cox,15) Modernity through technology is what Dr.Van Helsing uses to discuss the strategy with his team once Mr.Morris enquires what they will do once they board the ship while carrying the count. However, they realize that science and reasoning may not be of much assistance to them, but superstition and faith may assist them further.
Just like Dracula Apocalypse now is filled with modernity. The technology was incorporated into the excerpt. The use of masks and fogs is iconic evidence of modernism. Alienation and confusion were initiated by fog against Willard and the rest of his crew. Additionally, during the war, it was evident that they were using modern weapons to fight against their enemies. The post-modernity anti-self-mechanism was used in the form of masks (Cox, 45). It’s the new identity that each character assumes to deal with the war that was ahead of them. By the end of the movie several characters are seen to have masked their faces for camouflage signs that they are no longer in their real selves. It’s the use of modern technology that Willard and his crew were able to terminate Kurtz.
Passive and Victorious Characters
Dracula’s Mina Murray and Army Captain Willard are impressive, passive, and victorious characters. Mina Murray is described as “the embodiment of all the virtues of ages.” The author describes her as the woman who was created to show the world that light, too, can come here on earth. She works through all her dreams and struggles enough to become the ultimate model of domestic propriety. Even though she is intelligent, resourceful, and owns sufficient research conduct, which leads to counting Van Helsing’s team, Mina cannot be described as a “New Woman” she is still the intelligent, victorious and passive woman.
Army Captain Willard is equally passive and victorious, just like Mina. He is triumphant enough to have managed to eliminate Kurtz and be crowned as the Colonel. “What the hell was I supposed to do?” Is a question that he asks when he chose to take the mission into his own hands. Additionally, he interacts with his team triflingly. Willard focused more on what he hoped to achieve, and he spent most of his time comprehending and reviewing all the information that related to his target Kurtz. Before eliminating Kurtz, he takes into account as a Vietnamese peasant only to preserve his mission (Killian, 40). It can be concluded that removing Kurtz is the only real action and decision that he ever made in the Apocalypse Now, but it is the action that brought him the title Colonel and victory as well.
Differences
Despite the above similarities, there are several marked differences in the way both films have been directed. Apocalypse Now was directed to depict the psychology of war, while Dracula was directed to describe the consequences accrued from modernity. Apocalypse Now was additionally marked during the Vietnamese American Colonialism war in the year 1968 while in Asia. The technology was incorporated into the excerpt. The use of masks and fogs is iconic evidence of modernism. Alienation and confusion were initiated by fog against Willard and the rest of his crew (Cox).
In contrast, Dracula was marked during the imperialism of the Europeans while in American and Eastern Europe in the late 19s. Additionally, the themes and the plot of the two differ by far and wide; Apocalypse Now is all about an American soldier who was missioned to terminate Kurtz, who, in return, becomes furious and ordained himself as a god. It is a depiction of the psychology of war. It is full of ideas on the futility of war, the absurdity, and the horror scenes associated with war. Most significantly, it predicts the psychologically damaging effects of war. As it continues, the characters are seen to descend into the metaphorical and literal fog and darkness.
On the contrary, Dracula illustrates more about the impacts of modernity. Early in the novel, Harker gets quite scratchy with his lodgings and his Dracula Castle host. She realizes that unless he gets deceived by his senses, the old centuries, have their powers that cannot be killed by modernity. One of the significant implications of modernity is the fact that it has the potential of overthrowing what the old centuries had in place (Cox, 36). Their motives and themes contrast in the sense that Apocalypse Now looks into the consequences of war while Dracula looks into the effects of modernity.
More contrast is evident in the use of symbols in expounding on the themes. Masks are used to represent darkness in Apocalypse Now, while Fog is used to describe alienation and confusion. Both logos are used to represents vulnerability and darkness in the story. In contrast, the Vampire sisters in Dracula are the ones representing darkness. Indeed they take control of both nightmares and dreams that are in the general Victorian imagination. While Mina is the Hero is Dracula. However, she does not kill anyone, unlike the hero is Apocalypse now, Willard, who terminates Kurtz. The reasons above illustrate the differences and similarities of the excerpts.
Conclusion
Modernity and the presence of two heroic, passive, and victorious characters is one of the critical similarities between Dracula and Apocalypse now. However, their differences are depicted in their key messages and themes, settings, symbols, and so forth. Dracula ‘s essential context is described by vampire legends as the popular folklore in numerous parts of the world since the old times. Into the modern era and throughout the middle ages, the excerpt achieves the multiple reports of corpses rising from the ancestors and develop supernatural powers. Apocalypse Now, on the other hand, is one of the most notable films that were as a result of the Vietnam war. The technology was incorporated into the excerpt. The use of masks and fogs is iconic evidence of modernism. Alienation and confusion were initiated by fog against Willard and the rest of his crew. Unlike Dracula, Apocalypse Now is made from the basis of Conrad’s novel, referred to as Heart of Darkness.