Heart of Darkness vs. Apocalypse Now: The Death of KurtzJoseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness to cover up his disapproval of European imperialism in the Congo. He describes the chaos and savagery in the Congo to convince Europeans that they should stay out of Africa. Francis Ford Coppola made Apocalypse Now to cover up his disapproval of American involvement in Vietnam. It depicts the merciless massacre of countless Vietnamese to show Americans that the United States is doing more harm than good in Vietnam. In each case, the creator's country claims one goal, but accomplishes something completely different in combat. Marlow and Willard confront corruption, personified by Kurtz, differently, but Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now explore the convictions of the human heart in the face of evil. Although they are both obsessed with finding Kurtz, they act from two completely different motives. Marlow, a curious sailor, gets a job with a shipping company so he can explore the old "blank spaces" on the map of his childhood, not because he wants to stop Kurtz's mad reign. Willard, a hardened soldier, goes to Vietnam with the intention of killing Kurtz and ending his corruption. Marlow plans to help Kurtz and wants to help him recover from his mental breakdown. Willard, meanwhile, looks at Kurtz in bewilderment and scorns his folly. Conrad shows that Marlow cares about Kurtz by revealing Marlow's curiosity in their conversations on the boat. Coppola creates Kurtz's sanctuary as a brooding cellar where Willard waits in bewilderment while Kurtz's madness fills the air like smoke around him. Although their techniques are different, Conrad and Coppola show the intense internal struggle that Marlow and Willa...... middle of paper ...... combine in Marlow's head on the pages after he heard them, and they resonate audibly to Willard within minutes of hearing them. Despite their deferential mediums, Conrad and Coppola both create an atmosphere of despair and fear by repeating two simple words. The motifs “horror” and “darkness” resonate in both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now because Conrad and Coppola want to show the danger of allowing darkness to enter the human heart. Everything from the vivid descriptions of destruction in Heart of Darkness to the music in Apocalypse Now promotes the theme of human darkness. Conrad's descriptions of the savage Congo and Coppola's depictions of bloodied Vietnam serve to show the deadly consequences that human darkness brings. If humans succumb to the "darkness" of their hearts, they will surely face the "horror" of total destruction..