APOCALYPSE NOW Files

APOCALYPSE NOW

2007-12-17T06:49:00.007-08:00

"Your mission is to proceed up the Nung river in a Navy patrol
aboat. Pick up Colonel Kurtz's path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it,
learn what you can along the way. When you find the Colonel,
infiltrate his team by whatever means available and...
aaterminate the Colonel's command."

aaaThere were those six that I know about for sure.
aaaClose enough to blow their last breath in my face.
a

It was the AirCav, First of the Ninth, our escort to the mouth of the Nung river. But they were supposed
to be waiting for us another 30 kilometers ahead.
a
Well, Air Mobile. Those boys just couldn't stay put.

"Mike, do you know anything about that point at Vin Drin Dop?"

"That's a fantastic peak! About six foot. That's an outstanding peak! It got both the long right with left slide. The bowl section
is unbelievable. It's just Tube City..."

a

A brief profile of the filmmaker and his most significant works.

If Coppola knew what he would endure in the production of Apocalypse Now, maybe he wouldn’t have made the film. Principal photography was schedule to last 16 weeks.

Three years later, he was still working on the film.

In 2001, Coppola released a new version of the film, including
49 minutes of never before seen footage.

Poster arts, photos and facts about the production.

A
A
A

THE END

2007-12-17T06:48:00.011-08:00

GETTING BACK INTO THE JUNGLE

2007-12-17T06:48:00.009-08:00

CHOICE MISSION

2007-12-17T06:48:00.007-08:00

a
a

TERMINATE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE

2007-12-17T06:48:00.005-08:00

"Come on in... Stand at ease. Want a cigarette?"

"No, thank you sir."

"Captain, have you ever seen this gentleman before?
""Met the general or myself?"

"""""""""""""No, sir. Not personally."

"You have worked a lot on your own, haven't you captain?"

"Yes, sir. I have."

"Your report specify intelligence, counter-intelligence,
with ComSec I Corps."

"I'm not presently disposed to discuss these operations, sir.""""""""""""""""""""Did you not work for the CIA in I Corps?"

"""No sir."

"""""""""""""""""Did you not assasinate a government tax collector
""""""""""""""in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968? "Captain?"

"
"Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation...
""nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation,
""""""""""""""""if it did in fact exist, sir."
"""""I thought we'd have a bite of lunch while we talk.
""""""""""""""I hope you brought a good appetite with you.
"""""""You have a bad hand there, are you wounded?""A little fishing accident on R&R, sir."

"Fishing on R&R... But you're feeling fit, ready for duty?"

"Yes, general. Very much so sir."

"Let's see what we have here... roast beef... usually is not bad. Try some Jerry, and pass it around. Captain, I don't know how you feel about this shrimp, but if you'll eat it, you never have
to prove your courage in any other way.""Captain, you heard of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz?"

"Yes, sir, I've heard the name."

"Operations officer, 5th Special Forces."

"""""Luke, would you play that tape for the captain, please?"

"""""""""""This was monitored out of Cambodia.
""""""""""""""""It has been verified as colonel Kurtz's voice."

"

"Walt Kurtz was one of the most outstanding officers
this country has ever produced. He was brilliant and outstanding
in every way. And he was a good man too. Humanitarian man,
man of wit, of humor.
.He joined the Special Forces. After that, his ideas, methods,
""have become unsound... "Unsound."
""""""Now he's crossed to Cambodia with his Montagnard army,
"""""""""who worship the man like a god, and follow every order
""""""""""""""""""""""""however ridiculous."""""""Well, I have some other shocking news to tell you:
"""""""Colonel Kurtz was about to be arrested for murder."aaaaaaaaa""""aaaaaaaaa"I don't follow sir. Murdered who?"""Kurtz had ordered executions of some Vietnamese intelligence """""agents. Men he believed were double agents.
"""""""""""""""So he took matters into his own hands."
aaa"Well, you see Willard... In this war, things get confused
""""""aaaaaout there. Power, ideals, the old morality
aa""""""aaaaaaaaaand practical military necessity..."Because there's a conflict in every human heart between
"the rational and the irrational, between good and evil.
""""""The good does not always triumph.

"Every man has got a breaking point. You and I have. Walter Kurtz "has reached his. And very obviously, he has gone insane."
""Your mission is to proceed up the Nung river in a Navy patrol "boat. Pick up Colonel Kurtz's path at Nu Mung Ba, follow it,
"""""""learn what you can along the way.When you find the Colonel, infiltrate his team by whatever means
available and... "terminate the Colonel's command."
"
"""He's out there operating without any decent restraint.
""Totally beyond the pale of any acceptable human conduct.
""""""And he is still in the field commanding his troops."
"You understand Captain... "that this mission does not exist.
"""""""Nor will it ever exist."

UP RIVER

2007-12-17T06:48:00.003-08:00

...There were those six that I know about for sure.
...Close enough to blow their last breath in my face.
.

Shit... Charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500.
.
I took the mission. What the hell else was I gonna do?
.

..I was being ferried down the coast in a Navy PBR,
..a type of plastic patrol boat, pretty common sight
..on the rivers. They said it was a good way to pick up
..information without drawing a lot of attention.
.........That was OK, I needed the air and the time.
...................Only problem was, I wouldn't be alone.
aThe crew was mostly just kids.
..Rock and rollers with one foot in their graves.
.
The machinist, the one they called Chef, was from
New Orleans. He was wrapped too tight for Vietnam. Probably wrapped too tight for New Orleans.Lance on the forward 50's was a famous surfer from the beaches south of LA. You look at him and you wouldn't believe he ever fired a weapon in his whole life.Clean, Mr. Clean, was from some South Bronx shithole.
I think the light and space of Vietnam have really put
the zap on his head.
Then there was Phillips, the Chief. It might have been my mission, but it sure as shit was the Chief's boat."There are about two points where we can draw enough water
to get into the Nung river. They're both hot, belong to Charlie."

"Don't worry about it."

"You know, I've pulled a few special ops in here. About six months ago, I took a man who was going up past the bridge at Do Lung.
He was regular Army too. Heard he shot himself in the head..."
a
a
aa...aaaIt's about 82 degrees in downtown Saigon
aa...aaaaaand right now very humid..."......"We have an important message for all GI's
......aaaliving off-base from the mayor of Saigon.
.........He'd like you to hang your laundry indoors,
......instead of on the windows. The mayor wants you
............to keep Saigon beautiful...""And now here's another blast from the past coming out to Big Cind, all alone in the mantle room out there with the First Battalion Thirty-fifth Infantry, and dedicated by the
Fire Team at An Khe to their groupie CO Fred the Head:
.......The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction."

KURTZ'S FILE

2007-12-17T06:48:00.001-08:00

TO: WILLARD, BENJAMIN L., Cpt. USA 0-1305301
U.S. Armed Forces Intelligence Hq. Nha Trang
SUBJECT: Special Warfare Information.
KURTZ, WALTER E., Col., Special Forces.
a
1946: Graduates West Point; second in Class; third-generation appointee. Completes Basic and Advanced Infantry Training, Fort Gordon, Georgia.
47/48: Assigned, West Berlin, U.S. Sector Command.
49/50: Masters Degree, Harvard University, History (Thesis: The Phillipines Insurrection: American Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia, 1898-1905.)
50/51: Assigned General Staff, U.S. Command, Seoul, Korea. Tours combat zones, Division-Evaluation Team. Requests transfer to Intelligence, returned U.S. for special training, Ft. Holabird and Washington. Marries, Janet Anderson, 14 June 1951.
Returns to active duty, C-2, Seoul; Debriefs and evaluates information from American agents returning from Northern missions. Promoted Captain.
aAt first, I thought they handed me the wrong dossier.
I couldn't believe they wanted this man dead.
Third generation West Point, top of his class. Korea, Airborne. About a thousand decorations, etc, etc...
.I'd heard his voice on the tape and it really put a hook in me. But I couldn't connect up that voice with this man.
.
Like they said, he had an impressive career. Maybe too impressive... I mean perfect. He was being groomed for one of the top slots of the corporation. General, Chief of Staff, anything...
aIn 1964 he returned from a tour of advisory command in Vietnam and things started to slip. The report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Lyndon Johnson was restricted.
a
Seems they didn't dig what he had to tell them.During the next few months he made three requests for transfer to airborne training in Fort Benning, Georgia, and he was finally accepted.
.
Airborne? .He was 38 years old.
............Why the fuck would he do that?
.
1966, joined the Special Forces, returns to Vietnam...
.

THE AIR CAV

2007-12-17T06:47:00.016-08:00

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"Arc light. B-52 strike."
aa"Everytime I hear that, something terrible happens."a"Hueys over there! Lots of Hueys."aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"Let's have a look, chief."It was the AirCav, First of the Ninth, our escort to the mouth of the Nung river. But they were supposed
to be waiting for us another 30 kilometers ahead.
a
Well, Air Mobile. Those boys just couldn't stay put.
a First of the Ninth was an old cavalry division that had cashed in its horses for choppers, and gone tear-assing around 'Nam, looking for the shit. They've given Charlie a few surprises in their time here. What they were mopping up now hadn't even happened an hour ago.
a"Sir, Captain Willard. I carry priority papers
from ComSec Intelligence. I understand that Nha Trang
aahas briefed you about the requirements of my mission."a"What mission? I haven't heard from Nha Trang."
a
"Sir, your unit is supposed to escort us into the Nung."

aaa"Well, we'll see what we can do about that.
aaaaaaaaaJust stay out of my way until this is done, Captain!"aaaa"What we have here... Two of spades, three of spades,
aaaaaaafour of diamonds, six of clubs, ace of spades...aaaIsn't one worth a Jack in the whole bunch..."a"Hey Captain, what's that?""What?"

"This man is hurt pretty bad, sir. About the only thing that's
holding his guts in, sir, is that pot lid."

"Yeah? What have you got to say?"

"This man, dirty VC. He want water. He can drink paddy water."
a aaaaaaaa"What's your name sailor?"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"Gunner's Mate Third class L. Johnson, sir."
"
aaaaaaaaaaaaa"Lance Johnson the surfer?"a"Well, It's an honor to meet you Lance! I've admired your aaaaanoseriding for years! I like your cutback too!
aaaI think you have the best cutback there is!"aa"You can cut out the "sir" crap, Lance. I'm Bill Kilgore.
aaaaaaaaI'm a goofy foot. This guy is with you?"a"I want you to meet some guys. This is Mike from San Diego
aand Johnny from Malibu. We're pretty solid surfers,
aaaaaaabut none of us are anywhere near your class though.We do a lot of surfing around here, Lance. I'd like to finish operations early, fly down to Yung Tau for the evening glass. aaaaBeen riding since you got here?"

"No way. I haven't surfed since I been here."

CHARLIE DON'T SURF!

2007-12-17T06:47:00.015-08:00

Kilgore had a pretty good day for himself.
They choppered in T-bones and beer and turned
the LZ into a beach party.The more they tried to make it just like home,..

the more they made everybody miss it...
.

He wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys and they felt safe with him. He was one of those guys that had that weird light around him. You just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here.

..."What happened to your mission, captain?

.......Did Nha Trang forget all about you?"

"Sir, two places we can get into the river. Here and here..
It's pretty wide delta but these are the only two spots.
I'm really sure of.".

"Well, that village your pointing at there is kinda hairy, Willard."

"What do you mean hairy, sir?"

"It's hairy. Got some pretty heavy ordnance there. I lost a few recon ships there now and again. Is that goddamn village Vin Drin Dop or Lop? Damn gook names all sound the same. Mike, do you know anything about that point at Vin Drin Dop?"
.........."That's a fantastic peak."

..................................."Peak?"
"About six foot. That's an outstanding peak. It got both the long ...right with left slide. The bowl section is unbelievable.
............It's just Tube City...""It's really hairy in there,sir. That's where we lost McDonnel.
They shot the hell out of us. That's Charlie's point."

"Sir, we can go there tomorrow at dawn. There's always a good off-shore breeze in the morning.".............."We may not be able to get the boat in.
.....................The river may be too shallow."

"You take a gunship back to division. Mike, take Lance with you. Let him pick out a board. Bring my Yater Spoon, the eight-six."
.............."I don't know, sir. It's... it's..."
........................................."What is it soldier?"

....."It's pretty hairy in there, sir... .It's Charlie's point."
.

RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES

2007-12-17T06:47:00.013-08:00

"I never have got used to a light board. I can't get used to one.
aaI'm used to a heavy board."

"I know, it's a real drag.""We'll come in low, out of the rising sun, and about a mile out, we'll put on the music... Yeah, I use Wagner! Scares the
HELL OUT of the slopes!aa"We gotta get some air up in these trees.
aaaaaaIt's goddamn eat-up with the enemy down there."
aa"Hold on to your positions."
aaaaaaa"Duke Six, Duke Six. We've got wounded down here!"

"Lance, Lance... what do you think?""This place's still very hot. Maybe we should surf someplace else.""Lance, I bet you can't wait to get out there."

aaaaaaaaaaaa"What?"
"That's good, son. 'Cause you either surf or fight. That clear? Now get going. I cover for you. I bet you can't wait to get out there. See, you can break both ways. One guy can break right, one left simultaneous. What do you think of that?"
a
aa"I think we oughta wait for the tide to come up!"

aaa"Lance, come here. Look! LOOK...

I LOVE THE SMELL OF NAPALM IN THE MORNING

2007-12-17T06:47:00.011-08:00

"Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that.

"You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours.
""""When it was all over, I walked up.

Someday this war's gonna end. That would be just fine with the boys on the boat. They weren't looking for anything more than a way home. Trouble is, I've been back there, and I knew that it just didn't exist anymore.
a
If that's how Kilgore fought the war, I began to wonder what they really had against Kurtz. It wasn't just insanity and murder. There was enough of that to go around here for everyone.
a
a

NEVER GET OUT OF THE BOAT

2007-12-17T06:47:00.009-08:00

"I'm not here. I'm walking through the jungle gathering mangoes.
aaI meet Raquel Welch. I make a nice mango cream pudding.
aKinda spread it around us.See, she's into mangoes too. She's like one limb above me.
aaaWe're both in the jungle here, nude.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"Just don't go out there by yourself.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaYou don't wanna go in there alone,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaunless you really know the territory."

"Chef?"

"Yes, sir?"

"How come they call you that?"

"Call me what, sir?"

"Chef. Is that 'cause you like mangoes an' stuff?"
a
"A sauciere?"

"Yes, sir. Specialized in sauces. See, I come from New Orleans.
I was raised to be a sauciere... a great sauciere."
a"Has to be a mango tree here somewhere..."
a
"I was supposed to go to Paris, to the Escoffier School.
But then I got orders for my physical. Hell, I joined the Navy.
Heard they had better food. Cook school. That did it."
a
"Oh yeah? How?"

"They lined us all up in front of a hundred yards of prime rib.
Magnificent meat, beautifully marbled. Then they started throwing it in these big cauldrons. All of it. Boiling."
a aaa"I looked in, and it was turning gray.
aaaaaaaaaI couldn't fucking believe that one!
a
aaaaaaThat's when I applied for radioman's school, but..."Never get out of the boat. Absolutely goddamn right. Unless you were going all the way.
..

Kurtz got off the boat. He split from the whole fucking program. How did that happen? What did he see
in that first tour?
.
38 fucking years old. If he joined the Green Berets, there was no way he'd ever get above Colonel.
Kurtz knew what he was giving up.
a
The more I read and began to understand, the more I admired him. His family and friends couldn't understand it, and they couldn't talk him out of it. He had to apply three times and put up with a ton of shit, but when he threatened to resign, they gave it to him. The next youngest guy in his class was half his age. They must have thought he was some far-out old man humping it over that course. I did it when I was 19 and it damn near wasted me.
.That tough motherfucker. He finished it. He could have gone for General, but he went for himself instead.
a
October 1967, special assignment, Con Tum province. Kurtz staged operation Arch Angel with combined local forces. Raided a major success. He received no official clearence. He just thought it up and did it. What balls. They were gonna nail his ass to the floorboards for that but after the press got hold of it they promoted him to full colonel instead.
.
Oh man, the bullshit piled up so high in Vietnam,
you needed wings to stay above it.
a
a

PLAYBOY BUNNIES SHOW

2007-12-17T06:47:00.007-08:00

aaa"Hau Phat. You ever been up here Chef ?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...Yo man, this must be the guy..."Whaddya want?"
"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll get you Panama Red. Destination?"

"I don't have a destination."

"Gotta have a destination, otherwise I can't..."
a"Sergeant, these guys are with me. Destination is classified.
I carry priority papers from ComSec Intelligence..."
"""""""""""""""OK, right sir. Listen it's really a big night...
""""""""""""""""eight bucks for that Camel..."
"
""""""""""""""aaaaaa""""""""""""""""""Just give us some fuel."
"
"You got it. Hey captain, I'm really sorry for tonight. It's really bad over here. Just take this over to the desk and you got it.
Hey listen, would you guys like some seats, press-box seats,
for the show? The Playboy Bunnies Show! You want those?"
a
"Hey captain... on the house. No hard feelings, OK?"
a

"""""""""""Hello all of you who work so goddamn hard for
""""""Opearation Brute Force! Hello all you paratroopers
"""""""""""""""out there! And the marines! And the sailors!
a""""""""""""""I wanna let you know we're proud of you!
""""""""""""""""""""We know how tough and hard it's been!
"""And to prove it, we're gonna give you entertainment
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""we know you´re gonna like!
"

a...AND THE PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR!

Charlie didn't get much USO. He was dug in too deep
or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold
rice and a little rat meat.
.
""""He had only two ways home:
""""....Death, or victory.

No wonder Kurtz put a weed up command's ass.
The war was being run by a bunch of four-star clowns
who were going to end up giving the whole circus away.
a

INTELLIGENCE ASSASSINS

2007-12-17T06:47:00.005-08:00

Late summer-autumn 1968: Kurtz's patrols in the highlands were coming under frequent ambush.
The camp started falling apart.
.
November: Kurtz orders the assassination of three Vietnamese men and one woman. Two of the men
were colonels in the South Vietnamese army.
.Enemy activity in his old sector dropped off to nothing. Guess he must have hit the right four people.
a
The army tried one last time to bring him back into
the fold. And if he pulled over, it all would have been forgotten. But he kept going, and he kept winning it
his way. So they called me in.
.
They lost him. He was gone. Nothing but rumors and rambling intelligence, mostly from captured VC.
The VC knew his name by now, and they were scared
of him. He and his men were playing hit and run all the way into Cambodia.
.

"THAT'S CAMBODIA, CAPTAIN"

2007-12-17T06:47:00.003-08:00

"""""""""""""""""""""""How long has that kid been in this boat?"

"We're going up river about 75 klicks above the Do Lung bridge."

"That's classified. We're not supposed to be in Cambodia but that's where I'm going. You just get me close to my destination """""""and I'll cut you and the crew loose."""""""""""""""All right captain."a
a
a

THE LETTER

2007-12-17T06:47:00.001-08:00

"
"Dear son;

I'm afraid that both you and your mother would have been worried for not hearing from me in these past weeks. But my situation here has become a difficult one. I've been officially accused of murder by the army.
.
The alleged victims were four Vietnamese double agents. We spent months uncovering and acumalating evidence. When absolute proof was completed, we acted, we acted like soldiers.
.
The charges are unjustified. They are in fact, under the circumstances of this conflict, quite completely insane.
.
In a war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action, for what is often called ruthless.
.
But in many circumstances, the only clarity is seeing clearly what there is to be done and do it directly, quickly, awake... looking at it.
.
I would trust you to tell your mother what you choose about this letter.

As for the charges, I'm unconcerned.
I'm beyond their lying morality.
And so, I'm beyond caring.

You have all my faith.

Your loving father."
"

""How's that?"

""So they can't see me. They're everywhere, Chief."

"""""Aha... I want you to stay awake there, young man.
""""""""""""You got a job to do."
"""""I didn't belong on this mission anymore
""""""""because I've began to doubt it.

"""Kurtz was turning from a target... "into a goal.
"