Dan,
 
You bring up an interesting example using Apocalypse Now As an example of adaptations considering the Documentary Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse gives us such an inside looks at what happened while making the film.
 
>Reference to THE PILLOW BOOK as an interesting approach to adaptation arrives
>at a time when I am trying to sort out my feelings about APOCALYPSE NOW after
r>eviewing it in light of much recent study of Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS.
 >Coppola certainly exploits the strengths of film as a visual medium in
>APOCALYPSE.  Battle scenes and jungle atmosphere are beautifully rendered.
 >But I was struck, upon viewing this time, with how much less I cared about
>Willard as a character, compared to Marlow (who is, after all, a good man
>caught up in impossible circumstances), and how shallow Brando's version of
>Kurtz seemed. <
 
The loss of depth in Willard's Character was most likely due to the difficulty Coppola had melding John Milius' naïve and "Irwin Allenish" script with the questions and answers in his own mind. Most of the scenes involving Brando were totally improvised as they went along.
Conrad developed rich characters and a a fantastic story. Perhaps in his own way, or in his time he found it easier to answer the questions that the story posed.
 
 
 The Navy chief and the the photographer are very interesting
adaptations of Conrad characters, but the principle characters didn't have
much impact on me.  I'd love to hear some contrary views.  Dan.
 
I feel Willard was supposed to keep the viewer at arm's distance. Many Vietnam Veterans had great difficulty with any type of intimacy or inter-personal communication. This is even alluded to in the narration by Willard:
 
"I'd hardy said a word to my wife until I'd said yes to a divorce...."
 
We get sucked into the soulless narrative that is Willard and find him a less desirable member of society. We did'nt care about 'Nam Vets back then . Why should we care about them in the movie? Willard is the one getting spit on at an airport in Cleveland.
 
Brando's  Kurtz was lost in the quagmire that was Coppola. Somewhere between drug addict actors (Sam Bottoms, Dennis Hopper) and the Phillipine Army, a film lost a bit of it's depth.
 
>Dan Gribbin
>Ferrum College (VA)
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--J Silva 
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