Episode 188: The Horror, the Horror | Apocalypse Now (1979), the Vietnam War & Myth

Content Warning: violence, war, PTSD, animal harm, child harm This is the end. My only friend, the end. Join us on a voyage up the Nung River, through increasingly surreal episodes of war on our quest to find the elusive Colonel Kurtz. In Francis Ford Coppola’s epic vision of the Vietnam War Apocalypse Now (1979), history blends with myth, violence blends with the absurd, and the human mind makes friends of horror and moral terror. We discuss the complex history that escalated into the deeply controversial war in Vietnam and the counterculture it inspired. We search for the motivation behind adapting Joseph Conrad’s critique of colonialism, Heart of Darkness in this specific setting. And we explore the mythopoetic and psychoanalytic readings of Apocalypse Now—a story about a real war, yes, but also a universal story of rite, ritual, and epic horror. — Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth Check out our merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com Twitter Facebook Instagram If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!