Dionysus Don't Surf: Introduction
Apocalypse Now and the Mythology of Rebirth
“On the river, I thought that the minute I looked at him, I'd know what to do, but it didn't happen.” —Willard, Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now and the Mythology of Rebirth
I’ve spent more than three years chasing this series, hammering away at my keyboard for endless hours, only for each draft to slip through my fingers, leaving me deeply frustrated. My limits as a writer are partly to blame, but a mythic tour de force like Apocalypse Now defies easy capture.
Apocalypse Now is not perfect, not in the pristine mold of Citizen Kane, Dr. Strangelove, or even No Country for Old Men. Its sprawling narrative, patchwork script, and unsatisfying denouement make it an utter mess. But the film harbors moments of perfection, and what falters in execution is redeemed by its unmatched ambition and sheer philosophical weight.
These moments are a double-edged sword, as they tend to overshadow deeper forces at play. As Serge Daney noted, audiences come for the action and stay for the story. Apocalypse Now has one of the greatest combat scenes of all time (you know the one), is it any wonder that most viewers see a character like Bill Kilgore as a hero instead of a villain? The scene burns so bright, we fail to realize that Kilgore pines for escape, not victory.
This might explain why Apocalypse Now still confuses us, why it’s perceived to be anti-war, or why its Nietzschean undercurrents go unnoticed. Whatever the reason, I believe this film is vastly underrated and its rich themes still deserve a fair hearing.
So here I go again, heading upriver, but this time I refuse to get out of the boat.
Satyrs, Bullroarers, and Human Sacrifice
For nearly half a century, Apocalypse Now has mesmerized audiences across generations with its haunting visuals and relentless Sturm und Drang. But despite its enduring appeal, Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece remains one of the most misunderstood films in cinematic history.
Critics tend to view Apocalypse Now as a rebuke to war. And from a safe distance, its vivid depictions of suffering and madness seem to suggest another Hollywood meditation on violence. Yet this 1979 epic, released only four years after the Fall of Saigon, is far more audacious than that. Coppola plunges a war-weary generation back into the steaming jungles of Vietnam, where the most powerful nation on earth was brought to its knees. But rather than dwelling on the costs of war, the film transforms into a portal to a mythological realm, where order and chaos entwine. In a smash-up of Homer, Conrad, and Nietzsche, Apocalypse Now drags us up the river Nùng to gaze into an abyss. But whereas katabasis points Odysseus home and poisons Marlow against civilization, Willard’s journey upriver promises a more radical transformation: rebirth.
Far from wallowing in despair, Apocalypse Now transcends mortal pessimism to reclaim the immortal art of tragedy. Rich in metaphor and layered with allusion, the film treats us to a glimpse of the Dionysian Mysteries from a world long-forgotten—one with satyrs, bullroarers, and human sacrifice. And in these rites we find a key, or perhaps a grail, granting life after death.
Apocalypse Now isn’t alone in redefining the war epic. Platoon and Full Metal Jacket also mock cherished illusions of heroism, expose the rotting heart of empire, and shake the crumbling foundations of moral order. Yet Coppola’s vision dares further. While its contemporaries mourn war’s futility, Apocalypse Now glories in war and dares to find beauty in its devastation, with images and scenes that will take your breath away. War, despite its countless evils, becomes a mythic crucible, returning us to our primal roots and illuminating a path to redemption. This paradox—lamenting the wounds of war while exalting their transformative power—is what makes this film dark and even subversive, putting it in a class of its own.
Apocalypse Now is a story of rebirth, not just for Willard but for a society teetering on the edge of insanity and self-annihilation. This series will trace that journey.
Note: I recently appeared on the Good Ol Boyz podcast to talk about the movie. You can access the episode here.