Auteur And Apocalypse Now

Francis Ford Coppola is an auteur director with a unique style of film making: 

First of all, a recurring technique used in his movies is the montage. For example, the christening scene in The Godfather. The montage is seen when all of Pacino's enemies are brutally murdered. It compiles the murders one after the other. This is done to emphasise Pacino's power and ruthlessness. Another example of the montage is the opening of Apocalypse Now. This montage is shown with the disturbing and eerie hotel room of Kurtz transitioning back and forth to the Vietnamese jungle. The technique in this scene is used to display to the viewer that Kurtz cannot detach himself from the jungle spiritually, explaining his mental instability throughout the film and implying he has PTSD.

Another element Coppola does in his films which could be considered as part of his signature style, is his use of continuous shots. For example, the scene in Apocalypse Now where we meet the character of Killgore is a principal example of this. The whole scene from the beginning where the tanks come onto land until the end where the cow is being lifted into the air is shot as one continuous shot. This helps to immerse the viewer and give the scene a sense of believability and reality despite the absurdity of what his going on. It reminds me of a quote from Coppola which was, “My film isn’t about Vietnam, my film is Vietnam”. He also does this in The Godfather during the opening wedding scene. This proves to be a highly effective technique in immersing the audience and making them feel that they are present alongside the characters in the scene.

Another technique Coppola uses in his films which could be considered as part of his signature style, is his actors using method acting. For example, in the opening of Apocalypse Now, Martin Sheen, who plays Willard, got drunk on set when filming the hotel scene. This was done to exaggerate his movement and body language and emphasise Willard's insanity, as in the context of the scene. It helps the viewer believe Willard is crazy and causes them not to trust him. Another example of method acting in Coppola's films is Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part 2. De Niro plays a younger version of Marlon Brando's character, so he studied Brando's portrayal to make his character seem more realistic and similar to Brando's. This allows the audience to easily believe he is playing the same character.

As an director, Coppola has full control over his creative vision for his films. Although he has struggled going through the production of his films, particularly Apocalypse Now, his films are always made in his vision.


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