Psychedelic soldiers and tragic surfers: John Milius’ “Apocalypse Now” (1969)
Gazi, J. 2022. Psychedelic soldiers and tragic surfers: John Milius’ “Apocalypse Now” (1969). Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. 61 (Fall 2022).
| Title | Psychedelic soldiers and tragic surfers: John Milius’ “Apocalypse Now” (1969) |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Gazi, J. |
| Abstract | This article examines John Milius’ 1969, first draft, screenplay of Apocalypse Now. Submitted by American Zoetrope to Warner Brothers as part of their development deal aimed at creating films for the ‘youth market,’ Milius’ screenplay explores the Californian counterculture from an alternative perspective to that of his contemporaries. Pitching the countercultural thinking of hippies as a dangerous deviancy from American post-war values, the writer instead contrasts this attitude with the sanctioned rebellion afforded to the preceding generation of Californian youth: the surfers. This intergenerational conflict plays out in the milieu of the Vietnam war, where the savagery of Colonel Kurtz and his cult of psychedelic soldiers functions to reflect contemporary fears around the hippie culture as the sixties would come to a close. This article further provides an extended critical reflection on the study of the screenplay as an autonomous work of art. |
| Journal | Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media |
| Journal citation | 61 (Fall 2022) |
| ISSN | 0146-5546 |
| Year | 2022 |
| Publisher | Jump Cut Associates |
| Publisher's version | License CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Web address (URL) | http://www.ejumpcut.org/currentissue/JeeshanGazi/index.html |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 05 Sep 2022 |