That Infamous Napalm Line

Just finished watching Apocalypse Now. Such a difficult movie to watch. First half was okay, but once the bridge started burning I just felt rather out of it, like there was some awesome cosmic significance to Captain Willard that I didn't understand. I suspect it's the machismo attached to understanding a war, and a severe repression of emotion.

Anyway I now know where that line comes from...

I love the smell of Napalm in the morning... Smelled like - victory...

Robert Duvall won an Oscar for that, though his American-Imperialist surfer character steps on my Chinese tail rather too strongly and it's been used almost everywhere (at least, in situations involving conflict). Actually to tell the truth that scene has to be the most insulting one to any country America has ever gone to war with. I can imagine the Taliban getting rather upset over Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore.

Visually the film is stunning, I guess, with excellent contrast shots and superb lighting effects. If it wasn't a war film I would likely have watched it with a little less disgust.

I hate war films. "The horror... the horror...", as Colonel Kurtz would say.