Apocalypse...NEVER!

Apocalypse Now takes place during the Vietnaw War. Lieutenant Willard (Martin Sheen) has been given the mission to track down the long lost Colonel Kurtz and kill him. Apparently, Kurtz has rebelled in Cambodia, leading an entire tribe of people who worship him as God, ordering indivudals to be slain upon his command. The movie follows Willard along his long journey to find Kurtz, experiencing loss of teammates and such along the way. Eventually Willard discovers Kurtz, finding that yes, he is in fact as insane as the soldiers had warned him before sending him on the mission. He carries out his duty but it is evident that he is disturbed by his entire journey and possibly by the fact that he has murdered a man of such prestige.
I absolutely did not enjoy this movie. While I can understand why it won Academies for Best Cinematography, the movie itslef in my opinion was a complete drag. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of war/violent movies anyway. I was immediately turned off by the army fatigues, helicopters and explosions at the very start of the film. Also, Willards character narrated the film in a monotonous, flat way that didn't further intrigue me at all. About a quarter of the way throught he film I lost focus and when I came to, I felt like I was on the set of Indiana Jones (but like, a really bad version). It took a great while to get to the climax of the film, which didn't really occur until the very end. By the time we meet Kurtz we already have a pretty good idea of what he is going to be like, and the scene where he and Willard meet is very dull and short considering the entire movie led up to this point.
There are some pretty good camera tricks that take place. In the beginning, the camera does very slow dissolves from one shot to another, giving the illusion of seeing two things at once. During the scene where Kurtz and Willard meet, there are moments, in the dark room when only Willards shadow can be seen on the wall while Kurtz is speaking. I thought that was pretty cool. Small camera influences such as these caught my attention every once in a while but overall, I thoroughly disliked this film. It was long, drawn out, and just not my type of film.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Jean-Dominque Bauby was the editor of the prominent fashion magazine ELLE. He carried on a seemingly ordinarily happy life, filled with family, fun, and love. His entire life would be changed forever when he suffered a stroke while taking a ride in his brand new car with his beloved son. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an outstanding depiction of, what is said to have been, the true accounts of Bauby's post-stroke life as a man paralyzed from head to toe, unable to speak, and limited to the use of one eye. The film is narrated by his thoughts, the things he would in fact be speaking if he were able. It travels through his experiences with various emotions, rememberances of his past, and appreciation for his vivid imagination. Despite the fact that he can not speak, he uses his means of communication fervently, and with help, writes a book. Jean-Dominique Bauby brought about an entire new meaning of life to me in the way he was depicted in this film. It encompasses lessons of determination, recognition of blessings, and love, just to name a few. The fact that the film is narrated by Bauby who can not be heard by the characters in the film is fascinating in that its almost as if we are his only friend, the only ones who understand his specific desires. It enlightened me to the fact that individuals who are paralyzed and may not have speaking capabilities may still have passion for life and deserve to be given the chance to live out their passions. This film was captivating! There were moments that were devastating to say the least, but this only enhanced my experience of empathizing for this man who seemingly lost everything, but still found inspiration enough to write a book, unable to move or speak. I loved every moment of this film!