The film i decided to use for this to relate to propp’s principles was ‘Apocalypse Now‘ by Francis Ford Coppolla
Preparation
I felt that
–A warning is given to the community or its leaders/ a rule is imposed on the hero.
fitted the most easily out of the choices. The warning being the renegade Colonel Walter E. Kurtz that is running a guerrilla militia outwith the U.S army’s control, and the rule is for Captain Benjamin L. Willard to seek and destroy him.
Complication
-The hero is sent out to find what is desired.
-The hero plans action against the villain.
I chose these two examples as it is too complicated to be filed under just one of these, what the ‘hero’ (the Captain) seeks is to be back in the jungle, the opening scene shows his mental anguish and entrapment when he is out on R & R, all he desires is another mission. The second point is his immediate reactions to what he will do to this A.W.O.L officer, which develop further as the plot unfolds.
Transference
-The hero is either tested or attacked ; he meets the challenge and receives a magical agent or helper
-The hero arrives at or is transferred to the place where he will fulfill his request
These two points occur chronologically with a crucial gap in between. The first could refer to the top secret documents he is given on Kurtz in order to better analyse his psyche and what has driven him to ‘insanity’ understanding what kind of human being he is, gradually unlocking more pieces of the puzzle as he travels upstream to Cambodia. The second point could mean the final destination (Kurtz’ hideaway) but also the journey as a whole is significant. The Captain starts to understand Kurtz’ way of thinking by experiencing things and relating them to his own traumas as they slowly make their way through the jungle.
Struggle
-The hero is branded
-The villain is overcome
This was a particularly difficult section as the ending is very much open to the viewer and who they believe the real villain to be, is Kurtz the hero because he defied the Military, who seem to be exposed as the villain relatively early on, or is it the Captain as he destroyed Kurtz. By the end we understand that Kurtz wishes death upon himself to quote from the film ‘his mind is clear, but his soul is mad’
Return
-The task is accomplished
or is it? what was the task at hand, to rid the jungle of tyrants and dictators, or to kill one man.
Recognition
-The false hero or villain is unmasked
Like I mentioned before, I came to the conclusion that it was the U.S army that is the real villain, an unjustified military conflict that costed countless innocent lives.
compare this with Todorov’s theory…
A state of equilibrium-
his understanding of the army and the conflict in vietnam, almost his state of mind
A disruption of the ordered state by an event-
This being the mission to assassinate Kurtz and why he had to assassinate an officer, what could he have done, or know
A recognition that disruption has taken place-
On the journey up the river the captain starts to see what is really going on in the war, the incompetence of the command and why they are even there, you think at somepoints it a stuggle whether to join this man or kill him
An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption-
When he arrives at Kurtz’ hideout he spends time with him trying to gain more insight into what he is doing and why
A return to some sort of equilibrium-
Not the same equilibrium at the beginning but Kurtz’ death, although he welcomed it, ended the madness yet made the captain more aware of why kurtz went insane, a new insight into the force he serves
alystyr 