iReview: Apocalypse Now

Hello

Today, I would like to talk about a chapter entitled "Apocalypse Now" from the book Simulacra and Simulation (1981) by Jean Baudrillard. The chapter is Baudrillard's views on the Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 movie Apocalypse Now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jean Baudrillard (1929 - 2007)

Jean Baudrillard was a French sociologist and philosopher with an interest in cultural studies. He is best known for his analyses of media, contemporary culture, and technological communication, as well as his formulation of concepts such as hyperreality. Baudrillard wrote about diverse subjects, including consumerism, critique of economy, social history, aesthetics, Western foreign policy, and popular culture.

WHAT THE CHAPTER IS ABOUT?

Movie Apocalypse Now (1979) and its director Francis Ford Coppola

In this chapter Baudrillard provides an analysis of Coppola's “Apocalypse Now” (1979) argues the film transcends mere representation, becoming an extension of the Vietnam War itself. Baudrillard suggests the film mirrors the war's immoderation, technological obsession, and detachment from moral considerations. He claims that Coppola's cinematic power mirrors and perhaps even surpasses the industrial and military complexes, making the film a victory, of sorts, after the war. The critic asserts the film and the war share a common fabric, blurring the lines between destruction and production. Ultimately, Baudrillard believes the film illuminates the inherent madness and irrationality that defined America's role in the Vietnam conflict.

KEY TERMS:

Simulacra:

Copies or representations of things that have no original, or have become detached from reality.

Simulation:

The process of creating simulacra, or the state of existing in a world dominated by simulacra.

Hyperreality:

A state where simulations become more real than the reality they were meant to represent.

Apocalypse:

An event of great destruction or revelation.

Megalomania:

A delusion of grandeur or obsession with power.

Well, that’s all for today, stay connected for more such short reviews.

Thank you

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