"I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning"

One of the greatest element’s of Apocalypse Now is how the cinematography and the characters complement each other. The best example of this can be seen in Col. Kilgore’s famous “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” speech. Prior to this scene, Kilgore is around a bonfire with his soldiers drinking beer. Willard introduces the viewer to Kilgore with his very perceptive description of Kilgore’s personality:

“Well, he wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys and you felt safe with him. He was one of those guys that had that weird light around him. You just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here.”

Willard’s description proves true during this scene, but even more so in the scene where Kilgore has taken the city and is preparing to go out and surf. The way in which the camera captures Kilgore conveys that he is great and powerful. He is captured in a low angle shot in which he stands and his “boys” surround him. Often in films shots like this suggest that the character is intimidating or looming over everyone else. While these characteristics are true of Kilgore’s character, the way his boys look up at him and the way he couches down to their level prove Willard’s point that, “he loved his boys and you felt safe with him.”

One could argue that the yellow smoke around him represents the “weird light” Willard describes. The yellow smoke also remind the viewer of the battle that has just taken place. It also coincides beautifully with Kilgore’s explanation that the smell of napalm is synonymous with the smell of victory. The long shot captures Kilgore as he crouches there. He is surrounded by the yellow cloud and the view of the city he has just taken. He is essentially sitting in the middle of victory.

Finally, the scene ends with Kilgore noting that, “someday this war will be over.” The most profound aspect of this line is how Kilgore gets choked up immediately after delivering it. Not because he’s seen a great deal of pain but because he is a warlord; he lives and breathes war. While all the other characters are completely destroyed by war, Kilgore is torn up by the thought of it ending. After this, he stands to his feet and walks off camera. The viewer is left with another excellent contrast between Kilgore and Willard as Willard sits up and watches him leave. The astonished look on Willard’s face is classic.

In regards to film analysis, Col. Kilgore’s napalm speech is one of the best scenes in the film because it demonstrates how cinematography can be used to capture the essence of a character. In the previous scene, Willard provides an excellent description of Col. Kilgore. This description is fantastically emphasized in the napalm scene by the cinematography which seems to, point by point, prove Willard’s assessment.