during the final throe of the vitnam war and our central character and capt . willard ( martin sheen ) be dispatch by the cia on an illegal one man mission to assassinate a renegade u marine commander and colonel kurtz ( marlon brando ) and who have allegedly go completely insane and but who be successfully wag a private cross border war from his base in cambodia and a neutral and therefore off limit country . the entire narrated story of what willard see and do a he be ferry up the da nang river by an undisciplined and terrorised navy patrol boat crew to murder kurtz be a grand metaphor for the excess and decadence and ultimately the weakness of the anglo saxon psyche represent if we do not understand something and and we be unable to control it and exterminate it . kurtz have eventually come to know this . unless you pay complete attention to every emotional gesture and to every word of the dialogue between the protagonist and especially in the scene where the two of them be alone in kurtz darken lair and you will miss one of the central theme of this incredible movie . kurtz subtle deal with his executioner and his unilateral urrender in return for willard agreeing ( do he nod . ) to tell kurtz on ( another metaphor for u and the next generation and the one watch the movie ) the truth about all the horror that they have both see in vietnam and be mind expand stuff . the bonding between the two men whilst kurtz cross examines willard and interlace with some of his own horror story and be incredible and nay and genius and film . the closing ( intercut ) scene of the ritual slaughter of a sacrificial bull be the single most powerful of symbol . coppolla have make and intentionally or not and the ultimate anti war statement and one that should resonate through the age .