Apocalypse Now Quotes
Willard : [ voice-over ] "Someday this war's gonna end". That'd be just fine with the boys on the boat. They weren't looking for anything more than a way home. Trouble is, I'd been back there, and I knew that it just didn't exist anymore.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
[ quoting Kurtz ]
Willard : In a war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action - what is often called ruthless - what may in many circumstances be only clarity, seeing clearly what there is to be done and doing it, directly, quickly, awake, looking at it.
Willard : In a war there are many moments for compassion and tender action. There are many moments for ruthless action - what is often called ruthless - what may in many circumstances be only clarity, seeing clearly what there is to be done and doing it, directly, quickly, awake, looking at it.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
[ quoting Kurtz ]
Willard : As for the charges against me, I am unconcerned. I am beyond their timid lying morality, and so I am beyond caring.
Willard : As for the charges against me, I am unconcerned. I am beyond their timid lying morality, and so I am beyond caring.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
[ apologizing for severed heads adorning Kurtz's headquarters ]
Photo Journalist : The heads. You're looking at the heads. Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it.
Photo Journalist : The heads. You're looking at the heads. Sometimes he goes too far. He's the first one to admit it.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
[ the redux version ]
Willard : Who's in charge here?
Soldier : In charge? I don't know, man. I'm just doing what I'm told - I'm just a working girl.
Willard : Who's in charge here?
Soldier : In charge? I don't know, man. I'm just doing what I'm told - I'm just a working girl.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Kilgore : I will not hurt or harm you. Just give me back the board, Lance. It was a good board... and I like it. You know how hard it is to find a board you like...
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Kurtz : Have you ever considered any real freedoms? Freedoms from the opinion of others... even the opinions of yourself?
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Colonel Lucas : Your report specifies intelligence/counterintelligence with ComSec I-Corps.
Willard : I'm not presently disposed to discuss these operations, sir.
Colonel Lucas : Did you not work for the CIA in I-Corps?
Willard : No, sir.
Colonel Lucas : Did you not assassinate a government tax collector in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968? Captain?
Willard : Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation... nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in fact exist, sir.
Willard : I'm not presently disposed to discuss these operations, sir.
Colonel Lucas : Did you not work for the CIA in I-Corps?
Willard : No, sir.
Colonel Lucas : Did you not assassinate a government tax collector in Quang Tri province, June 19th, 1968? Captain?
Willard : Sir, I am unaware of any such activity or operation... nor would I be disposed to discuss such an operation if it did in fact exist, sir.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Kilgore : [ after the Red Team gunship spectacularly knocks out a heavy AA artillery unit ] Outstanding, Red Team, outstanding! Get you a case of beer for that one.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Kilgore : Lieutenant, bomb that tree line about 100 yards back! Give me some room to breathe!
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Photo Journalist : I wish I had words, man. I wish I had words... I can tell ya something like the other day he wanted to kill me. Somethin' like that...
Willard : Why'd he wanna kill you?
Photo Journalist : Because I took his picture. He said "If you take my picture again, I'm gonna kill you." And he *meant* it.
Willard : Why'd he wanna kill you?
Photo Journalist : Because I took his picture. He said "If you take my picture again, I'm gonna kill you." And he *meant* it.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Willard : [ about Colonel Kilgore ] Well, he wasn't a bad officer, I guess. He loved his boys, and he felt safe with 'em. He was just one of those guys with that weird light around him. He just knew he wasn't gonna get so much as a scratch here.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Playmate of the Year : [ as couple gets steamy, another soldier peers into window ] Who are you?
Clean : I'm next, ma'am.
Clean : I'm next, ma'am.
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Hubert : [ rebuffing Willard's inquiry as to when his family might return home to France ] You don't understand our mentality - the French officer mentality. At first, we lose in Second World War. I don't say that you Americans win, but we lose. In Dien Bien Phu, we lose. In Algeria, we lose. In Indochina, we lose! But here, we don't lose! This piece of earth, we keep it. We will never lose it, never!
Gaston de Marais : You Americans. In 1945, yeah, after the Japanese war, your president Roosevelt didn't want the French people to stay in Indochina. So, you Americans implant the Vietnam.
Willard : [ to Hubert ] What's he mean?
Hubert : Yeah, that's true. The Vietcong were invented by the Americans, sir.
Willard : The Americans?
Gaston de Marais : And now you take the French place. And the Vietnam fight you. And what can you do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Hubert : The Vietnamese are very intelligent. You never know what they think. The Russian ones who help them, "come and give us their money. We are all Communists. Chinese give us guns. We are all brothers."... They hate the Chinese! Maybe they hate the American less than the Russian and the Chinese. I mean, if tomorrow the Vietnamese are Communists they will be *Vietnamese* Communists. And this is something you never understood, you American.
Gaston de Marais : I don't know. Maybe in the future we can make something with the Vietnam.
Philippe de Marais : Don't you understand? The VC say, "go away, go away". That's finish for all the white people in Indochina. If you're French, American, that's all the same. "Go." They want to forget you. Look, Captain. Look, this is the truth. An egg. [ cracks it, draining the egg white ]
Philippe de Marais : The white left, but the yellow stays. [ stomps off ]
Gaston de Marais : You Americans. In 1945, yeah, after the Japanese war, your president Roosevelt didn't want the French people to stay in Indochina. So, you Americans implant the Vietnam.
Willard : [ to Hubert ] What's he mean?
Hubert : Yeah, that's true. The Vietcong were invented by the Americans, sir.
Willard : The Americans?
Gaston de Marais : And now you take the French place. And the Vietnam fight you. And what can you do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Hubert : The Vietnamese are very intelligent. You never know what they think. The Russian ones who help them, "come and give us their money. We are all Communists. Chinese give us guns. We are all brothers."... They hate the Chinese! Maybe they hate the American less than the Russian and the Chinese. I mean, if tomorrow the Vietnamese are Communists they will be *Vietnamese* Communists. And this is something you never understood, you American.
Gaston de Marais : I don't know. Maybe in the future we can make something with the Vietnam.
Philippe de Marais : Don't you understand? The VC say, "go away, go away". That's finish for all the white people in Indochina. If you're French, American, that's all the same. "Go." They want to forget you. Look, Captain. Look, this is the truth. An egg. [ cracks it, draining the egg white ]
Philippe de Marais : The white left, but the yellow stays. [ stomps off ]
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Chief Quartermaster (QMC) Phillips : [ Redux version ] Captain, are you giving away our fuel for a Playmate of the Month?
Willard : No, Playmate of the Year, Chief! [ Willard takes a swig from a beer bottle ]
Willard : No, Playmate of the Year, Chief! [ Willard takes a swig from a beer bottle ]
Movie: Apocalypse Now
Willard : [ incredulous ] What are you talking about?
Chief Quartermaster (QMC) Phillips : We're taking her to some friendlies, Captain. She's wounded, she's not dead.
Willard : Get off there, Chef. [ Willard shoots the injured girl ]
Chef : Fuck it!
Willard : [ to Chief ] I told you not to stop. Now let's go!
Chief Quartermaster (QMC) Phillips : We're taking her to some friendlies, Captain. She's wounded, she's not dead.
Willard : Get off there, Chef. [ Willard shoots the injured girl ]
Chef : Fuck it!
Willard : [ to Chief ] I told you not to stop. Now let's go!
Movie: Apocalypse Now
General Corman : Well, you see, Willard, in this war, things get confused out there. Power, ideals, the old morality, and practical military necessity. But out there with these natives, it must be a temptation to be God. Because there's a conflict in every human heart, between the rational and irration, between good and evil. And good does not always triumph. Sometimes, the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.
Movie: Apocalypse Now