The famous line “Charlie don’t surf” from the movie Apocalypse Now portrays a surreal take on the American military during the Vietnam War of using overpowering force to impose its own logic, sport and cultural supremacy.
It’s delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, played by Robert Duvall, who struts shirtless on a beach under siege seemingly immune to the barrage of mortars. An avid surfer, Kilgore orders his men to grab a surfboard from their helicopter and paddle out through the explosions. The line “Charlie don’t surf” expresses his contempt for the Viet Cong forces referred to by American soldiers as “Charlie,” who don’t really appreciate the golden California lifestyle. Kilgore effectively sees the beach as Vietnam’s Surf City USA to be acquired through military force, or more expeditiously a spectacular display of napalm carpet bombing.
