Heart of Darkness v. Apocalypse Now

One of the most striking things I noticed in Apocalypse Now was the way the natives were portrayed. They seem to function as one mindless organism, like bees with Kurtz as their queen.
When the gunboat arrives at Kurtz's dock there are dozens of small fishing boats between the dock and the water that the gunboat is currently occupying. As the gunboat approaches, the natives all give the boat the same blank stare and slowly part just long enough for the boat to get through; after the boat proceeds, the natives slowly reassume their original position, thus swallowing the boat.
When Willard exits after assassinating Kurtz, the natives again act in unison, this time bowing down to the one who has destroyed their queen. As he walks back to the boat the natives part slightly with ominous stares and swallow him up in the same manner as earlier.
This decision by the director is quite curious considering in Heart of Darkness the natives were described by parts: arms, legs, eyes. But never as a single organism, always as individuals. One theory suggests that the natives in Apocalypse Now are a symbol for the communist society of Vietnam. I must admit, there is some merit in this theory. The natives always act in unison, they are purely equal and there is a hidden authority who pulls the strings on them. Communism itself can be seen as similar to a bee hive or an ant hill. There is a central authority and eqial workers and together the unit provides for everyone.
This decision was clearly a deliberate one, and on film it is quite powerful visually.