Apocalypse

The element of sound is very important throughout the entire film Apocalypse Now. It contributes to the greatness of the film. I believe sound itself could tell the story. The movie starts out with the sound of one helicopter from the action of the scene flying over the jungle. We then hear the quiet beginning of the song The End by The Doors, which was layered on to the scene. The music increases with time as Jim Morrison starts singing and we hear the sounds of more helicopters going by, though the sounds of the song do not seem to relate rhythmically to whats happening in the scene. All sounds, at this point, are getting louder and more complex, giving us a feeling of excitement and realism, witnessing this in front of us. At the most intense point of this sound montage, Morrisons voice stops and we are subjected to just the sound of the drums from the song and the loudening helicopters from the scene. The helicopters fade out and the drums seem to have a solo. All the sounds, the song, the helicopters, now slowly come to end by the whop sound of an overhead ceiling fan, which we see in the scene. For me, Willard in his room was the most intense and complex sound montage. It also affected me more as a viewer because it lead me more in depth to the life of Willard and the personal struggles he was having with the war. At the moment when all we hear is the ceiling fan, Willard looks out the window. He was bored in the room and wanted a mission so he wouldnt continue to go crazy. We can hear the sounds of a city outside his window. Then the sounds of a jungle were then added to the scene. These noises, birds, crickets and other wildlife, bring the viewer into his world from our world of reality. This scene parallels Willard to Kurtz in many ways. They both are going mad from the war. They both are alone and fighting with the thoughts in their heads. Fi...