Analyse the representation of the US military in Apocalypse Now Essay Example

appears to view war as a game, evident in his prioritization of organizing surfing rather than strategizing. Kilgore uses music in his helicopter to intimidate the enemy and boost his soldiers' morale, which confuses others. Despite his lack of interest in the battle, Kilgore efficiently gives out orders and organizes his men. The camera focuses on Kilgore as Willard discusses him and stops when Kilgore speaks, affirming him as the subject. When Willard mentions "Kilgore's boys," the camera switches to Kilgore's soldiers, validating Willard's statement. A panoramic view from a low angle captures helicopters taking off.

Willard stands out from the other soldiers in the scene with his calm and thoughtful demeanor. While other soldiers display confusion and fear, Willard and Kilgore remain collected for different reasons. Kilgore appears fearless, while Willard is focused solely on his mission rather than attacking the Vietnamese. He refrains from shooting his weapon and keeps a distance from the action amidst the chaos. A low angle shot emphasizes Willard's importance as the main character in the scene. Meanwhile, long shots capture explosions and movements demonstrating violence, and fast tracking over trees highlights the chaos and destruction.

The majority of sounds in the scene are diegetic. This includes the acoustic guitar soldiers singing in the background, creating a relaxed atmosphere that contrasts with the sound of bombs exploding in the background, serving as a reminder that they are in a war zone. Additionally, the sound of fire draws attention to the cooking of meat and emphasizes the party atmosphere, supporting Willard's commentary about their attempt to create a home-like environment. The scene transition is linked through a sound bridge with fading helicopters

leading to their diegetic source in the next scene. Non-diegetic sounds are also used during Willard’s voice-over for character exposition and to set the scene, allowing the audience to gain a better perspective on Willard and Kilgore’s personalities. Willard appears calm and serious while Kilgore wants to surf instead of plan a mission.

In the midst of chaos, Willard's narrative brings a calm to the scene. The bugle playing the cavalry charge serves as both a diegetic sound and an intertextual reference, recognized by the audience in this situation. A soldier humming "Ride Of The Valkyries" is meant to be humorous and is later heard in the next scene. Meanwhile, the non-diegetic music that plays when the helicopters take off is eerie and ominous, much like an air raid siren, highlighting the war context and building tension. This slower music also matches with Willard's solemn expression, creating a serious tone that matches up with the pace of the editing.

The sound of "Ride Of The Valkyries" in the movie scene is both diegetic and enhanced. It is diegetic as the audience can see the men playing it, but its enhanced as the sound might not have been clear over the sound of helicopters. The use of this music is fitting to the idea of going into battle, stirring both the men and audience alike and building up tension by increasing in volume. However, as soon as there is a cut to another shot of a tranquil village, the music abruptly stops and is replaced by sounds of dogs barking and children singing.

As the Americans approach, the music and noise of the helicopters fade in

and a warning bell rings while women and children panic in an attempt to escape. A contemplative feel is established through slow dissolves between shots of the helicopters and close-ups on Willard's face. This contrasts with the excitement and confusion of soldiers hurrying to the helicopters. An elliptical edit between the night scene and the next morning is unified with a sound bridge. Humor is injected into the scene through other soldiers joking, demonstrating how soldiers attempt to make the best of their situation. This showcases the mix of emotions experienced by soldiers during war as the tone of the scene shifts. During battle, cuts are employed to show opposing viewpoints between Americans and Vietnamese, highlighting their differences with Americans exhibiting superior power. Cuts are also used to establish cause-and-effect relationships, linking actions such as a soldier pressing a button to an explosion.

The next scene is smoothly transitioned into as the previous one fades away amidst the smoke.