Apocalypse now opening scene
The intention of the opening scene is to visualise Vietnam War, so in the beginning even before we can see any image is heard a sound of a helicopter that is played into slow motion and echoed. Then is a long establishing shot on the palm forest, slowly filling up with a yellow smoke, which is subsequently destroyed by the helicopter dropping napalm in the same moment as the non-diegetic song in the background says "This is the end". The camera then uses PAN shot shifted to the right showing the whole jungle in the fire and we can see the close up shot of Willard’s face which is a protagonist of this movie. It is superimposed as we still see the PAN of the burning forest, and flying helicopters, for a moment is the whole screen in the mist of smoke which allows transition to another scene. Willard’s face is sweaty and inverted to show that his life is or will soon be 'upside down' and the layering of images- his face and jungle- represents chaos and what is going on inside his head, also the jungle in the background conveys his thoughts and help the viewer to understand better his character from the beginning, which is completely different from Casablanca as revealing of the main character takes time and is not showed a view into his 'mind'. However in the Apocalypse now is the main character showed in the first few minutes of the film and by basically 'seeing into his head'. The middle shot on Willard lying on the bed is layered with fire, flying helicopters which then changes into the fan in his room on the ceiling that makes a similar noise. Camera then continues moving from left to right as a PAN to reveal letters, photo of a woman, alcohol, cigarettes, and a gun that suggest misery of his life. The lighting is in the beginning colourful because of the green jungle but after it's demolished it becomes darker and the jungle is in the smoke of a fire, close up on Willard's face is also darker and his whole room is in the dark and shadows due to retracted curtains. The darkness of his life foreshadows the future when he has to go back to Vietnam on the murder mission.
The shot is then on the ceiling fan and the camera makes a tilting movement down on the entire room. In that moment the non-diegetic music in the background is switched off and the only noise of the fan is heard. A dolly movement of the camera is used when Willard moves to the window to look outside and right after the loud noise of the fan stops and for a few seconds is silence until is used another non-diagetic sound in the form of a monologue inside Willard's head to let the audience hear his thoughts.
The intention of the opening scene is to visualise Vietnam War, so in the beginning even before we can see any image is heard a sound of a helicopter that is played into slow motion and echoed. Then is a long establishing shot on the palm forest, slowly filling up with a yellow smoke, which is subsequently destroyed by the helicopter dropping napalm in the same moment as the non-diegetic song in the background says "This is the end". The camera then uses PAN shot shifted to the right showing the whole jungle in the fire and we can see the close up shot of Willard’s face which is a protagonist of this movie. It is superimposed as we still see the PAN of the burning forest, and flying helicopters, for a moment is the whole screen in the mist of smoke which allows transition to another scene. Willard’s face is sweaty and inverted to show that his life is or will soon be 'upside down' and the layering of images- his face and jungle- represents chaos and what is going on inside his head, also the jungle in the background conveys his thoughts and help the viewer to understand better his character from the beginning, which is completely different from Casablanca as revealing of the main character takes time and is not showed a view into his 'mind'. However in the Apocalypse now is the main character showed in the first few minutes of the film and by basically 'seeing into his head'. The middle shot on Willard lying on the bed is layered with fire, flying helicopters which then changes into the fan in his room on the ceiling that makes a similar noise. Camera then continues moving from left to right as a PAN to reveal letters, photo of a woman, alcohol, cigarettes, and a gun that suggest misery of his life. The lighting is in the beginning colourful because of the green jungle but after it's demolished it becomes darker and the jungle is in the smoke of a fire, close up on Willard's face is also darker and his whole room is in the dark and shadows due to retracted curtains. The darkness of his life foreshadows the future when he has to go back to Vietnam on the murder mission.
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