Research: Micro and Macro Analysis - Apocalypse Now Title Sequence

The initial shot is an establishing shot, displaying a vast rainforest consistent of palm trees, suggesting that this location is somewhat humid, hot, or exotic. Then from the bottom of the frame, yellow tinted smoke begins to rise, implying that there is a large gust of wind or something powerful coming. The subtlety of this also creates anticipation and is followed by The Who song 'The End'. The rate and size of the smoke grows, connoting something similar to a swelling fire, which is then followed by the engulfment of the forest in shot by flame; atypically, the camera does not shake to suggest an explosion or dramatic, rather in stays in place, unaffected. In addition to the lack of diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound effects such as a 'boom', this suggests that this is common or ordinary in the world that the title sequence is immersing us in, or in other words, displaying that this degree of chaos and destruction is commonplace, corresponding with a trope of war films: copious amounts of destruction.

However, instead of reinstating the convention of triumph through music and action within war films, the song and lyrical content of the sound used creates a melancholic and pessimistic tone, inferring to the audience that war is pointless. In addition to the solitary guitar melody echoing on into nothingness, the vocals commence shortly after the forest is incinerated and the panning of the shot begins stating 'this is the end' contributing to this pessimistic tone and relating back to the title, 'Apocalypse Now'. Moreover as the song progresses, the movement of the sequence begins to pick up with a pan, showing the full extent of the destruction caused and giving the audience their first complete glimpses of helicopters, solidifying any previous notion the genre of this film: war. The helicopters are almost iconic of a particular war which in relation to the incineration and setting established, the audience can come to the conclusion that this film is set during the Vietnam war.

After a couple more seconds lingering on the soon to be pile of ash, the shot dissolves into another which features a young male's face upside down, staring vacantly onwards. It could be suggested that he is framed upside down to suggest the irregularity or reverse of order within this situation. It is also communicated by his stubble, slightly dirty skin, and sweat that he has recently been in an environment that is away from comfort i.e. a military base or battlefield. The sense of the obscurity coupled with the bewildered look of the 'soldier' we can hypothesise that he is suffering some type of mental disorder induced by the war, or he is remembering/reminiscing what he has witnessed.