Apocalypse Now started its scene in the sound of silence genre wherein the viewer sees coconut groves at first and getting a visual smorgasbord of the peacefulness and tranquility that can be found in the Orient. Then all of a sudden the reverie is taken away when the sounds of flying helicopters and view of the choppers themselves come into the picture along with the full rendition of "The End" – this takes the viewers to the reality of the madness and insanity of the Vietnam War.
             Most of the scenes bring to mind sounds of native drums, flutes and cymbals that kept reminding the audience the locale being in the Far East. Intertwined with silence and native sounds, the feeling is actually being there and heightening the emotions especially during the times of killings and violence. There are cliches in terms of the use of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries in the assault on the village by Col. Kilgore since a lot of war and battle movies use the music. Although it was meant as a psychological warfare tool, the viewers already knows that a battle is about to take place. Another sound cliche happens at the DeMarais Plantation; the audience already felt that there would be passion between Capt. Willard and Mme. Serrault when at the background soft, melancholic and romantic music is heard. Even if passion was the theme of the scene, the sounds still brought thoughts of madness even in the throes of passion most specifically when Mme. Serrault said "You are an animal and a god...."
             Besides the sounds of native music, Apocalypse Now used rock and roll music to depict the violent and confusing nature of war. During the scenes where the Playboy Bunnies did their show and the VCs attacked the bridge, the use of heavy metal music showed confusion and the brutal nature one gets involved in during war. The sounds used in Apocalypse Now truly maintained the notion of the maddening aspect war brings to the human psyc...