‘Apocalypse Now’ — “The End” by The Doors
The opening sequence of Apocalypse Now blends music and image in a masterfully thrilling way.
Helicopter blades thump rhythmically across the frame as the camera holds on hazy tropical foliage.
The Doors Robby Krieger’s guitar line then wends its way into the scene, and in the moment that Jim Morrison’s baritone intones, “This is the end, beau-ti-ful friend …”, the jungle explodes into a napalm hellfire.
The surreal atmosphere of the song establishes the tone of Apocalypse Now, as a journey into existential despair, derangement, and chaos.
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