'Apocalypse Now' and Its Soundtrack: The Famous Tracks and Their Famous Scenes 35 Years Later

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Apocalypse Now's release, one of the best war films in history, which was fraught with cultural references throughout. Most people instantly point to the parallel plots between the movie and Joseph Conrad's classic novel Heart of Darkness, but the soundtrack has brought in its fair share of critical consideration as well.

Music Times takes a look at the compositions, none of which "make sense" in the context of the Vietnam War but provided an effective soundtrack nonetheless.

04) "Suzie Q" by Flash Cadillac

"Susie Q," the classic track written by Dale Dawkins made its appearance during the Playboy bunny showcase during the film. Producers didn't opt for the original, nor the Rollings Stones or Creedence Clearwater Revival versions, but rather that of Flash Cadillac. We and Francis Ford Coppola both would be lying if we said anyone was paying attention to the music during the scene however. The Rolling Stones shouldn't feel left out...

03) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

One of the major themes from Apocalypse Now and other Vietnam films from the same era was for the disregard American soldiers had for the Vietnamese people, not to mention how simple many thought the combat would be. Soldier Tyrone Miller demonstrates this cocksure attitude by dancing shirtless to the loud Rolling Stone track on a boombox while his military boat cruises down a river, pulling in close to the shore to send a wave of wake onto the natives gathered there.

02) "The Ride of The Valkyries" by Richard Wagner

There are a litany of famous scenes throughout the film and this is probably the second most famous (behind Robert Duvall's feelings for the scent of napalm). Again, the track is literally played by characters, this time as a military strategy, believing that the Vietcong below would be psychologically intimidated by the triumphant score from Wagner's Die Walküre. There is a subliminal message built into this choice of song: German newsreels during World War II often set videos of bombings to the piece, which left the opera movement with a rather villainous reputation. The usage here suggests that perhaps the Americans are the villains, not the Vietcong.

01) "The End" by The Doors

Although the air raid scene featuring Wagner may be among the film's most famous scenes, no piece of the soundtrack caught the overall theme of Apocalypse Now like The Doors' "The End." The psychedelic single set the standard during the introduction of the film, a montage of battlefields and burnt-out forests, imagined by a severe looking soldier. The psychedelic music reflects the confused mindset of the young man, thrust into a war against an often invisible enemy. It would be years until Posttraumatic Stress Disorder got the attention it deserved but the opening sequence to this film may have given a preview of its horrors to audiences.

Tags

Richard Wagner, The Doors, The Rolling Stones