Walter Murch - Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now – 1979 – Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Murch was the last editor hired to work on what would be one of the most iconic films of all time. He joined fellow editors Richard Marks, Jerry Greenberg and Dennis Jakob. “When I started there were already three, so the film divided into four sections. I had responsibility from the beginning of the film till the end of the sampan massacre... I was editing picture for a year and then working on sound for another two” (Ondaatje. (2002). P.61). Murch openly admits “Apocalypse Now remains the longest post-production experience of any film I’ve been involved with...with the physical reality of 1,250,000 feet of film and editing 35mm workprint, it was a lot of physical work” (Chang. (2012). p.20), at this time Murch was also involved with creating the 5.1 sound format at Coppola’s request.

The opening of Apocalypse Now Murch’s editing creates an abstract, multi-layered, visually arresting scene. It opens with a slowed down image of a helicopter flying past the Vietnam Jungle, the jungle is then blown up by napalm but Murch has edited the sound of the explosion out and instead only included the slowed down sound of the swooping helicopter propellers that grow increasingly louder the closer it gets to the camera, the doors “The End” underscoring create a dizzying effect.

The sand swirling in the air by the helicopter create a tobacco like colour tone to the scene. When there are repeatedly slow dissolves into the hotel room introducing Willard (Martin Sheen) and back to the Vietnam jungle burning the colour toning compliments the dissolves because the colour of the room is a sepia glow from the lighting shining through the blinds. The choice of cuts, the unusual angles, close up’s, slow tracks into the room allow the audience to enter Willard’s alcohol induced crazed hallucination. Murch also placing the sound of the helicopter propellers over the fan reflects Willard inability to escape the nightmare and immerse the audience into the doom of war.

The scene with Willard in the hotel room was at first an acting rehearsal Coppola set up with two cameras at right angles to each other. A technique Coppola used to help Martin Sheen get more into the psyche and true character of Willard. It was never intended to be in the finished film, but Coppola however found the material to compelling to remove so Murch included it into the opening sequence.