Apocalypse Now Helicopter Attack Scene

In the helicopter attack scene from Apocalypse Now, many different interesting sound methods are being used to add action and excitement to the scene. For a start, as the helicopters approach the target village, ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ by Wagner is put onto a radio in the helicopter as diegetic sound as it is being played from a radio directly in the film’s world. Later though the song changes into non-diegetic sound as it becomes more of a soundtrack to the scene rather than coming directly from the radio. Also, as the helicopters near the village, the camera changes to show the Vietnamese in the village below running around or grabbing their weapons as the Americans approach, and the song stops for this portion, later returning once the camera flicks back to the helicopters. This makes the song seem almost still diegetic as it implies that once the viewer is shown further away from the source of the music, it cannot be heard anymore, but if that is true, then we shouldn’t be able to hear it from the shots showing the outside of the choppers either, yet we still can.