Planet of the Apes (1968)No matter the time or place, society seems predisposed to bring about its own misery and destruction. Planet of the Apes (1968) is a science fiction movie, about the survivors of an expedition crossing light years of space, including the cocksure and determined astronaut, George Taylor (Charlton Heston). After Taylor crash lands on a mysterious planet populated by evolved apes who treat humans like cattle, he is captured and becomes a research specimen of the progressive animal psychologist, Zira (Kim Hunter), who discovers that not only is Taylor intelligent, but that he can speak. His existence proves to be a threat to the fundamental order of simian society, exemplified by the prejudiced Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans).
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Planet of the Apes is a film which thrives on irony; consider the attitudes of the evolved apes who fervently adhere to notions that seem closed-minded when contrasted with modern scientific sensibilities about the theory of evolution and the separation of church and state. There is also a caste system in this simian society; apes like Dr. Zaius--evolved from orangutans--exist at the height of power. Chimpanzees, like Zira and her fiance, Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), embody a merchant or scientific caste, while gorillas exist as brute enforcers, guards, and hunters. The city of the apes is a glorified compound of adobe huts and caves, showing that the apes have enough understanding of architecture to craft rotundas and other elements in their dwelling. But after Taylor reveals his ability to speak--delivering one of cinema's most famous lines about his "dirty" captors--he is treated hostilely, then silenced and patronized by the council of simian leaders who accuse him of being a "freak of nature". Taylor tries to convince the apes that he is from another planet, and that he fell from the sky in a spaceship; the apes cannot conceive of the idea of artificial flight, and apes like Dr. Zaius stamp out any idea which could suggest otherwise. To despots like Dr. Zaius, Taylor represents more than a genetic oddity--he is a threat to the very social order that has been fabricated to keep his society in check, a "religion" manufactured to deter the other apes from recreating the tragedy that ruined humanity over a thousand years ago, even at the expense of the truth. It is ironic that before entering his sleep of suspended animation, Taylor makes a recording, pondering if--at that point, seven hundred years in the future--mankind could ever put aside their warlike nature, and turn to peaceful coexistence instead. That final, haunting, unforgettable shot at the end of Planet of the Apes is his horrific answer, one which all but justifies Dr. Zaius' paranoia.
Planet of the Apes has become so ingrained into pop culture, that many of the key points of the film--like the shocking conclusion--are common knowledge. Some small details have been subtly referenced in other films--like how the dates on the consoles in both Planet of the Apes and Back to the Future are November the 25th--and others have been outright parodied, like the ending of Planet of the Apes being spoofed in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs. If the "parallel dimension" vibe that runs through Planet of the Apes--not to mention the twist ending--seem like "The Twilight Zone", it should come as no surprise that the screenplay was co-written by Rod Serling. And like many episodes from "The Twilight Zone", Planet of the Apes subverts expectations and reverses roles, confronting the audience into reevaluating their own ideals and values. It could be said that Planet of the Apes advocates for animal rights, considering the cruelties and mistreatment Taylor endures, meant to mirror the worst zoos, laboratories, or even private residences. Planet of the Apes also uses this mechanism to address social issues like religion, racism, and democracy--the anti-war message is one which is only delivered in its fullness at the end of the film. Dr. Zaius coyly tries to lead Taylor to this conclusion before his discovery, but even Taylor cannot comprehend how mankind could have so thoroughly destroyed themselves. To him, the devastation that has rendered the so-called "Forbidden Zone" unlivable must have been the result of something else, like a plague or meteor storm. When Taylor and his fellow astronauts are travelling through the zone, speculating that they are on another planet, Landon (Robert Gunner) comments that there is "no moon", even though the Earth we know today has one. This grimly suggests that whatever "world war" took place must have destroyed the moon as well. Even though humanity nearly ruined the world and opened the path for the simian evolution, they have not become extinct; on the contrary, the apes frequently cull humans, with one such hunt claiming the life of Taylor's other colleague, Dodge (Jeff Burton). Those humans who have survived have no language of their own; they appear mute, like Nova (Linda Harrison), the lovely woman who Zira pairs with Taylor in the hopes of getting them to mate. The thought about why humanity has survived at all is a challenging one, until one considers a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” By this line of reasoning, "World War III" has already happened, and whatever revolution Taylor ultimately represents will likely set the stage for the next one. The film posits that it is in man's nature to make war--as Dr. Zaius observes when an armed Taylor takes him hostage, he is a "natural born killer"; Dr. Zaius says this about Taylor, but Planet of the Apes ominously suggests that this is meant to describe us all.
Recommended for: Fans of a classic science fiction fable that tackles numerous social issues while disguised as a space adventure. Planet of the Apes is one of Hollywood's most memorable movies, featuring Charlton Heston delivering some outstanding lines of dialogue full of punch, and boasting the ne plus ultra of movie twists.
Planet of the Apes has become so ingrained into pop culture, that many of the key points of the film--like the shocking conclusion--are common knowledge. Some small details have been subtly referenced in other films--like how the dates on the consoles in both Planet of the Apes and Back to the Future are November the 25th--and others have been outright parodied, like the ending of Planet of the Apes being spoofed in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs. If the "parallel dimension" vibe that runs through Planet of the Apes--not to mention the twist ending--seem like "The Twilight Zone", it should come as no surprise that the screenplay was co-written by Rod Serling. And like many episodes from "The Twilight Zone", Planet of the Apes subverts expectations and reverses roles, confronting the audience into reevaluating their own ideals and values. It could be said that Planet of the Apes advocates for animal rights, considering the cruelties and mistreatment Taylor endures, meant to mirror the worst zoos, laboratories, or even private residences. Planet of the Apes also uses this mechanism to address social issues like religion, racism, and democracy--the anti-war message is one which is only delivered in its fullness at the end of the film. Dr. Zaius coyly tries to lead Taylor to this conclusion before his discovery, but even Taylor cannot comprehend how mankind could have so thoroughly destroyed themselves. To him, the devastation that has rendered the so-called "Forbidden Zone" unlivable must have been the result of something else, like a plague or meteor storm. When Taylor and his fellow astronauts are travelling through the zone, speculating that they are on another planet, Landon (Robert Gunner) comments that there is "no moon", even though the Earth we know today has one. This grimly suggests that whatever "world war" took place must have destroyed the moon as well. Even though humanity nearly ruined the world and opened the path for the simian evolution, they have not become extinct; on the contrary, the apes frequently cull humans, with one such hunt claiming the life of Taylor's other colleague, Dodge (Jeff Burton). Those humans who have survived have no language of their own; they appear mute, like Nova (Linda Harrison), the lovely woman who Zira pairs with Taylor in the hopes of getting them to mate. The thought about why humanity has survived at all is a challenging one, until one considers a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” By this line of reasoning, "World War III" has already happened, and whatever revolution Taylor ultimately represents will likely set the stage for the next one. The film posits that it is in man's nature to make war--as Dr. Zaius observes when an armed Taylor takes him hostage, he is a "natural born killer"; Dr. Zaius says this about Taylor, but Planet of the Apes ominously suggests that this is meant to describe us all.
Recommended for: Fans of a classic science fiction fable that tackles numerous social issues while disguised as a space adventure. Planet of the Apes is one of Hollywood's most memorable movies, featuring Charlton Heston delivering some outstanding lines of dialogue full of punch, and boasting the ne plus ultra of movie twists.