Title: Planet of the Apes
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
Screenplay by: Michael Wilson and Rod Serling
Year: 1968
Planet of the Apes (1968) is quite bluntly an incredible film. The title may be off-putting to those not interested in the science-fiction genre, but I believe anyone could watch this film and enjoy it. This was a very influential film when it first hit the theatre, but does it still hold up today?
This film is based on a novel of the same name by French author Pierre Boulle and stars the amazing Charlton Heston as an astronaut named George Taylor. Accompanied by the astronauts Landon (Robert Gunner) and Dodge (Jeff Burton) Taylor undertakes a journey into space at light speed. The ship crash lands (after a great monologue by Taylor followed by the opening credits) into a lake in the middle of a large desert. The crew wakes up to find that they have only aged about 18 months during their hibernation while they have journeyed about 2000 years into the future and landed on an unknown planet.
This premise alone is intriguing yet simple. One of the greatest aspects of the film is the cast. Charlton Heston gives a magnificent performance as Taylor. He evokes the appropriate confusion, anger, happiness, and pain at the right time and with a fitting performance, which really complements the film. The delivery of his lines is damned incredible. Charlton Heston steals every scene he is in. However, when Roddy McDowall (as a chimpanzee archaeologist named Cornelius) is also in the scene, then Heston does have some competition. The character of Cornelius is a very charming one and McDowall's performance and delivery are on par with Heston's. Animal psychologist Dr. Zira (also a chimpanzee) is played by Kim Hunter, who does really well in her role. Then there is Dr. Zaius, played to perfection by Maurice Evans. Dr. Zaius serves as the main villain of the story and Evans sells the role fantastically. Finally, this film introduced Linda Harrison as Nova, one of the native, mute humans of the planet. Though playing a mute, Linda Harrison is surprisingly emotional in the role. Her actions and limited facial expressions (limited because the humans are primitive) convey the appropriate emotion in an effective manner.
As for the actual plot, well, the story is nothing short of spectacular. The concept is so simple, apes ruling over humans, as to be almost too simple. However, what really lets this story succeed is the detail crammed into the world. For instance, there is a rather subtle hierarchy within the ape civilization, where the gorillas act as law enforcement, the chimpanzees as scientists and researchers, and the orangutans as politicians and representatives. This ranking system is never mentioned in the film but is shown through the uniforms each ape wears and their profession or role in the society. Another nice touch is how the apes don't simply rule over the humans, but the scientists actually conduct research on them to learn more such as pairing them up for breeding. There are also some religious aspects. We learn about what the apes worship and what they believe in. It's all very interesting and sometimes these details are used as hidden plot devices.
This film also has plenty of action and suspense. There are so many moments that really leave the audience tense and on the edge of their seat. In addition, for some reason, the very first thing an ape says in the film seems so appropriate and perfect. I can't give an exact reason as to why that is, but it just feels right.
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Strangely enough, even though Stewart NEVER SPOKE and Dodge barely said anything in the film, I really felt for their characters when they died. I can't really explain it, but their deaths just really seemed.....genuinely sad. Seeing Stewart's aged body, knowing that she died alone (even if it was in her sleep) and seeing a stuffed Dodge in a museum were a real punch in the gut for me. And then there's Landon. His character definitely got more development than the previous two astronauts I mentioned but what happened to him was worse than death and the reveal was spectacular. As Taylor said, "They cut him!" as in they cut his brain. He has now become a vegetable, a "living death" rather. All that Landon was is now gone and all that is left of him is an empty shell. That...was sad.
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Speaking of twists, this film has quite a few, whether for the audience or for the characters in the film. For instance, when Taylor is shot during the hunt at the beginning of the film, he is unable to speak for a long time. But the first thing he says is "Take your paws of me you damn dirty ape!" The fact that a human can speak is shocking to the apes because this has never happened before. Another great twist is when the human doll is found in the cave near the end of the film and the fact that it says "Mama" proves that man preceded ape on the mysterious planet. But of course, the greatest twist of the film, and probably one of the greatest ones in cinematic history comes at the very end of the film. When Taylor and Nova finally escape from the apes after making a deal with them, they go their own way. Taylor wants to search for answers as to what happened to the humans that came before the apes. Along his travels, he comes across something rather incredible. Upon seeing it, he jumps off his horse and gives a memorable little speech, ending with the words "Ah damn you! God damn you all to hell!" Mind you, the audience has yet to see what has caused Taylor's outrage. But then you see it. The camera zooms out and the final shot of the film is a damaged Statue of Liberty, it's bottom half buried in the sand. The surprise that the mysterious planet was earth all along was a stroke of GENIUS! Too bad it's spoiled by many DVD covers nowadays, as good as it looks.
*SPOILER FREE* The production values of the film hold up surprisingly well, even by today's standards. Sure, we know that the apes are played by humans in costumes, but those costumes are extremely well-made and are incredibly believable. Franklin J. Schaffner, the director, makes effective use of wide shots, especially within the first act of the film when the crew is exploring the planet. His directing is unique and benefits the film. The cinematography is also very impressive. This combination of great direction and fantastic cinematography creates a believable and immersive world. Then there's the score. The musical soundtrack of this movie is very fitting and easily gives off the appropriate tone and atmosphere. Jerry Goldsmith's score ranks as one of my favorite cinematic soundtracks, with the chilling main titles theme being a standout.
I simply cannot express how great Planet of the Apes (1968) truly is. I remember after watching the film for the first time, the first thing I said was, "That...was a fantastic film!" And it still is. "Planet of the Apes (1968) is definitely a must-see film, even if you are not a fan of science-fiction. This is easily one of my favorite movies, and one I plan on enjoying for many years to come.
Grade: A+
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Strangely enough, even though Stewart NEVER SPOKE and Dodge barely said anything in the film, I really felt for their characters when they died. I can't really explain it, but their deaths just really seemed.....genuinely sad. Seeing Stewart's aged body, knowing that she died alone (even if it was in her sleep) and seeing a stuffed Dodge in a museum were a real punch in the gut for me. And then there's Landon. His character definitely got more development than the previous two astronauts I mentioned but what happened to him was worse than death and the reveal was spectacular. As Taylor said, "They cut him!" as in they cut his brain. He has now become a vegetable, a "living death" rather. All that Landon was is now gone and all that is left of him is an empty shell. That...was sad.
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Speaking of twists, this film has quite a few, whether for the audience or for the characters in the film. For instance, when Taylor is shot during the hunt at the beginning of the film, he is unable to speak for a long time. But the first thing he says is "Take your paws of me you damn dirty ape!" The fact that a human can speak is shocking to the apes because this has never happened before. Another great twist is when the human doll is found in the cave near the end of the film and the fact that it says "Mama" proves that man preceded ape on the mysterious planet. But of course, the greatest twist of the film, and probably one of the greatest ones in cinematic history comes at the very end of the film. When Taylor and Nova finally escape from the apes after making a deal with them, they go their own way. Taylor wants to search for answers as to what happened to the humans that came before the apes. Along his travels, he comes across something rather incredible. Upon seeing it, he jumps off his horse and gives a memorable little speech, ending with the words "Ah damn you! God damn you all to hell!" Mind you, the audience has yet to see what has caused Taylor's outrage. But then you see it. The camera zooms out and the final shot of the film is a damaged Statue of Liberty, it's bottom half buried in the sand. The surprise that the mysterious planet was earth all along was a stroke of GENIUS! Too bad it's spoiled by many DVD covers nowadays, as good as it looks.
*SPOILER FREE* The production values of the film hold up surprisingly well, even by today's standards. Sure, we know that the apes are played by humans in costumes, but those costumes are extremely well-made and are incredibly believable. Franklin J. Schaffner, the director, makes effective use of wide shots, especially within the first act of the film when the crew is exploring the planet. His directing is unique and benefits the film. The cinematography is also very impressive. This combination of great direction and fantastic cinematography creates a believable and immersive world. Then there's the score. The musical soundtrack of this movie is very fitting and easily gives off the appropriate tone and atmosphere. Jerry Goldsmith's score ranks as one of my favorite cinematic soundtracks, with the chilling main titles theme being a standout.
I simply cannot express how great Planet of the Apes (1968) truly is. I remember after watching the film for the first time, the first thing I said was, "That...was a fantastic film!" And it still is. "Planet of the Apes (1968) is definitely a must-see film, even if you are not a fan of science-fiction. This is easily one of my favorite movies, and one I plan on enjoying for many years to come.
Grade: A+
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