PLANET OF THE APES
This first installment is an easy one. Easy because I slept on this film. I had seen it years ago, of course. But I had a weird amalgamation of ideas that were all the films rolled into one and I had disdain for the mostly worthless Tim Burton remake from 2001. But I recently rewatched the first film and was floored by how ahead of its time it was (and still is) and by its overall quality.
For a film that is a bit of a goofy late 60's sci-fi piece, it sure has a lot going. You may recall the film having some kitsch. It may be there in a tiny amount, not near the amount you might recall. Let's move past that and revisit a great film. This is largely spoiler free in terms of actual plot progression.
I was surprised on my recent watch at Charlton Heston. Don't get me wrong, I don't discount him. He has some wonderful early 70's movies that are a blast to revisit to this day (Omega Man, Soylent Green spring to mind). But given his image, I was surprised he would be in a film like Planet of the Apes. But his ridiculous red blooded American image improves the film and makes that much more of a contrast for the state of things on the ape planet. He is the perfect foil for the filmmakers to paint their picture.
Not long into the film, there is some very obvious set piece that shows the brutality of hunting and killing for sport. I am no tree hugging vegan, but I found this very poignant. Like many things in the film, it is presented a face value. The simple juxtaposition of the switched roles is all that is needed to make it hit home and be felt by any viewer. Directly prior to the scene really taking off, there is a line "Blessed are the vegetarians." It is said simply because our heroes are glad that they didn't stumble upon something that would try to eat them, but it directly telegraphs the intent of the scene that follows. Even today we are privy to some needlessly inhumane practices towards animals.
That is just an early set piece, but the message is held throughout the film. Other themes are within the same contexts, including class/race relations. This is woven in with a fair amount of subtlety and are witnessed by a simple, yet brilliant caste system that where differing simian races are given higher or lower status. It works so well due to the fact that it is shown and not overly discussed. We pick up on it immediately as it unfortunately mirrors much of what we have seen in our own world. The treatment of humans even slips in here as a picture of how we have treated other peoples/races and is not just a comment on the treatment of animals. Some people were really thought no better than animals, I am sure I don't have to remind anyone of that.
One of the most overt and powerful themes presented is the need for a separation in church & state. Again, it is presented in such a simple and powerful way that one would be foolish to argue against it. Why does a 1968 Charlton Heston film about an ape planet present this in a better way than most can today? The film clearly illustrates the conflict of interest that comes when these two things are combined. It doesn't condemn one or the other, but when they're together - it is a recipe for disaster. A third grader could watch this and see how ludicrous this combination is... which makes it all the more sad that there are many adults who don't grasp this concept. One, I might add, that is wholly American.
The reason I think it can be said that the film doesn't talk down to religion by itself is due to the powerful look at human nature that is presented by the ape's theology. Their belief system is set up in a way that gives a harsh evaluation on the destructive nature of man that rings true. Conversely, one could point out that the apes shouldn't follow some things so blindly and without their own evaluation. Some do, some don't. Which again reflects reality as well as keeping things fairly level. I think most people can appreciate this approach.
That is a quick (?) look at some themes from Planet of the Apes that feel relevant even today. The fact that this film was made over 40 years ago is eye opening. It is really solid filmmaking and I encourage everyone to take a look at it again if given the chance (it is on Netflix watch instantly). This film is now held in high regards amongst my sci-fi favorites. If you like this film and want more, the wonderful District 9 came out this past year and is more socially relevant sci-fi done right. I hear they are making (trying) a prequel to the series, here is hoping it stands with this classic and is not a forgettable exercise like the 2001 remake.
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