The razor thin line between control and concern is something many philosophers, governments, and leaders have grappled with since history became recorded. Man’s ability to subjugate his brethren to unconscionable violence, due to his concern for “security”, is a repetitive pattern lingering over the annals of history. Planet of the Apes reconstructs that pattern and perfectly encapsulates its most poignant dissections with subtle flair. Through the lens of Taylor, played by Charlton Heston, we are granted a cynical lens to this world. His nonchalant attitude towards his purpose in life, compacted with his nihilistic understanding of humanity, create a “devil may care” approach to his current predicament. The writers, Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, also known for creating The Twilight Zone, place Taylor and his astronaut crew in a primitive commune that highlights a multitude of moral failings within our then modern society. Taylor’s light degradation of human flaws transforms into intense adoration once he is violently enslaved within Ape Society. A theocratic police state that uses the guise of spirituality to coerce its inhabitants. Taylor is humiliated, stripped, and beaten as Dr. Zaius, the minister of science and protector of the faith, regurgitates ape supremacy and its brilliance over every subject across the land. Considering the time period this was released, the 1960’s, it's extremely evocative in its employment of fantastical creatures to symbolize the real prejudice being enacted across America and the western world. Ape and its system enlighten us to our vulgar hierarchical machinations flayed to its basest form.
The very introduction to the world of Ape society is shocking and vicious. Taylor and his crew have endlessly traversed on foot from the crash site of their spaceship. The desert emits dreadful anxiety as more greenery begins to manifest before them. We, as an audience, feel security due to our inherent association of nature with harmony. I truly admire how harshly this comfort quickly evaporates. The leaves rumble and out of the tall brush gallops a squad of militaristic gorilla’s handling human weaponry. The relationship between man and animal reversed before our very eyes. The marvel of animal and human relations seemingly swapping are enhanced by the explosive violence the apes exhibit. I admire how the writers frighten us with the uncertainty of our evolutionary place whilst mainly using behavior we associate with humanity. There is no dissonance in comparing how closely these behaviors simulate men wrangling slaves or enforcing prejudice over his dominion. It has a distinct undertone that any person would recognize due to our understanding of political and social conquest. The dark irony of Taylor’s beliefs is his fundamentalist belief of ape violence being “beyond humans”. Shockingly, as we’ll discuss, this existential war he wages with the apes comes crashing down by the end of this nightmare. The truth unveils a connective tissue that no one truly wishes to confront.
This revisit moved me. I used to indulge with this franchise as a comfort watch. I found myself in awe at the subversive and ugly tone this film inhabits. I see the consistency of Planet of the Apes being unfavorably contrasted with mediocre companions of the sci-fi genre in that era. I think, with retrospection, the film harbors startling qualities that left me disheartened and introspective. It harbors a clear aptitude analyzing the time period it was made in. Beyond the practical makeup and archaic presentation is a film that punches above whatever budgetary limits attempt to suppress its success. Each scene of dialogue involving philosophical discussion feels purposeful within its wider scope. I truly commend the writers for practicing time wisely and opting for intellectual stimulation over cheap thrills. Something that could’ve easily been indulged with a creative team lacking mindfulness or intention. The sequence of Taylor presenting his case in court stands above the other symbology for me. The irony of Taylor having nostalgia for the human world feels apt considering that what we know is usually what we cling to in times of uncertainty. This entire sequence involves the lawmakers of this society devolving into comical levels of denial. They even resort to covering their ears when the apes representing Taylor begin to argue his case. It’s almost childish if it wasn’t close to home. A somewhat humorous reading in an era where the civil rights movement was unfolding outside the theater playing this. Taylor and his experience during this scene radiates anguish on its audience. The uncertainty of it forces me to ponder how I would even react in such a detrimental point in the situation.
Taylor’s existential anguish explodes near the end of the film. The entire dynamic of humanity versus ape supremacy is brought into question with its origin. As Taylor heads into the forbidden zone after successfully negotiating his release he finds a monument from his era. The monument brings alive the ape philosophy sprung upon him by Zaius before their departure. “Beware the beast man for he is the devil’s pawn,” as was stated. Taylor spends so much of the film pondering how he had the poor luck to land in this hell. He craves to be back on his planet with the “just” society he was once entrenched in. What he fails to heed is that this world was once the paradise for humanity he seeks. This monument, the Statue of LIberty, now operates as a beacon that illustrates to Taylor how long he’s been in space. It also operates as a tomb. Humanity had destroyed itself. Ape’s forcefully indicted what was left of man and kept him in a state of ignorance so as to not allow him a chance to cause violence again. Even more sinister is the fact that the censorship of Ape society ultimately stops them from evolving to derive maliciousness on a level humanity once exhibited. A startling fall from dominance to be absorbed by a man who lived amongst his kind's golden age. The last line from Taylor damning humanity to hell has to be the most haunting condemnation of our progress as a species. A meteoric rise that eventually succumbed to its internal failings. As I grow older and watch fascism rise in America I become almost fatigued by the weight of this scene. Even with so much knowledge and strength we are unable to reclaim our sensible nature. It all is for naught due to man’s ego and hatred of his fellow citizens. Ape society is ultimately a reflection of who we are and simultaneously the answer to our death rattle. It’s the destruction caused by humanity that reaps the most theocratic devotion to enslaving us later on. Reason is an attribute that we define as our acclaimed trait. Planet of the Apes simply questions this notion and proclaims, “Man is reasonable until his grotesque desire for conquest ultimately corrupts his thinking.”
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