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The Planet of the Apes (1968, USA)
- Director
- Franklin J. Schaffner
- Cast
- Charlton Heston (Taylor), Roddy McDowell (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Dr Zaius)
- Screenplay
- Rod Sterling and Michael Wilson, based on the novel by Pierre Boule
- Format
- Live action, colour
- Language
- English
- Running time
- 98 minutes
- Classification
- PG
- Distributor
- Twentieth Century Home Video
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Setting
- Earth in the future
- Main characters
- Taylor, Dr Gaius, Nova
- Narrative focus
- Taylor as a prisoner
Synopsis
It is 2,000 years in the future and space explorer Taylor and his crew crash-land on a barren planet. Exploring the desert landscape they discover and are captured by a community of apes where humans are a mute slave class. The apes have a fully developed society of industry, architecture, military and culture. Two younger, highly educated apes, Cornelius and Zira, are intrigued by Taylor and recognise his intelligence. Taylor goes before a tribunal to explain and defend himself. The apes will not accept his identity and that he is from a culture that once superseded their own. Taylor attempts to escape but is always caught. He travels out to the coast and is shown an archaeological dig with seemingly human remains. Finally allowed his freedom, Taylor and the mute woman Nova leave the community of apes and Taylor is shocked and horrified when he finds an irrefutable sign that the planet he is on is Earth.
Background
The film is considered a classic science fiction film, demonstrating the way in which the genre can deal with social issues without being heavy-handed. The film was so popular that three sequels and a TV series were made. Its star, Charlton Heston, was known for starring in biblical epics such as Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. He is politically conservative (and until recently was the Chairman of America's National Rifle Association which defends the rights of Americans to own firearms). The director, Franklin J Schaffner, began as a director of TV drama and then moved into feature films. He frequently directed material with a political theme. His follow up film to Planet of the Apes was Patton (1970) about the role of this controversial American general in World War II.
Commentary
Planet of the Apes is a politically charged film. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, and its realistic style of camera work, the apes' human qualities, makes the unfamiliar feel familiar, and vice versa. In this use of the science fiction genre, the film effectively and entertainingly comments on human society in the 20th century, engagingly raising a number of knotty issues, including discrimination, justice, our understanding of intelligence, etc. The final scene poses the question of what is happening to human liberty.
It may be interesting to compare this original version with the recent remake by Tim Burton (US, 2000).
Also recommended
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (US, 1977, Steven Spielberg) is about Earth's contact with extra-terrestrials and the governmental attempt to cover up the event.
Animal Farm (UK, 1954, John Halas and Joy Batchelor) is an animated political allegory based on George Orwell's novel, which explores similar issues of social class, discrimination and hierarchy.
Teaching suggestions (Key Stage 4, age 14-16)
Citizenship focus
- Legal and human rights that underpin society
- The world as a global community and the environmental and social implications
- Freedom of the press.
Subject link
Geography: environmental change
Art and Design: examine how costumes and set help convey meaning; compare this version with Tim Burton's version: what differences are there which reflect the impact of new technologies?
Freeze frame
Pause the film on the final shot of Taylor as he finds the remains of the Statue of Liberty crumbling on the shore.
- What is the significance of this shot in the film?
- Which planet is the Planet of the Apes?
- What does the decaying statue reveal about previous generations of humans and their abuse of the environment?
- Why have the filmmakers used the Statue of Liberty?
- Where is it located in real life?
- What does it symbolize?
- What do the book and the torch represent?
- How might the events of September 11th have changed the way audiences interpret the ending of the film?
As a follow up activity, students could be asked to collect different images of the World Trade Centre before and after September 11th from magazines and newspapers, and brainstorm the associations and symbolism of the twin towers before and after the terrorist attacks.
Generic translation
Watch the sequence where Taylor attends the tribunal. Get students to rewrite the scene as a transcript of the court proceedings.
- What issues about the legal and human rights that underpin society are raised in this scene?
Discussion
The following questions can be used as a starting point to focus discussion before generalising the issues that the film raises.
- What is the basis of the apes' discrimination against the humans?
- How do the apes justify their mistreatment?
- Why are Cornelius and Zira sympathetic to the Taylor and Zora?
- What does the ending of the film imply about the ultimate value of intelligence?
- The General is conservative and scientists are liberals. Who is ultimately 'right'?
- How does this film affect your understanding of
- Animal rights?
- Environmental issues?
Simulation
Ask students to write a 50-word pitch for a new film with animals as the protagonists. They should consider how they could use the science-fiction or fantasy genre to address serious social and political issues more easily than stating them directly.
Practical production work
Ask students to
- Script and video a two-minute party political broadcast. They will need to write a manifesto and explain how their plans for the future of the UK will benefit every citizen.
- Storyboard a 30-second advertisement for an environmental organisation warning of the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. They should think about which images they could use to create the greatest impact on their audience. You may like to use one of our sample storyboards (PDF) for this exercise.
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