Film Review: Planet of the Apes (1968)

Imagine, if you will, a crazy backwards planet where humans are mute savages and apes are the speaking, reigning civilization. This strange premise was explored in Pierre Boulle's novel, the rights for which were pitched to Fox studios relentlessly until somebody said "yes." Thus, despite how cheesy it sounded, an iconic franchise was born.

The film adaptation follows Taylor (Charlton Heston, exuding pure angst and manliness as he spends most of the film naked, sweaty, and exploited in cages) and a team of astronauts that crash land on a barren wasteland. Three of them survive, only to wander into a hunting ground where sentient talking apes round up humans. Imprisoned in the ape's city, Taylor endures the torment and scorn of a whole species that looks down on him as an inferior, war-mongering animal. He winds up in the center of a perfect storm of science, religion, and politics as apes debate his disposition and status as a sentient, talking animal.

There are thrills to be had. The movie strikes a good pace as it sweeps from a tale of extraterrestrial survival to the horrors of dehumanizing exploitation. The few times Taylor fights for his freedom, he does so with fists swinging, guns blazing, and always running from one problem to another. Often times, the spaces in between the action comes off as more compelling, thanks to the sheer suspense surrounding Taylor's fate and the core debate. You can't help but to root for him as he and his allies are constantly beat down by an establishment purposefully manipulating the truth. These struggles echo the then-relevant issue concerning civil rights conflicts--that, and the constant clash between truth, rhetoric, and humanity keeps the film's themes timeless.

It's also a real whopper of a plot, the impact of which hinges on the perfect execution of its finale. In one shot, the film drives home its singular truth about the story's events and perspectives, in addition to underscoring its critique on mankind's violent nature. This scene has haunted viewers for decades.

All the film's success I attribute to its script, courtesy of Rod Serling and Michael Wilson. They managed to keep all the adventure of the original novel, with maybe some camp intact, but in a way that's far more grounded and creditable. Dialogue is often punchy, and not even the clunky ape costumes diminish the effective performances of Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, or Maurice Evans (the latter of whom stands out as a great love-to-hate antagonist with a fair amount of ideological depth).

This whole story is captured with fast-and-loose camerawork, which lucidly floats through the action sequences (even to the point of flipping upside down in one scene), but also shows a steady hand when showcasing the rugged beauty of the locales (filmed in the American west). The actual world of apes is brought to life vividly with its detailed costumes, sets, and make-up effects. To accentuate the insanity of the story, Jerry Goldsmith scored this film with some really wacky, discordant sounds, and it somehow works.

It's a premise that sounds silly and the film shows its age at times. The qualities of its story (brought to a fine point thanks to the performances and writing) raises the film far above the threshold of B-movie nonsense. It's more than an exploration of a backwards planet--it's an examination of human nature and truth. All qualities of an eternal sci-fi classic.

5/5