Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Written by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, based on the novel La Planète des Singes aka Monkey Planet by Pierre Boulle
Cast: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly, Linda Harrison, Robert Gunner, Lou Wagner, Woodrow Parfrey, Jeff Burton, Buck Kartalian, Norman Burton
Soundtrack: Jerry Goldsmith
It’s no secret that 1968 is on record as one of the most volatile years in the history of the United States (save maybe for 1814, when the Redcoats actually burned down the White House). From the Vietnam War, to the assassinations of MLK and RFK (and subsequent riots in the case of the former), to the violent demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention, much of the country was at a fever pitch. And in the midst of this landscape of rancor, a movie like Planet of the Apes was released into the wild. A film that, like many great science fiction stories, asks questions of the time in which it was written.
Even if you’ve never seen it, you’re likely familiar with Planet of the Apes through shear cultural osmosis. You probably even know what the big twist is, which I was concerned about in relation to seeing the movie again, but I will emphatically say that knowing how the movie ends does not spoil the experience of watching it (it passes “The Usual Suspects test” with flying colors).
One thing I never realized before seeing it on the big screen is that one of the credited screenwriters for Planet of the Apes is Rod Serling, which makes perfect sense, given that he’s the man behind The Twilight Zone. The movie is pretty much a feature-length episode of that show (except in color)
What also makes perfect sense is the movie’s use of a cold open. I’m generally a fan of cold opens anyway, but the way it’s used in Planet of the Apes is perhaps the most logical application I’ve ever seen, because it establishes that the astronauts are on their way home (Charlton Heston aka “Taylor” is about to join his crew in hypersleep), before going to a space montage underneath the opening credits, then once the credits are done, the story moves to the crash landing on the mysterious planet. Those are some quality creative decisions right there.
Anyway, as I said, Planet of the Apes is a classic science fiction story. A crew of astronauts crash land on an unknown planet and discover that apes rule civilization while humans are feral animals. Needless to say, the very existence of these outsiders threatens to unravel all of ape society.
The success of the movie, besides the story, comes down to two primary factors: the ape costumes/makeup (which, though dated, still largely work), and Charlton Heston. Say what you want about his politics (although you might be surprised to learn he attended the March on Washington in 1963), Heston always had a commanding screen presence as an actor, and it’s put to full use in Planet of the Apes. You can’t help but root for the guy, even if he’s kind of a weird jerk when the astronauts first arrive on the planet. And I take issue with people who say he’s humorless. Sure, you probably wouldn’t cast him in an out-and-out comedy, but he’s got a dry sense of humor that works in movies such as this. I think one of my favorite moments is when he tells a young ape, “Don’t trust anyone over thirty.”
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Jerry Goldsmith’s score, which could be described as avant-garde in all the right ways, and helping to generate a very primal tone (if not downright primordial at times, especially towards the beginning).
In the end, there’s not much more I can say that hasn’t already been said about this movie. It may not be perfect, it may not have aged well in every respect, but it still works, and it still has plenty to say to us as a society. And even if you’re not looking to generate a political dialogue, it’s plenty entertaining. A great Saturday afternoon movie if there ever was one.
Rating: ★★★★☆
P.S.
Shoutout to Mondo Tees for these awesome shirts. I’m totally wearing mine on Election Day.