BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES

US, 1969, 92 minutes, Colour.
James Franciscus, Linda Harrison, Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter, Charlton Heston.
Directed by Ted Post.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes was basically a commercial venture to make ready money with a sequel to a popular film. The sequel, naturally less surprising, though more spectacular than the original, succeeded at the box-office. Most of the original stars were lured back to act in the film, although it was directed by veteran western and Gunsmoke director, Ted Post.

The film begins with a new astronaut searching for Taylor (Charlton Heston) and the film resumes where the original left off. Thus we know that the planet of the Apes is Earth in 2,000 years time and that the nuclear holocaust occurred. The film can go on from there. It takes up again the story of the apes and provides new but similar episodes to the first film.

The novelty here is the remnant discovered living underground in the previous film's 'Forbidden Zone'; this remnant consists of deformed, but masked, radio-active human survivors who communicate by thought only and who worship the last cobalt bomb in the ruins of New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. The heroes are caught between the apes and the radio-active people and, after a bloody fight, Charlton Heston, who has done almost everything on the screen, blows up the whole world. As popular science-fiction, the film is entertaining. The sequel is Escape from the Planet of the Apes.

1. This film, unlike its predecessor, starts with the truth about mankind, and implies that it will say more about human nature. Considering the Apes, the animal humans, the two normal astronauts and the underground survivors, what does the film say about being human?

2. Questions 1 - 10 on the discussion sheet for Planet of the Apes can be profitably used.

3. This film stresses the military side of the apes' culture (including an anti-war demonstration). What did the film imply about U.S. militarism in the 60's? - the sequence of the meetings, the jingoistic appeals for war and the popular acclaim, the police and the prisons, the not making martyrs of demonstrators. Do you think the filmmakers were sincere or 'playing to the gallery'?

4. How did Nova show that she was more developed in mind than the other humans? (Her imagination is visualised in the story on Taylor and his disappearance.)

5. What impression did bombed New York and the old posters of New York for a simmer holiday make on you?

6. The life of the people beneath the planet of the Apes, their assertion that words are base and that communication is by brainpower, their torture of making people suffer their illusions, their forcing the men to kill each other?

7. Why did the survivors in the ruins have so much terror of the apes?

8. What was the significance of the apes' vision, their fear and Dr Zeus' going through the fire? Was it because they were "not strong enough to trust their illusions"? What does this mean?

9. The Bomb Liturgy offensive or an effective comment on the survivors? What did you think of their revealing themselves to their God by unmasking and showing their real selves? Why was the bomb their god?

10. The torture scenes, cruel? Why?

11. The impact of the end of the film? What was the purpose of the fighting and the killing? If the world is to be like this, is it better that it be destroyed by nuclear bombs?