PLANET OF THE APES
US, 1967,112 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Kim Hunter, Roddy Mc Dowell, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison.
Directed by Franklin Schaffner.
Planet of the Apes was a popular science-fiction film when first released. It was more comprehensible in its story than many other such films, but its bizarre reversal of the roles of the human race and ape (reminiscent of the civilisation found on the trip into the future in The Time Machine) held a fascination for audiences. It was also acted in parody style which was fairly heavy-handed, but made the points obvious to even the least perceptive in the audience. Certainly entertaining, it made the audience pause and think, especially its completely sobering conclusion, perhaps all the more telling because it was so unexpected.
Careful work went into the costuming of the apes who are played by such talented people as Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans and Roddy McDowell? (perhaps this is a reason for playing the film for laughs; audiences would have tended to laugh at people acting seriously as apes anyway). Charlton Heston is his usual athletic self.
Director Franklin Schaffner has done some fine films including The Best Man and Patton. However, he did not direct the commercial sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which takes up immediately where this film left off. It is not as good, but holds the same fascination for science-fiction fans. The same is true of Escape from the Planet of the Apes.
1. Why do film companies continue to make science-fiction films? To thrill? To teach? To indulge our fascination in science?
2. Is what happens in this film possible? Can someone set out in 1967 and arrive in 3955 A.D.?
3. What was your reaction to seeing the apes as civilised, and realising that they had evolved from what they are now? Was this believable in the film?
4. What was your reaction to seeing the humans the equivalent of dumb animals and realising that there had been a reversal of human evolution? Was this credible in the film?
5. At what stage of evolution did the film suggest the apes were? What era of our civilisation was the apes' culture like - in government, military organisation, science, morality, home civilisation, religion? How close to the 1960'a were they?
6. The apes' arrogance to the astronaut and amongst themselves was intended to parallel our arrogance. How did the film do this? What human cliches and stupidities were mimicked?
7. Some critics found the parody of human beings too heavy-handed. Did you? At times it seemed like a corny Western and audiences laughed. In laughing were they missing the point?
8. How did the apes' torture of the humans impress? What of the trial and the humiliation of the astronaut? Why was this sequence included?
9. What did the film imply about the true nature of humans, dignity, development and values?
10. What did Dr, Zeus represent in terms of conservatism, religion, superstition, the 'Forbidden Zone'?
11. Why was Zira sympathetic?
12. What did the end of the film mean? What impact did it make on you when you realised what it meant?
13. If you have read the books, compare aspects of Planet of the Apes With R, G. Wells' The Time Machine and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
