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I need to rewatch, in some cases maybe watch, the later films and live action tv series, so might as well start at the beginning.
XC: Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968)
It's only the iconic final scene that has lodged itself in my mind; the earlier sequences felt new to me. A four person crew - Taylor (Charlton Heston), Dodge (Jeff Burton), Landon (Robert Gunner) and Stewart (Dianne Stanley) crash land on a planet two thousand or so years in the future, having been in stasis. Something has gone wrong with Stewart's equipment, as she has died of old age, and the others, knowing they will likely die stranded on this planet, set out across the desert in search of food. They find humans raiding a corn field before they are captured by a patrol of gorillas - one of them is killed and Taylor is separated from the survivor. He is then over seen by chimpanzees Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), who are scientists. Having temporarily lost his voice, Taylor has to prove his intelligence by writing, but orang utan Dr Zaius (Maurice Evans) refuses to believe it in a dirty ape.
Okay the film is clearly an allegory in the age of civil rights protests, but I wonder if it doesn't end up being confused. Author Rod Serling smuggled subtexts into his Twilight Zone episodes, so there should be no surprise, and this was Michael Wilson's second open credit after being blacklisted in the 1950. (Note he also did work on It's a Wonderful Life.) Whilst it can be thought of as oritiquing any number of stratified societies, the language here points to a racially divided America - and the differing opportunities available to WASPs, Jews, Blacks etc. One of the most iconic figures of all-American culture (I feel that should be "all-American" as it is anything but) Charlton Heston is portrayed as the victim of racism. Taylor moves from a misanthrope happy to abandon Earth to a passionate defender of humanity - and finally to a vindicated cynic.
Of course when you try to work out whether the chimps are meant to be Jews or not, and you consider how negatively most of the apes are portrayed, a hurried halt has to be called to the allegorising.
There are only three significant women in the cast - Stewart, killed before the film started (imagine Ripley dying in transit), Nova, a non-speaking human and sex object (played by beauty queen Linda Harrison, girlfriend of the head of Fox at the time) and Zira, probably the smartest character (Kim Hunter had been blacklisted as well).
The film holds up better than I expected - the apes have rubber masks, but end up feeling more convincing than the 2001 reimagining.
Totals: 90 (Cinema: 33; DVD: 52; TV: 5)
XC: Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968)
It's only the iconic final scene that has lodged itself in my mind; the earlier sequences felt new to me. A four person crew - Taylor (Charlton Heston), Dodge (Jeff Burton), Landon (Robert Gunner) and Stewart (Dianne Stanley) crash land on a planet two thousand or so years in the future, having been in stasis. Something has gone wrong with Stewart's equipment, as she has died of old age, and the others, knowing they will likely die stranded on this planet, set out across the desert in search of food. They find humans raiding a corn field before they are captured by a patrol of gorillas - one of them is killed and Taylor is separated from the survivor. He is then over seen by chimpanzees Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), who are scientists. Having temporarily lost his voice, Taylor has to prove his intelligence by writing, but orang utan Dr Zaius (Maurice Evans) refuses to believe it in a dirty ape.
Okay the film is clearly an allegory in the age of civil rights protests, but I wonder if it doesn't end up being confused. Author Rod Serling smuggled subtexts into his Twilight Zone episodes, so there should be no surprise, and this was Michael Wilson's second open credit after being blacklisted in the 1950. (Note he also did work on It's a Wonderful Life.) Whilst it can be thought of as oritiquing any number of stratified societies, the language here points to a racially divided America - and the differing opportunities available to WASPs, Jews, Blacks etc. One of the most iconic figures of all-American culture (I feel that should be "all-American" as it is anything but) Charlton Heston is portrayed as the victim of racism. Taylor moves from a misanthrope happy to abandon Earth to a passionate defender of humanity - and finally to a vindicated cynic.
Of course when you try to work out whether the chimps are meant to be Jews or not, and you consider how negatively most of the apes are portrayed, a hurried halt has to be called to the allegorising.
There are only three significant women in the cast - Stewart, killed before the film started (imagine Ripley dying in transit), Nova, a non-speaking human and sex object (played by beauty queen Linda Harrison, girlfriend of the head of Fox at the time) and Zira, probably the smartest character (Kim Hunter had been blacklisted as well).
The film holds up better than I expected - the apes have rubber masks, but end up feeling more convincing than the 2001 reimagining.
Totals: 90 (Cinema: 33; DVD: 52; TV: 5)
