PLANET OF THE APES (1968): Subversive Sci-Fi For The Masses

In 1968, you had two towering examples of big-budget Hollywood sci-fi. On one side, you had 2001: A Space Odyssey: intellectual, technically dazzling, artsy and inscrutable. On the other side, you had Planet Of The Apes. It was much more accessible to the popcorn crowd because it was built around a traditional matinee idol in Charlton Heston, wedded its science fiction elements to traditional mystery and adventure elements that the average viewer could hang his or her hat upon and its key technical marvel - the amazing humanoid ape makeups - actually increased its accessibility by making the unreal seem real.

That said, you shouldn't let the veneer of traditionalHollywood filmmaking in Planet Of TheApes fool you. Even by 21st century standards, it remains every bit assubversive as 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It just achieves its agenda in a more directand confrontational manner.

PlanetOf The Apes starts in the space adventure modeestablished in the 50s by sending a group of astronauts into space,accelerating deep into the future to see what they can find. The leader of thegroup is Taylor (Heston), who has the look and leadership skills of hero butotherwise has a pessimistic, acidically sarcastic manner.  They land on a planet where walking, talkingapes are the status quo and humans are a mute, primitive species that is huntedand experimented on like animals.

It's the beginning of a waking nightmare forTaylor.  After many struggles, he findsallies in chimpanzee doctor Zia (Kim Hunter) and her anthropologist husbandCornelius (Roddy McDowell). However, he is up against a lot: his ship has beendestroyed, he quickly learns how cheap human life is on this strange planet andhe has a formidable enemy in Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), a leader who uses hisreligious standing to bend the planet's science to his own dogmatic, anti-humanstance. Taylor learns the value of his humanity by having to fight for it buthe will discover that this planet has other surprises in store for him.

PlanetOf The Apes was an instant hit for 20th Century-Fox andthe main reason for this success is how it packages its subversive elements inthe grandest of thrills. Producer Arthur P. Jacobs came from an agentbackground and carefully assembled his production in agent style. The firstelement was the script, adapted from a novel by acclaimed French author PierreBoulle. Rod Serling worked on early drafts of the script, contributing afantastic twist ending that has an ironic, TwilightZone-style sting, but the shooting script was prepared by Michael Wilson,who adapted Boulle's Bridge On The RiverKwai for the big screen.

The script keeps its main premise from becoming dull byshifting its story through different modes: there is space adventure, a stretchof suspense where Taylor can't speak due to a throat injury and has to convincehis captors he can speak, a courtroom drama stretch where Taylor fights for hislife and an escape thriller that leads to the film's legendary coda. The scriptdeftly shifts through these modes, propelling its way through the changes withsharp plotting and literate, often darkly witty dialogue. Through the dialogue,it sneaks in some surprisingly subversive messages about caste systems,inhumane treatment of animals and particularly the dangers of allowing religionto dominate science.

The next part of the package was attaching Heston as astar. His marquee value was crucial to getting Hollywood to accept this unusualproject.  He also happens to deliver afine, even daring performance: a few of his quotes have become pop culturememes but it's interesting to note how daring it was for the man who playedMoses and Ben Hur to play an abrasive, humanity-spurning anti-hero with a darksense of humor. He twists his natural screen charisma in an edgy direction,selling the character's abrasive elements with the forceful confidence of aclassic leading man. In doing so, he furthers the film's quietly subversivequality.

Once Heston was onboard, it was easier to find other qualityactors - and Jacobs and the studio spent the necessary money to get them. Inmany ways, Hunter and McDowell are the heart of the film: despite being undermakeup that obscured their familiar faces, they use their eyes and physicalityto sell us on these science-minded chimpanzee humanoids as decent, open-mindedcharacters who the audience can identify with. Similarly, Evans manages toterrorize the audience without ever resorting to familiar villainous mannerismsby making Zaius into a character who can craftily use power andsocial/religious mores to dominate those around him in classic authoritarianstyle.  His ability to remain convincedof his superiority while resorting to manipulation and deceit is what makes hima chilling antagonist.

The final part of the package assembled by Jacobs is thecraftsmen who brought the film to life. Franklin J. Schaffner was recommendedby Heston, who directed him in the film TheWar Lord, and it was an inspired choice because Schaffner was able to hitthe right blend of artistry and realistic elements that keep the projectgrounded. Schaffner directs action in a thrilling manner here - highlightsinclude apes conducting a human hunt and a sequence where Taylor is chasedthrough the ape city - but he's just as skilled at making dialogue-heavydebates tense and smartly-paced. His biggest achievement is creating an apeworld that feels tangible physically and is fueled by the kind of emotions andsocial conventions that the audience can relate to.

It's also worth noting that Schaffner's style is largelytraditional but can throw in a dash of the avant-garde when necessary: thecrash-landing of the astronauts, handled exclusively via POV photography andcrafty sound design, is the best example of this. The same thing could be saidfor Jerry Goldsmith's score, which mixes traditional film orchestration withexperimental electronic drones and edgy percussive effects. Leon Shamroy'scinematography plays a big role in selling the earthiness that keeps thefuturistic world grounded. Most important among the director's collaborators isJohn Chambers, creator the film's groundbreaking humanoid ape makeups. They areunearthly yet instantly believable, using just enough of the actor's face(specifically the eyes) to allow the viewer to accept them.

Simply put, Planet Of The Apes is one of the great science fiction films. It remains potent because it blends sharp, sardonic commentary on the human condition in the language of genre cinema, staying otherworldly enough to capture the audience's attention but surrounding its sci-fi element with a credible reality that keeps them involved. By the time that infamous coda hits you, it packs a punch because the film has made you buy into its strange yet oddly relatable world.

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