The power of great films is how strongly they linger in memory, even decades after first viewings.
That's certainly the case with PLANET OF THE APES, a film I saw at the Loews State Theatre on Broadway during its first run in 1968. Released during the same year as 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, it was as if science fiction films were taking a huge step forward even as the tumultuous rebellion and violence of the time raged around us.
I've only seen PLANET OF THE APES a couple times since -- on network TV way back when, maybe on VHS a couple times (I taped it off of TBS I think), and I never watched it on DVD until now.
The film remains powerful and compact, a study in how to tell one story and tell it well. Even knowing the twist, the metal remnants at the end, jutting awkwardly from the beach, still is moving and tragic.
The film's shortcomings, sadly, remain as well. Even then, lines like 'human see, human do,' or 'see no evil, etc.,' were jarring to me, knocking me out of the movie with a groan. Similarly, 'never trust anyone over 30' and other reflections of what grownups thought the 'youth culture' was at the time had the same emptiness as DC's 'Go-Go' checks. (As some folks know, I actually liked the new PLANET OF THE APES well enough, and always think any criticisms of Burton's 'ape moments' compare very favorably to the monkey shines of the original).
And then there's Heston, who when playing heroic figures is grand and broad, but when strutting through the opening scenes, especially his absurd laugh when the small American flag is placed, is just kind of awkward and too-large.
When he's captured, that's something else again. Heston is pent-up fury, frustrated and menacing, totally believable. His 'get your damn paws off me you filthy apes!' line is still rousing and I was surprised how well that moment still works. (Although a few scenes later, when he shouts out, 'It's a madhouse! A madhouse!', it's a line that has become so easily parodied over the years that I just chuckled, and my wife, who was happily puttering in the kitchen, shouted out, 'Heston!' and began to laugh, too).
I was also struck, happily, by how smart and 'talky' it is. The action is old-fashioned chases with nets. There are no grand setpieces, it's a Twilight Zone, after all, just writ large.
I was surprised by one thing, or maybe just confused. I always thought the spaceship was accidentally thrown into the future. But unless I'm missing something, it seems the plan was to go into the future all along, and never go back to earth. Do I have that right? There's no talk of trying to reverse the time effect. Even before the crash they know they are in the future and that is where they will stay. Strange experiment.
Anyhow, I have all the sequels, too, and will give them all a reviewing soon. But the original PLANET OF THE APES -- its unfortunate nods to the times notwithstanding -- is a grand and important entertainment. Still.
david
'He may not like what he finds.'
(NOTE: I'm sure there's an earlier POTA folder but couldn't find it, so starting anew is OK I hope. There IS a great POTA sequel folder below, however, and discussion of the sequels I'll put there).
That's certainly the case with PLANET OF THE APES, a film I saw at the Loews State Theatre on Broadway during its first run in 1968. Released during the same year as 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, it was as if science fiction films were taking a huge step forward even as the tumultuous rebellion and violence of the time raged around us.
I've only seen PLANET OF THE APES a couple times since -- on network TV way back when, maybe on VHS a couple times (I taped it off of TBS I think), and I never watched it on DVD until now.
The film remains powerful and compact, a study in how to tell one story and tell it well. Even knowing the twist, the metal remnants at the end, jutting awkwardly from the beach, still is moving and tragic.
The film's shortcomings, sadly, remain as well. Even then, lines like 'human see, human do,' or 'see no evil, etc.,' were jarring to me, knocking me out of the movie with a groan. Similarly, 'never trust anyone over 30' and other reflections of what grownups thought the 'youth culture' was at the time had the same emptiness as DC's 'Go-Go' checks. (As some folks know, I actually liked the new PLANET OF THE APES well enough, and always think any criticisms of Burton's 'ape moments' compare very favorably to the monkey shines of the original).
And then there's Heston, who when playing heroic figures is grand and broad, but when strutting through the opening scenes, especially his absurd laugh when the small American flag is placed, is just kind of awkward and too-large.
When he's captured, that's something else again. Heston is pent-up fury, frustrated and menacing, totally believable. His 'get your damn paws off me you filthy apes!' line is still rousing and I was surprised how well that moment still works. (Although a few scenes later, when he shouts out, 'It's a madhouse! A madhouse!', it's a line that has become so easily parodied over the years that I just chuckled, and my wife, who was happily puttering in the kitchen, shouted out, 'Heston!' and began to laugh, too).
I was also struck, happily, by how smart and 'talky' it is. The action is old-fashioned chases with nets. There are no grand setpieces, it's a Twilight Zone, after all, just writ large.
I was surprised by one thing, or maybe just confused. I always thought the spaceship was accidentally thrown into the future. But unless I'm missing something, it seems the plan was to go into the future all along, and never go back to earth. Do I have that right? There's no talk of trying to reverse the time effect. Even before the crash they know they are in the future and that is where they will stay. Strange experiment.
Anyhow, I have all the sequels, too, and will give them all a reviewing soon. But the original PLANET OF THE APES -- its unfortunate nods to the times notwithstanding -- is a grand and important entertainment. Still.
david
'He may not like what he finds.'
(NOTE: I'm sure there's an earlier POTA folder but couldn't find it, so starting anew is OK I hope. There IS a great POTA sequel folder below, however, and discussion of the sequels I'll put there).
