Planet Of The Apes Analysis

Frankiln Scaffner’s Planet of the Apes (1968) is an epic science fiction film that stars the late Charlston Heston. The film begins as a group of Astronauts led by Taylor (Heston) in the would-be present crash land and end up on a seemingly alien planet a few thousand years into the future, via suspended animation. After trotting around and exploring the planet, they soon discover it governed by simian hominoids who hunt down and experiment on primitive humans who have lost the ability to speak. After the gang of three are slowly whittled away at by the talking ape overlords, we ended up with the sole surviving Taylor, who temporarily had lost his voice as well due to an injury received during a confrontation with the apes along side his female
As the couple rides into a rocky beachfront, a superior view and an establishing long shot of the shoreline are presented. Slowly, in the lower left hand corner what looks to be the remains of the Statue of Liberty comes into focus. The mise-en-secne is plain, with only the remnant artifact and slow crashing waves left for the audience to focus on. Taylor and Nova both on horseback, gallop along the shoreline as the waves again continue eerily crash onto the sand and the non-diegetic music adds to the suspense of what is about to unfold. Taylor, slowly getting off his horse begins to decipher and realize what he and Nova are standing in front of, all the
Taylor throughout the film defies what he is told by the apes and Dr. Zaius in order to get to the bottom of things. To quote John Muir “Taylor's fascinating journey - from hater of mankind to last defender of the species - would mean little were he not faced with a powerful nemesis. Fortunately, the screenplay for Planet of the Apes (by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling) provides him a terrific opponent in Dr. Zaius (Evans). Zaius, like Taylor, is a man divided by two thoughts. On one hand, he is honor bound and professionally responsible for the advancement of science (and science by nature, is impartial). On the other hand, he serves as Chief Defender of the Faith, which means he must rigorously maintain the apes' belief in their own superiority, transmitted through the auspices of organized religion.” Taylor throughout the the film changes and evolves becomes more dynamic, however it appears, as he has become the last remnant of a once glorious civilization to be all but few thousand years too