Il pianeta delle scimmie

No one I know under 40 had seen this film, though we all joked about it as being a stereotypical "bad" film based on rumors. the title, and clips seen here and there. Finally one weekend when I was working until 2:00 a.m. I went home and there was a sequel on late night TV, during the 30 year Planet of the Apes marathon. It made me curious about the original and I tracked it down. I have to say it blew me away!

The film is philosophical, creative, absorbing and scary. Excellent commentary on religion and just about everything else. I strongly recommend to anyone who has not seen it. So far I haven't even been able to convince my friends to see it because there seems to be such a strong prejudice against it and some sort of entrenched belief it must be bad; in fact it is one of the finest films I've seen and I can see why it is a classic.

If you enjoy films that make you think you simply can't dislike Planet of the Apes.

The original 'Planet of the Apes' is better than the 2001 remake on almost every level. May be Tim Burton's version looks better, no wonder with Burton as the director, but the direction itself, the cinematography, the story and the performances in Franklin J. Schaffner's original are much better and more interesting.

Heston is Taylor, who crashes with his spaceship on what seems to be a deserted planet. He and two other survivors start searching for life. They run into other human beings, and at that time they are all attacked by apes. The apes speak English, the human beings are mute. In this society a human being is what apes are in our society. Animals, nothing more. The humans are taken for research, Taylor as well, and since he is shot in the neck he is not able to talk at first. One of his fellow survivors is dead, what happened to the other is unsure. A female ape who is a scientist discovers that Taylor understands her, and even thinks he can talk. Of course this is not what the high people in this society want to hear.

The movie has some very interesting elements. Worlds are upside down, as Taylor says, and in a way the movie puts a mirror in front of us. The human beings are humiliated in exactly the way we treat animals. What would we do if another mammal suddenly knew how to speak our language? We would probably react the same as the apes do in this movie and therefore it is even more interesting.

In liked the movie very much, and some very nice moments in particular. Early in the movie Taylor gets a woman in his cage. He calls her Nova (Linda Harrison). We know what the apes want, and it is funny because it is exactly how we do this kind of stuff to our animals. The apes are even surprised when Taylor wants to keep his woman, and therefore seems monogamous.

With some nice touches, a great and famous ending, some quotes that will sound very familiar, Charlton Heston as a pretty good leading man, a score from Jerry Goldsmith that is perfect for a movie like this, nice direction and a fine cinematography by Leon Shamroy this movie is a very good classic.

It's especially interesting that "Planet of the Apes" was released a few months before "2001: A Space Odyssey", as they both look at the same question: what will become of humanity (and how did we originate)? Obviously, the really famous line is Charlton Heston's snap at his captors, and the really famous scene is the end - which I won't tell here for fear of spoiling the whole movie. And what an impressive movie it is! Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Tim Burton's remake. "POTA" should never have been remade. So, for a cinematic treat, stick to this one and avoid the remake.

One more thing is that some people have pointed out that the portrayals of the simians were kinda racist. The blond, cultured orangutans are the nobles; the dark-haired, mildly nervous chimpanzees are the scientists; and the dark-skinned, incompetent gorillas are the police. Oh well. It's still a good movie.

This is a splendid movie. Like other great horror-fantasy films (Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre) it explores the relationship between humans and non-human beings. In "Planet of the Apes" there are only three animals: man, ape and horse and they play out their drama in this futuristic desert land. Unlike so many bad fantasy films, this one has a highly authentic aura around it. It is so utterly convincing like a story by H.P.Lovecraft or like one of your own nightmares and dreams. So strange, so fantastic! The words "The Forbidden Zone", I will never forget. The ending, of course, is so wonderfully eerie and shocking, one just gets goosebumps for hours. A child will never forget the experience of seeing this movie and she/he will learn so much about human relations with non-humans by witnessing this movie which explores the ethical theme with style and power. Such an utterly convincing fantasy film with a message of dream-like proportions are yet to be done better.

If you really look at this movie from a certain perspective this really is not that good. Yet Charlton Heston some how makes this into one of best sci-fi films ever.

Charlton Heston provided something that most actors don't have. He has that look into the camera that can just describe so many things about his character and portrayal. He has that action hero look yet he is by all accounts a great actor. That is why when he just looks into the camera you get a powerful sense of what is happening on the screen. Heston actually is able to portray a man put into slavery by apes. Somehow though it works.

Combined with Schaffner's directing abilities Heston and him were able to really take this movie to another level. Other than the costumes of the apes, even though they were pretty impressive for that time, everything looked very realistic allowing you to really get into the movie. That quality alone of this movie separates this between the ordinary sci-fi movies. It even has a plot. It is something we are all familiar with. A person fighting for their freedom and survival. Like everything else in this film the plot was also taken to another level. The ending was not cheap either it was a bit of a surprise and was really something I won't forget. It was one of those moments in movies you won't forget. This is a true classic.

If you have seen any other Heston movies you just know that he is the king of sci-fi and transforms almost every single one of them, especially this one, into an unforgettable classic.