PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

By Craig Reid     June 08, 2001

An intriguing classic wherein Charlton Heston leads a group of surviving astronauts into a shocking future world where simians are masters and mankind are slaves. Rod Serling and Michael Wilson's scripted first visit to Pierre Boulle's ape domain brewed a wily touch of wit to this peculiarly topsy-turvy theory of evolution that even Darwin couldn't foresee. The featured bizarre landscapes dotting the National Parks of Arizona and Utah provided the dynamically outlandish backdrops, as director Franklin J. Schaffner's potent use of chilling long shots superbly establishes the isolation of the astronauts. His skyline of animal pelts nailed to crosses like crucified scarecrows amidst the ominous soundtrack of intermittent moans, was an alarming precursor to their discovery of a tribe of cavemen-like humans frantically fleeing through a cornfield. Enter, a wild posse of apes on horseback rounding up their prey. The mystery of the planet's history is then intelligently revealed through Heston's humiliating treatment as an enigmatic laboratory specimen, the experimental study of two chimp scientists, endearingly played by Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall. The final startling rediscovery of civilization is as outrageous as it is disquieting. The four sequels and two TV series didn't sustain the clout.