Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Just a couple weeks to go for the new Planet of the Apes film; Rise of the Apes staring James Franco, Tom Felton, and Andy Sekis as the ape, Caesar.

Looks like they are ditching the lovely make-up and going for performance capture. What a shame.

The vaguely familiar breakout disaster thing feels distinctly un-planetoftheapes-like. Setting it in contemporary USA is a mistake, although it makes me wonder if they will try and tie it in logically with any of the other films? Although I have not ruled out the possibility that this might really be a prequel in disguise. 
The 2001 version of Planet of the Apes directed by Tim Burton varies in many ways from the 1968 version directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Both deal with similar themes and have similar messages but both are approached in a very different manner. One must remember the original Planet of the Apes was made during the Vietnam War. The world has changed a lot since then and the updated version deals with themes that are more relevant now and therefore, many elements in the story are changed.

            In the 1968 version, Charlton Heston portrays Taylor, the captain of four on a space expedition. Taylor volunteers because he is looking for something 'greater than humankind.' In the 2001 version, Mark Wahlberg plays a younger astronaut and monkey trainer named Leo who simply wants to return home after crashing on the planet, but in order to do so he must find a way to beat the apes. Prior to crashing on the planet, Leo has compassion for the monkeys but like Taylor, he sees them as inferior to humans and not equals. Unlike Taylor, his attitude quickly changes when he lands on the planet.

            Both have examples of foreshadowing. One of Taylor’s fellow astronauts plants the American flag on the beach. This is fitting because they are actually in America. When traveling through the Forbidden Zone they pass by a rock that looks suspiciously like the head of an Ape. In the Tim Burton version, the Space Station Oberon receives its own mayday transmission before it goes through the storm, showing the crew a glimpse of their fate to come. Taylor estimates they are somewhere in the area of Orion, rather than Earth. When Leo lands on the planet, we see that there is no way this could be earth because it has multiple moons.

            In the Franklin J. Schaffner version, the idea of evolution is radical even blasphemous, for the 'Almighty' created the ape in his own image. The idea that the ape evolved from something as wild as man is ludicrous. Obviously, this is a direct parallel to the conflict of evolution that was (and still is) taking place during the 60s. The trial of Taylor illustrates the closed mindedness of the clergy, though later we find they are only trying to protect the apes (with good reason) from humankind. In the remake however, evolution is generally accepted as truth by the apes. Today, evolution seems to be an old debate. It may have bored the audience had the new version used evolution as a major theme; instead it takes more of a back seat as a storytelling device. Could this be a change in collective contemporary thought or just that of the film makers? In subtle ways, the issue is still undeniably present. The audience, however, regardless of their views on evolution, must buy it at least on poetic faith in order to enjoy the story. Another consideration is that what has occurred is not a natural evolution. The monkeys were genetically enhanced and after the space station crashed, the monkeys rebelled and took over.

            In the original version, Dr. Zaius is both the defender of the faith and minister of science. Taylor accuses him of holding contradictory positions. Zaius claims that science and religion go hand in hand. Religion takes on a much smaller role in the Tim Burton version. Educated apes generally seem to regard religion simply as old metaphor or superstition. Could this represent a more modern attitude towards religion? At the dinner party, Colonel Attar angrily shouts, “Bow your heads!” (0.32.50) instantly silencing the guests while he offers a prayer. This shows how some regard religion casually while others take it very seriously. This makes the arrival of Semos at the end, quite a shocker, indeed.

            The role women play at first appears to be small in the old version. Taylor seems unaffected by his crewmate Stuart death. Later when he is talking to Nova, though she cannot understand him, he admits that Stuart was really just cargo to him. Back on Earth, women were just objects. The role of Nova seems minute, but she brings comfort to Taylor when he has no other human companions. (new version) The character of Daena fills a similar role as Nova, though it seems to be just as minor. It is evident Taylor feels some affection toward Zira (though not in a romantic sense) because he gives her a platonic kiss before he leaves. Zira is a strong intellectual who shows kindness and consideration for Taylor by protecting him and helping him find answers. Her firmness and determination is contrasted by her companion Cornelius. Ari is almost an exact counterpart to Zira; even their names are similar. One of the few differences is that Ari seems to show a romantic interest in Leo. She does not have a fiancée though she does have Krull, a quiet gorilla who is more of an older brother figure. Leo also shares the affection to some degree because he kisses her goodbye as well. Both Ari and Zira play a crucial role in supporting the protagonists Leo and Taylor.

            Their own individual races or ethnicities set the apes apart in the old version. The chimpanzees are scientists and scholars, the gorillas are warriors, and the orangutans are the politicians and clergy. The caste seems to order the orangutans on top, the gorillas as second class, and the humble chimpanzees in the lower class. In the new version, this separation is less distinct. The warriors are gorillas, yet General Thade is a chimpanzee. Ironically, Limbo the orangutan is at the bottom of the social latter, a human handler. Perhaps the 60s version is protesting social class stereotypes. Today these stereotypes are still present, but less prominent. We live in more of a mixed bag society, and people are more free to purse their desired careers. Tim Burton has also expressed his discomfort with chimpanzees in particular, so this may be the reasoning behind the decision to cast the antagonist as one.

            In the Tim Burton version humans can talk, they behave less primitively, and are even ‘domesticated’. On the other hand, the apes take on more primitive, apelike natures and rule the humans by brute force rather than ethical or intellectual superiority. Perhaps this is used more as a statement against racism or slavery rather than simply humanity’s primitive nature. The apes also seem less technologically advanced and do not possess guns with the exception of Thade’s father who uses a gun as an example of man’s ingenuity and cruelty. The gun is more of an artifact. Alternatively, in the Franklin J. Schaffner version the flipped roles between ape and man are more exact.  Humans behave like apes and the apes behave like humans. Humans are specifically not domesticated but are used for the sole purpose of scientific research.

            Taylor and his fellow astronauts strip off their space suits and bathe in the water. The curious humans steal them. Still naked they chase after the humans. This shows their primitive side now that they have entered a primitive world. Throughout most of the rest of the film, Taylor wears a loincloth. When he is on trial, he is forced to remove his garments and he is exposed like an animal. Leo, however, remains in his spacesuit throughout the entire film, which makes him look sharp and distinct from the humans or apes, and reinforces his leader persona amongst the uprising humans.

            “Damn them. Damn them all to Hell.”- A famous line from Planet of the Apes makes it into both films, and in each case is delivered by Charlton Heston. The closing line of the film, Taylor curses humankind. The father of Thade's (Credited as Dr. Zaius, the antagonist from the original) dying words is the same line, cursing humankind in the 2001 remake (0.58.000).
            There is said to have been some apprehension as to whether Heston would do it, as he was president of the NRA at the time, and his lines implicated the evils of guns. This is interesting, because though the old version had anti-war sentiment, it had no problem romantically portraying Heston wielding the power of a rifle. As similar films of his in the period, e.g. The Omega Man. Again, the apes do not possess guns in the new film, but this also fits more into the logic of how the apes came to be.

            Due to improved technique and a larger budget, the costumes, sets, make-up and effects of the Tim Burton version are much more extravagant and imaginative then the 1968 version. Both were partly filmed at Lake Powell. In the original version, everything happens during the daytime. In the Tim Burton version, the vast majority of events occur at night. Even scenes in the daytime, lighting is hazy. This helps create a darker mood.

            Both have shocking endings, inciting to the nature of reality/the world, which leave the audience thinking. The Franklin J. Schaffner version, Taylor discovers the ruins of the Statue of Liberty on the beach. Suddenly he realizes that he has been on earth all this time and it is humankind’s fault that things became this way. Up until that point, he still viewed himself as superior to the apes. In the Tim Burton version, Colonel Attar turns on General Thade and sides with the humans. Why are the rest of the apes okay with this? Are we to believe that the Humans and Apes live together in perfect harmony from then on? After saying goodbye, Leo flies the pod back through the electromagnetic storm and back to Earth where he must make a crash-landing at what appears to be the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. However, when Leo makes his way up the steps, instead of Abraham Lincoln, the image of Thade is staring back at him. Sirens approach and modern Apes in police uniforms surround Leo at gunpoint. Fade out. How could this be? Could someone, maybe Thade, have beaten him back? Is he in a parallel universe? Or had it really been Earth all along? The inscription gives us a hint. General Thade saved the planet for the apes. Somehow, Thade got out, took back control of the army and possibly exterminated all the humans, thus altering Earth’s history. However, if that is true then what happened to the other moons?  Is he actually back on Ape Planet? (I wonder if we get some answers in Rise) Some have drawn similarities from the ending of the novel, from whence the ending may have been inspired.

            Though they are both different from each other, they are both great films expressing basically the same thing by looking at something in a completely different perspective. This is exactly what the Apes films are all about, so i see no contradiction in their differences nor do i favor one over another. The original is much more philosophical whereas the new has a faster paced story and the ideas are more or less implied or sublimed along the way. Both express most ideas powerfully through irony in dialogue, imagery, character and societal behaviors. This upside-down world approach challenges preconceived notions of the characters to assist in the pursuit and discovery of truth. Tim Burton does not direct a remake or a sequel; rather he explores Planet of the Apes from a new perspective, which is a very Planet of the Apes way of doing things.

Small thought on names. "Lion" seems to be a recurring motif. Leo, obviously, is the lion from the zodiac, and is short for the latin name Leon(Lion). Opposite; Ari also means Lion in old Hewbrew. Her counterpart, Zira, shares the name of the Lioness from the Lion King II. What are all these lions doing in a movie about primates?

I am a terrible essayist and I do not these films justice. They're brilliant, i highly recommend them both.

Dont forget to Go Ape Shhh on August 5th