Honestly, if you watch the Planet of the Apes original movie today, you might expect to laugh at the rubber masks. We’re so used to the hyper-realistic, digital fur of the Andy Serkis era that 1968 technology should feel like a middle school play. But it doesn't. There is something fundamentally haunting about Franklin J. Schaffner’s vision that a CGI budget can't touch.
The movie starts with silence. Total, oppressive silence.
Colonel George Taylor, played by a cynical, cigarette-voiced Charlton Heston, isn't some wide-eyed explorer. He's a man who hates humanity so much he decided to leave the entire Earth behind. Irony is a cruel mistress. He crash-lands on a world where the social hierarchy is flipped, and suddenly, the man who wanted to escape "man" finds himself desperately trying to prove he’s more than an animal.
It’s bleak. It’s sweaty. And 1968 audiences were absolutely not ready for it.
The Brutal Reality of the Planet of the Apes Original Production
Most people think this was a big-budget slam dunk from the start. Not even close. 20th Century Fox was terrified of this project. They thought people would see grown men in monkey suits and walk out of the theater.
In fact, the legendary producer Arthur P. Jacobs spent years trying to get a studio to bite. To prove it could work, he actually paid for a screen test using Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Zaius. That test proved that the makeup, designed by John Chambers, could actually convey emotion. Chambers didn't just glue hair to faces; he invented a new type of foam latex that allowed actors to use their own facial muscles.
It worked so well that Chambers received an honorary Oscar. He deserved it. The sheer logistics were a nightmare. On set, the actors playing different ape species—gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans—naturally started segregating themselves during lunch breaks. It wasn't planned. It just happened. Life imitating the movie's weirdly rigid social classes.
Pierre Boulle’s Source Material vs. Hollywood
The movie is based on the French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. But here is a fun fact: Boulle didn’t actually think the story was science fiction. He saw it as a social satire.
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In his book, the apes lived in a high-tech, modern society with cars and skyscrapers. The movie changed that to a more primitive, agrarian setting. Why? Money. It was way cheaper to build mud huts than to create a futuristic city of the apes. Rod Serling, the genius behind The Twilight Zone, wrote the initial drafts of the script. While much of his dialogue was rewritten by Michael Wilson, Serling’s DNA is all over the movie, especially that gut-punch ending.
Why the Ending Still Hits Like a Freight Train
You know the scene. Everyone knows the scene. Even if you’ve never seen the Planet of the Apes original, you’ve seen the Statue of Liberty half-buried in the sand.
But let’s talk about why it works. It isn't just a "twist." It’s a total reframing of every single minute of film you just watched. Up until that point, Taylor thinks he’s on another planet. He thinks he’s a victim of some alien injustice. When he sees that rusted torch, the horror shifts from "aliens are mean" to "we destroyed ourselves."
It was a reflection of Cold War anxieties. In 1968, the world felt like it was ending. The Vietnam War was screaming, the Civil Rights movement was at a boiling point, and the threat of nuclear annihilation was a daily thought.
Taylor’s final scream—"You maniacs! You blew it up!"—wasn't just a line in a script. It was a genuine venting of the era's collective frustration. Heston, who was actually quite sick with the flu during the filming of the final scenes, brought a ragged, dying energy to that moment that feels incredibly raw. His voice sounds like it's being dragged over gravel.
The Science of the Forbidden Zone
Geologically speaking, the movie is stunning. They filmed in Glen Canyon and near Lake Powell. The landscape looks alien because it’s so desolate.
The production had to deal with 100-degree heat, which was a death sentence for actors in heavy prosthetic makeup. They had to eat through straws. They had to sit in front of massive fans just to keep the latex from melting off their skulls. It sounds miserable. Honestly, that misery probably helped the performances. There's a genuine irritability in the apes that feels earned.
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Breaking Down the Ape Hierarchy
The Planet of the Apes original isn't just about "monkeys." It’s a very specific, very rigid caste system.
- The Gorillas: They are the military and the muscle. Clad in black leather, they represent the blunt force of the state. They don't think; they obey.
- The Chimpanzees: These are the scientists and intellectuals. Characters like Zira and Cornelius. They are curious but ultimately subservient to the religious laws.
- The Orangutans: The politicians and defenders of the faith. Dr. Zaius is the prime example. He’s the most complex character in the movie because he knows the truth. He knows humans used to rule, and he’s terrified they’ll do it again.
Dr. Zaius isn't a villain in the traditional sense. He’s a gatekeeper. He’s protecting his species from what he sees as a virus: humanity. When you re-watch the movie as an adult, you kind of start to see his point. Taylor is a jerk. He’s aggressive and violent. Zaius looks at him and sees the ghost of the species that set the world on fire.
The Music That Sounds Like a Nightmare
We have to talk about Jerry Goldsmith’s score. It’s weird.
He used unorthodox instruments like stainless steel mixing bowls, a ram’s horn, and even had musicians scrape metal to create a "primal" sound. It’s dissonant. It doesn't have a catchy heroic theme. Instead, it sounds like something is broken. It creates a sense of "wrongness" that stays with you. It’s easily one of the most experimental scores to ever come out of a major Hollywood studio.
What Most People Get Wrong About Taylor
A common misconception is that Taylor is a hero. He’s really not.
In the beginning of the Planet of the Apes original, Taylor is a misanthrope. He’s leaving Earth because he finds no "spirituality" in his fellow man. He’s arrogant. He treats his fellow astronauts with a coldness that borders on contempt. His journey isn't about saving the day; it's about being humbled by the very thing he tried to run away from.
Actionable Insights for Fans and New Viewers
If you're going to revisit this classic or watch it for the first time, don't just treat it as a popcorn flick. It’s a masterclass in atmosphere and social commentary.
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Watch for the subtle acting.
Look at Kim Hunter (Zira). She won an Oscar for A Streetcar Named Desire, and she brings that same level of craft to a chimpanzee. Pay attention to how she uses her eyes. Since the mask limited her facial expressions, her eye movements are incredibly deliberate.
Check the background details.
The "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" moment during the trial is a bit on the nose, but look at the cave drawings and the artifacts found in the Forbidden Zone later. The production design by William Creber is full of tiny hints that the "apes" are just living in the ruins of a much older, human-centric world.
Understand the legacy.
The movie spawned four sequels, a TV show, a cartoon, and two separate reboots. But the original 1968 film remains the only one that feels like a true existential horror movie. It asks the question: If we disappear, does the universe even care? The answer the movie gives is a resounding "no."
To truly appreciate the Planet of the Apes original, you have to view it through the lens of 1968. It was a year of chaos. The film didn't offer an escape from that chaos; it reflected it back at the audience.
Next time you watch it, pay attention to Dr. Zaius’s final warning to Taylor. He tells him that he might not like what he finds in the Forbidden Zone. He wasn't lying. The truth is often uglier than the mystery.
If you want to dive deeper, track down the 1972 documentary Behind the Planet of the Apes. It shows the actual makeup application process, which is a fascinating, grueling look at a lost art form. Watching the actors transform for four hours every morning really puts the grit of the final performances into perspective.