Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans. Loosely based on Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel, the film tells the story of astronauts who crash-land on a planet where intelligent apes dominate and humans are primitive and dumb.
Production
Screenwriter and director Rod Serling's original script was rewritten several times by Michael Wilson to reduce production costs. Franklin J. Schaffner was chosen as director on the recommendation of Charlton Heston.
Shooting The film was shot from May to August 1967 in California, Utah and Arizona. The final scenes were filmed on the California coast near Malibu.
Premiere and success The film opened on February 8, 1968 and grossed $33.3 million. It was a breakthrough thanks to the prosthetic portrayal of John Chambers, who won an honorary Academy Award for it. The film was also nominated for Oscars for Best Costume Design and Original Score.
God
Astronauts Taylor, Landon and Dodge crash-land on an unknown planet that turns out to be a post apocalyptic nuclear war Earth. Taylor is captured by intelligent apes and gradually discovers that apes have taken over as the dominant species, while humans are primitive and dumb. With the help of the apes Zira and Cornelius, Taylor manages to escape and discovers the remains of the Statue of Liberty, revealing the true nature of the planet.
Continuation and link
Franchise The success of the film led to the creation of four sequels, a television series, an animated series, and other comic books and merchandising. In 2001, Tim Burton made a remake, and in 2011, he began a reboot with Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Critical reception The film was positively received by critics and audiences, often rated as a classic of the science fiction genre. It has an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cultural Status Planet of the Apes was selected for the U.S. National Film Registry as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant in 2001.
Cast
- Charlton Heston as George Taylor
- Roddy McDowall as Dr. Cornelius
- Kim Hunter as Dr. Zira
- Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius
- James Whitmore as the Speaker of the Assembly
- James Daly as Dr. Honorius
- Linda Harrison as Nova
Significant Awards
- Honorary Oscar for John Chambers for Makeup
- Nominations for Best Costume Design and Original Score
Planet of the Apes is considered an important film not only for its story and technical innovations, but also for its enduring popularity and influence on other science fiction productions.
Source: English Wikipedia and Čsfd.cz
Photo: 20th Century Fox
