1968 seems to have been something of a watershed year for cinematic science fiction. It was the year that both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes were released. Both films were game changers in that they were big budget sci-fi made by the major studios. Up until that time, the genre had been very much mostly the province of the B movie. After the massive success of those two a series of often extremely interesting science fiction films were released by the studios. In effect these movies created a situation where the genre could flourish, with bigger budgets and more seriousness. Of course those films were quite different; while both dealt with some serious themes, 2001 is by far the more intellectual and is pure hard sci-fi - Planet of the Apes, on the other hand, lay somewhere between 2001 and traditional action-adventure fare.
It does have definite social commentary and like many sci-fi films, it's about the time it was made as much as it is a look into the future. It considers the dangers of nuclear war and comments on the racial tensions of 60's America - both through allegory in its post-apocalyptic world. I guess this is one of the things that makes it work so well, the upside down society of the Planet of the Apes allows for an underlying message while at the same time offering up a thrilling sci-fi adventure scenario. To be perfectly honest, it works great as the latter. For me, the best parts are the early scenes leading up to the capture of the astronauts. The mystery of the strange world and the unforgettable arrival of the horse-riding apes in the fields are terrific. While John Chambers has been rightly praised for the ape make-up, a lot of credit should also go to Leon Shamroy for his stunning cinematography which is particularly brilliant in these early scenes, with great shots from unusual high angles that makes the planet seem so very ominous. Kudos too, to Jerry Goldsmith for his soundtrack whose strange tones compliment the visuals. When we reach the ape town, it's the fantastic set-design that takes centre stage with those houses that seem to come out of the rocks organically. Charlton Heston leads the picture of course and he does provide star charisma but it's the character actors in the heavy make-up that make the best impression, namely Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans. And of course, well...there's that ending.
