The Planet Of The Apes (1968)

While not as 'deep' as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Planet Of The Apes was the other great sci fi film to be released in 1968.

Charlton Heston always gave good performances, even if a little over the top, at times. But, could you imagine Gary Cooper or John Wayne as Colonel George Taylor?

Here is the trailer:



And here is the ending:



Rod Serling's ending is classic, causing the author of the original novel, Pierre Boulle, to envy it. But, notice the ending- Jerry Goldsmith's score is classic, but the ending revelation gains power because there is no music to guide the viewer. There is no Aha! crescendo. Taylor's idea of the world is utterly destroyed (including him as the white male American conqueror) yet the ocean waves pummel on, indifferent to his plight. The power of quietude.

Just imagine had, say, Philip Glass had scored this. While great in some films, like the -Qatsi films and The Thin Blue Line, he's also some over the top scores like The Hours. My guess is Glass would have ruined the scene.

Anyway, the first film is truly great, albeit far from perfect. That fact- that great does not equate with perfect, is a concept few grasp. Think, though, and the reason should become clear.

Koyaanisqatsi

Some years ago I, and Art Durkee, interviewed Godfrey Reggio, the maker of the -quatsi trilogy. As I've recently been watching 'avant-garde' films, I thought some readers might like to watch the film that started it all. Here is Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance. It's cool that it must be in public domain.