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| Zathes & Army before Final Battle |
I really found the dualities of
civil liberties versus slavery and science versus primitivism in Planet of the Apes linked closely
together. While the film naturally revolves around the idea of civil liberties
and slavery in the city of apes, the idea of science appears to need to become
more of a privilege. The entire film depicts a power struggle between the apes
holding control and the humans fighting for some power. However, Zaius warns his son Thades of
humans’ true destructive power. The only difference between how the apes are
treating the humans and how humans usually treat apes is the lack of
technology. The apes military formation and tactics reminded me of ancient
Roman flanks. The apes focused on using their physical strength to dominate
over the humans. They used this power to enslave and strip humans of their
civil liberties. However, with Zaius’ warning about humans abuse of technology
against other creatures and against themselves, the apes abuse seems less
drastic.
While the apes certainly appear
more primitive without technology, they still abuse power. Humans, however,
abuse power with weapons of mass destruction and have a history of enslavement.
I think that the combined duality issues of civil rights versus slavery and
primitivism versus technology raises the question of, should technology be a
privilege until people learn not to abuse its power to strip others of their
civil rights. With the rise of technology before World War I, people began
using it against civilians to establish power and make a statement. However,
technology has proven to be just as destructive and enslaving as it has been
beneficial to the world. Primitivism suggests the core of humanity though,
which is what civil rights are all about – everyone having the same basic
rights to life. Technology and enslavement then appear to be connected by the
audience as well. While primitivism in the apes is not seen as a positive
thing, the destructive nature of advancement is certainly not better when used
as a power mechanism against others’ civil rights. By contrasting these
dualities against one another, viewers can really evaluate and compare the two
extremes and link their relevance to one another together.
I also found those dualities to be linked together in this movie. I also agree that technology has positive and negative effects on the mind of man. We believe we can do anything or battle anyone just because if they start to really challenge us, we can just hit them with an atomic bomb like in the Japanese islands. And if they still do not listen we can just hit them again, like we did again in the Japanese islands. I found it interesting that the apes overpowered the humans, even with the weapons they had at their disposal. It just shows that if the need for freedom is intense enough then they could beat any army no matter how many weapons they have. I do think the apes think like most humans thought like during the Roman period. The apes think they are all powerful, but do not wish to intensify their power with more advanced weapons, like the Romans. The Romans were happy with their power and wished to expand it, yes, but to make it more deadly with guns, no.
ReplyDelete-Amy Dupuis
I really like how you link the dualities of science vs. primitivism and civil rights vs. slavery. I completely agree that even though the apes treat the humans badly, they could be treated much worse were the apes to have more advanced technology. We as a human race continue to do despicable things to each other, and it's becoming easier and easier to commit this sort of detatched violence through technology. Press a button and you blow up a country. Technology should certainly be a privilage, only given once the society understands the need for equality and humanitarianism. But that begs the question, who determines when those rights are granted? Because then you have a gorvernment that has total control, which kind of seems like what the apes have established, which obviously was not working well. This sort of endless circle of ethics is easy to get caught up in. Even if you withhold technology unitl virtue is achieved, who is to say that the people can then revert back and commit immoral actions? Is man(ape) inherently evil?
ReplyDeleteCyrus Nabipoor