The original Planet of the Apes movie had so many iconic scenes that still resonate with audiences over half a century after its release in 1968. As the inception point for an entire franchise, Planet of the Apes told the story of an astronaut who traveled thousands of years into the future and was confronted with a strange new planet where humans were mute and oppressed, and apes were the dominant species. With Charlton Heston as the space traveler George Taylor, he must fight for his freedom and prove that humans deserve to be treated as equals.
From its opening scene when the spaceship crash-landed on a new world to Planet of the Apes’ iconic ending where Taylor was confronted with a harsh reality, this film had so many clever, insightful, and thrilling moments. As a satirical story that reflected contemporary social and political anxieties, Planet of the Apes was far more nuanced than it initially appeared, and its outrageous concept led to some truly remarkable scenes. The best scenes from Planet of the Apes became imbued in popular culture and have been parodied countless times across film and television.
The love story at the center of Planet of the Apes was quite strange, as the astronaut George Taylor slowly fell for the primitive and mute human named Nova. Both characters were captured by a troop of apes and held in captivity to be studied by the human behavioral psychologist and highly intelligent chimpanzee Dr. Zira. After their capture, Nova was used to give Taylor a blood transfusion, and the two were placed together in a cell as Dr. Zira noticed their attraction and paired them for mating.
The scene in Planet of the Apes where Taylor and Nova were held in captivity together and then separated from one another was fascinating. It showcased Taylor’s growing connection to his silent cellmate as he wondered if she could love him. When Nova smiled across from her barred prison, Taylor realized that she was learning from his behavior and that they could eventually form a real connection. This hint of romance gave Taylor hope for the future if the two ever found a way to regain their freedom.
Although astronaut George Taylor was just as intelligent and capable as the apes living in this new world, he could not communicate or differentiate himself from the other humans due to being shot in the throat by raiding apes early in Planet of the Apes. However, Dr. Zira noticed something unusual about the man she called Bright Eyes and started to pay extra attention to his unique behavior. The scene when Taylor first contacted Zira was a decisive moment that set the entire story into action.
Knowing he had to find a way to make his advanced intelligence known, Taylor attacked Zira and stole a piece of paper to write, “My name is Taylor” on it, which confirmed for Zira that he was unlike any man she had ever met. This communication was an earth-shattering revelation that turned the ape’s entire perception of their existence on its head as a speaking human had vast implications for evolution, science, and the religion they followed.
From the moment a bearded George Taylor awoke from his deep hibernation, it was clear that something had gone terribly wrong, as Stewart, the only female astronaut on his crew, had died due to an air leak, while the other awoke 2000 years later. With just Taylor, Dodge, and Landon left alive, the three were forced to leave the ship and face the strange new world that had arrived on, which they calculated was light years away from Earth. The three each reacted differently to their circumstances, as Taylor was a stern realist, Dodge was a man of science, and Landon was highly regretful.
The tension between Taylor and Landon grew as they explored their new world and found nothing but a deserted landscape with no food, water, or civilization. As the trio explored the area known as the Forbidden Zone, Taylor berated Landon for his selfish fame-seeking ways and congratulated him on almost achieving immortality and becoming one of the oldest men who ever lived. This scene gave great insight into Taylor’s psychology, his disconnection from humanity, and how he might react when he later finds out the truth about the planet he has crash-landed on.
While the human behavioral psychologist Dr. Ziva and the archeological scientist Cornelius were progressive and open-minded when compared to the other apes, they still had their fair share of prejudices against humans. Their prevailing feeling that humans were inferior to apes and incapable of intelligent reasoning was on display throughout much of Planet of the Apes. However, the astronaut George Taylor gradually broke down their misguided beliefs, and by the time they bid each other farewell, they saw each other as equals.
The final goodbye was a powerful scene, as Taylor did not know what he and Nova would find as they left to carve out a new life for themselves in the Forbidden Zone. Taylor respectfully shook hands with the apes Cornelius and Lucius, although the sinister orangutan Dr. Zaius still maintained his ignorant anti-human viewpoints. Then, in the final moments, Taylor told Ziva he wished to kiss her goodbye, and in what was likely the first human-ape kiss scene, the two embraced in a potent symbolic representation of their species’ equality.
After having faced persecution at the hands of Dr. Zaius, it appeared all hope was lost for the human astronaut George Taylor, as he faced a fate worse than death while held captive by primates in prison. However, Taylor’s luck seemed to change when a young ape arrived and said he was due to be transferred to the zoo, where he would be displayed for all the world’s apes to see. Although, this turned out to be a cunning plan by Dr. Ziva’s nephew Lucius, who helped Taylor break out of his cage and allowed him to take Nova.
This jailbreak scene involved apes and humans working together as Lucius helped Taylor attack his captor and make his quick escape. The increasing collaboration between the apes and Taylor highlighted their growing respect for him, and they viewed him not as a primitive lesser being but as an equal in need of freedom. Following this escape scene, Taylor, Nova, Ziva, Cornilius, and Lucius all became wanted fugitives on the run from Dr. Zaius’s oppressive, reactionary, and immoral tactics.
When Dr. Ziva discovered that George Taylor, the human she had held captive, was the most intelligent man she had ever met and possessed the shocking ability to reason and speak, she was enthralled by the scientific possibilities of it all. However, the close-minded Minister of Science and Chief Defender of the Faith, Dr. Zaius, was terrified of Taylor’s advanced capabilities and feared it was the beginning of a human uprising. As Taylor sought to prove he crash-landed on another planet, he told Dr. Zaius that his crewmate Landon could corroborate his story.
The scene when Taylor was reunited with Landon was one of the most powerful in the entire Planet of the Apes movie as it showed just how far Dr. Zaius was willing to go to continue oppressing the humans. When Landon finally appeared, he had been lobotomized and no longer able to speak or express himself. Dr. Zaius’s knowing look hinted that he was the one responsible for silencing Landon and that, if given the opportunity, he would do the same to Taylor.
After George Taylor and his crew left their spaceship, which crash-landed on a mysterious, seemingly uninhabited planet, to their delight, the three men soon encountered a group of primitive mute humans. This seemed like the answer to their prayers until, in a shocking twist, it was revealed that humans were not the dominant species on this planet as a horde of apes came and hunted them down. With apes riding on horseback, wearing clothes, and using tools, this scene was a pivotal moment in Planet of the Apes.
The scene became even more shocking when the brutality with which the apes treated the humans was revealed. With bodies strung up by their arms and legs, humans tied up in nets and being shot at like a pack of wild animals, Taylor and the rest of the crew were left running for their lives. While this would only be the beginning of Taylor’s negative experiences with overbearing primates, it was the audience’s first glimpse at just how oppressed humans were in this new and strange world.
After it was discovered that George Taylor was unlike any man the apes had ever met, he was put on trial in a kangaroo court, where the oppressive leading member of the Ape National Assembly, Dr. Zaius, sought to silence and dispose of him. However, luckily for Taylor, he had the scientists Dr. Ziva and Cornelius there to back him up and protest for his right to a fair trial. This memorable scene was an important moment in Planet of the Apes as it gave great insight into the ape’s beliefs, culture, and prejudiced viewpoints surrounding humans.
Taylor’s hearing with Dr. Zaius showed that the social and political concerns of Ape City were the same as contemporary anxieties from when Planet of the Apes was released in 1968. As Dr. Zaius spouted religious rhetoric about ape superiority, dismissed the theory of evolution, and sought to convict Taylor in an ad hoc tribunal, it was impossible not to recognize how this scene lampooned contemporary issues and satirized the justice system. The hearing with Dr. Zaius was a clever scene that emphasized the allegorical message of Pierre Boulle’s original novel.
After the captured human, George Taylor, escaped his prison cell and ran wild throughout Ape City, he was relentlessly pursued by the countless apes riding on horseback, throwing things at him, and eventually recaptured in a net. At this moment, Taylor finally spoke to the apes for the first time, and everyone around was shocked by his ability to express himself. With a scream, Taylor delivered the now-famous movie quote: “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!”
The powerful scene was the most critical moment in Planet of the Apes, as it meant the apes could no longer deny that Taylor was far more advanced than the average human. The moral and ethical issues that this revealed were massive, as if the apes were to accept Taylor as their equal, it would mean restructuring the entire foundation of their society and beliefs. While this could have been the beginning of a new era for the citizens of Ape City, the fearful Dr. Zaius instead used it as an opportunity to put Taylor on trial with the goal of silencing him forever.