What does it say about the first five Planet of the Apes movies that of them my favorite is the last, Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)?  I have some theories about it, mainly pertaining to 20^th Century Fox, who remarkably produced the entire series.  Because the others had been so dour, they wanted to give a more hopeful tone to the finale.  Every one of these turkeys ends on some doom ridden tone that does not make one feel good about the direction of civilization.  Today’s entry, which is just as silly as the rest of them, decides to do away with the gloom, though there is plenty in getting to that point.  There are a lot of philosophical moments along the way, too, which sorely stick out given the setting, but are interesting when taken out of context.  And this is why you read The Legionnaire.

Before the opening credits of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, in the year 2670, the Lawgiver (John Huston) gives us a quick rundown of the things that had happened in the previous movies, in case you needed a refresher.  It is mainly to set up how the talking chimpanzee Caesar (Roddy McDowall) became the leader of an enclave of apes and humans.  It is out in the woods some place (honestly, if you know what you are looking at, it is likely some lush valley outside of Los Angeles), the result of, once again, something going terribly wrong in the un-filmed time jump between the last movie and this one.  There was some kind of nuclear war, anyway.  Because Caesar is the offspring of Drs. Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and Zira (Kim Hunter), two apes from the distant future with a more compassionate view of humans, he has decided to form a mixed community.  The simian who is not pleased with this arrangement is General Aldo (Claude Akins).  He is a gorilla who believes humans to be, at best, inferior, and at worst, a danger to the existence of apes.  While MacDonald (Austin Stoker), a human, is also not keen on the current arrangement, his qualms are based on the rough treatment his kind sometimes receives.  He points this out to Caesar, saying that under the current system apes and humans are not equal.  In the course of their conversation, Caesar wishes he had the guidance of his parents, who could shed some light on how society might turn out if they keep their current course.  MacDonald has an answer for this, too, but it lies beneath the nearby ruined city, which is forbidden for apes to visit.  However, being king has certain advantages, so Caesar, MacDonald, and Caesar’s advisor, Virgil (Paul Williams), decide to risk the irradiated urban area in search of knowledge.  Amidst the wreckage lives a separate band of mutated mutants (their face make-up, and the script, says they are mutated, so there!), led by Kolp (Severn Darden).  He was part of the government in the previous movie responsible for attempting to enslave apes, so he is not friendly to their kind, to say the least.  As Caesar and company brave radiation poison, they are spotted by Kolp’s cronies.  Though Caesar is able to see a recording of his parents talking about the future, he has to escape just as quickly when he and his companions are attacked.  The fact that they escape enrages Kolp.  Reasoning that they should have a settlement nearby, he orders that his followers move at once to destroy this supposed threat.  As they begin to head out, their movements are spotted by gorillas observing the Forbidden City.  Though they are fired upon, one of them manages to make it back to Caesar as he has called a council in order to discuss this latest development.  Caesar is surprised by the aggression as he thought his actions had been peaceful, despite their reception.  General Aldo refuses to listen to Caesar anymore, and takes his gorilla followers away from the rest.  That night, Caesar’s son Cornelius (Bobby Porter) chases after his pet squirrel that had gotten loose, and overhears General Aldo plotting to overthrow Caesar.  Before Cornelius can report this treachery to his father, he is discovered by General Aldo.  The gorilla climbs up into the tree in which Cornelius is hiding, cutting off the branch, and watching as the young chimpanzee falls and is mortally injured.  It is Cornelius’ mother, Lisa (Natalie Trundy), who finds her offspring.  Thus, her and Caesar cannot be bothered with preparations for the coming attack as General Aldo assumes control of the settlement.  One of the measures he takes is to confine all the humans in a stockade, people who would otherwise be willing to help in the defense.  It is just as General Kolp’s men are opening fire that Cornelius dies, his last words implicating General Aldo in the adolescent chimpanzee’s death.  The outbreak of hostilities means that Caesar must deal with the rampaging humans before he can seek justice for his son’s death.  Initially, it appears that Kolp’s band have the upper hand, destroying many structures and killing a number of apes.  This is all a ruse to draw in the invaders.  Just when it seems that Kolp is about to kill Caesar, he gives the order for his apes to get up from playing dead, and they overwhelm the attackers.  General Aldo’s group had chosen to stay out of the fight, but are happy to murder the few who are allowed to retreat, Kolp among them.  As Caesar is going to free the humans, General Aldo looks to stop Caesar, threatening to kill their leader.  This is when Virgil speaks, implicating General Aldo in Cornelius’ death.  The number one rule is that ape shall not kill ape.  With guilt etched into General Aldo’s face, he is chased up a tree where he is eventually pushed to his demise by Caesar.  With this, Caesar confers with MacDonald, who encourages Caesar to build a better, more equal future.  This seems to be what happens as we go back to the Lawgiver in 2670, and we see him speaking to a mixed group of apes and humans as the film comes to a close.

The ending of Battle for the Planet of the Apes is in stark contrast to its predecessors, which leaves the viewer believing that we are all doomed.  Thus, it becomes the mission of the protagonists, triggered by MacDonald’s entreaties, to do better.  This makes the tiresome jingoism of villains like General Aldo and Kolp a little easier to stomach.  Their desire to change the future raises some interesting theological questions.  You will notice that I am avoiding an obvious one: if the era in which Caesar’s parents existed does not come to pass, how would he be born?  Instead, I am more concerned with how their desire to change things relates to what God wants of us.  The one thing we can say is that we do not know the future.  This is something many of us desire to know.  I count myself in that category, and my spiritual director has noticed it.  What God wants of us is in the present moment, a continual turning to Him, giving our lives over to His care at all times.  If we can do this, then everything else down the line will take care of itself.  My spiritual director has made two separate drawings to illustrate the wisdom of implementing these ideas in my life.  Let us say, though, for the sake of argument, that we did know for sure that something awful would happen at some point.  What are we to do?  This is something with which Caesar wrestles throughout the movie, in big and small matters.  Indeed, at one point he wonders if it is right to kill evil so that good should prevail.  The answer to such questions, from a Catholic perspective, pertains to time.  In some respects, we are aware of definite consequences for our actions.  If we sin and are unrepentant, God will punish us.  It becomes muddled when, for instance, we punch a bully for harming ourselves or others.  We feel that if we take decisive action, we can at least redress a wrong, maybe even prevent more.  Yet, the Bible does tell us to turn the other cheek.  It is in this respect that Caesar’s character shines.  While not perfect, he practices the kind of restraint God would like of us.  It is not always easy, but it is more often right.

Another good thing about Battle for the Planet of the Apes versus its counterparts is that it is more honest about the existence of God.  I would choose other settings as vehicles for these messages, but I appreciate the fact that my Catholic perspective does not come completely out of left-field as it sometimes can when talking about other movies.  This does not make it recommendation, but I can think of worse films to see.