Planet of the Apes (1968) Movie Ending... Explained

[@Serai3]

Taylor's horror and pain at the ending are so terrible because he is a cynic, and like almost all cynics, he's really hopeful at heart. It's there in his speech at the beginning - he believes humans have continued on and become better. He doesn't hate his species, he just hates what we do and how awful we can be. So when he finds out we failed, it breaks his heart utterly.

[@stevecosmolove1045]

chris daffron you responded to a great comment with a crappy one, and didn't even bother to explain yourself

[@kimothy1701]

Serai3 well said hence his closing cry of “damn them all, damn them all to hell”. Actually said this again in Tim Burton’s reimagining with Mark Walburg this time as an elderly ape. Uncredited role but his voice, unmistakable

[@Serai3]

+THEBUTTPART Hey, you're supposed to stay AWAY from the brown acid. They made announcements, dude!

[@Serai3]

+chris daffron That says more about your attitude towards humanity than Taylor's.

[@Serai3]

+Kim Morley I try very hard not to remember the existence of that "remake".

[@stephenwarhurst6615]

When think of the ending Dr. Zaius goes from being villain to someone who wants to stop the apes going down the same destructive path as the humans and to stop the humans from becoming a destructive race again

[@JW-hn5nt]

no he's just a fearful religious zealot,

[@gusgrizzel8397]

The apes weren't technologically evolved. Zaius didn't want the apes to know that they were inferior to the humans.

[@iamemjarrobinson8713]

@@gusgrizzel8397 Not inferior, just less advanced. They were at the relative infancy of their civilization but with salvaged instruments of the previous world. Just like the Medieval society of Europe didn't just spring into the renaissance, but started by picking up the salvaged pieces of Rome and rebuilding.

[@gusgrizzel8397]

@@iamemjarrobinson8713 You weren't paying attention to the props and behaviors of the apes.

[@iamemjarrobinson8713]

@@gusgrizzel8397 Enlighten me. The humans acted like animals and the apes were acting like humans, some civil, others arrogant but how were they inferior when they walked, talked and socialized like humans?

[@stepbackandthink]

You have completely overlooked that this film was released at the height of the Cold War when the target audience had a very genuine fear of imminent Mutually Assured Destruction. The ending would have had far more impact on that specific generation and is why Heston specifically says "blew it up".

[@ChrisBakerauthor]

As 2020 proves, they will find other ways to destroy themselves. Homo sapiens love to follow and obey sociopaths, and that's why they end up fighting wars that kill millions.

[@passedoutsober6322]

It was also made at the end of the civil rights movement, which reflected alot of racist inuendoes.

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

“fear of imminent MAD-ness” Hehe, thought I’d add that

[@andrewgonzalez6208]

“Only people your age wear beards”

[@Jan96106]

You can't look at a monolithic audience. I first saw the film when I was sixteen years old. By that time nuclear destruction was a platitude many young people had settled into, which we only half-believed if at all. We were blase about it. An example of that attitude (that I did not read until later) appears in a short story where a young girl uses the cold war as an excuse not to study in school: "Don't get me up with the rest in the morning." "But I thought you were having midterms." "Oh, those," she comes back in, kisses me, and says quite lightly, "in a couple of years when we'll all be atom -- dead they won't matter a bit." The government was at a more heightened pitch in the late 50's, when we had drills in school on what to do if Russia dropped bombs on the United States. Of course, crouching down in rows against the walls in inner hallways or hiding under our desks would not have protected us, so I now wonder what the true purpose of those drills were. To incite fear and frenzy? In 1962 there was the Cuban Missile crisis, but most kids my age did not realize the danger we narrowly averted. By 1959 we had seen On the Beach and by the mid-sixties movies like Failsafe and Dr. Strangelove. In 1968 Chad and Jeremy dropped a bomb and destroyed humanity in the album Of Cabbages and Kings. At that time China was considered the big threat. Charlton Heston also starred in a series of science fiction movies during the sixties where he played the cynical, disillusioned hero, something teenagers could easily identify with. Teenagers like dystopias. A favorite book with high school students was The Catcher in the Rye, with the main character, Holden Caufield, disgusted with the hypocrisy of the adult world. Another favorite, a genuine dystopia, was 1984, which I understand infinitely better now than I did as a teenager. But we were young. That meant that deep down we believed we had a future. Our nihilistic pose was just that: a pose. Those teenagers who first saw Planet of the Apes are now in their seventies with a full understanding of what happens with global warming, that democracies are very fragile and don't last forever, and an understanding how easily fascism spreads. When we were younger, we used to wonder how Nazi Germany could happen. We don't ask that question anymore. Given advanced age and given all that everyone has witnessed, we are now genuinely worried. I should also add that in the late sixties there were a glut of books popularizing the evolution of man and the discoveries that had been found earlier. (Lucy came a bit later in 1974.) A widely read book was called The Naked Ape, just one of dozens and dozens easily available to read (A Million Years of Man and African Genesis also come to mind), so this movie is just a twist on that theme and part of a larger trend. It is difficult to put a film in context and to explain the era it was created to those who haven't lived through it. There is so much that gets lost or forgotten or misunderstood.

[@davidwise3426]

Classic, still holds up. The cinematography, story, acting, make-up, music, all great.

[@davidgreen5099]

Rod Serling was the master of the twist ending.

[@rafsandiego]

"It's a COOKBOOK!!!"

[@jasona9]

@@rafsandiego , From To Serve Man featuring the late Richard Kiel. I always liked that one!

[@jasona9]

"Picture if you will....." - Rod Sterling

[@mtrich8113]

That's why the Twilight Zone was so good and ahead of its time.

[@coolaunt516]

I remember seeing this at a drive in and being really depressed all the way home.

[@AchtungEnglander]

I saw it when I was 14. Did not know the ending. For the rest of the day I was in a state of shock. The no music credit roll is genius masterstroke

[@jase1438]

It was, I remember seeing the movie in the 70s on TV as a kid, didn't know the ending either. I couldn't believe the ending. Saw it the way it was intended.

[@newdefsys]

I like how Dr. Zaius thoroughly rejects Taylor's story that he is from another planet. Zaius used very simple logic, (Taylor is human, therefore, he is from this planet). However the audience, in turn, rejects Dr. Ziaus' logic solely because he is the antagonist of the film, (the audience doesn't want Zaius to be right because they hate him). So, even though the plot twist is literally spelled out to the audience they still didn't get it. It's brilliant.

[@kingincrimson]

dr. zaius is a wonderful character.

[@newdefsys]

@@kingincrimson Maurice Evans was a wonderful actor

[@JoBloOriginals]

@@newdefsys Agreed! Fantastic performance, he really elevates the film.

[@newdefsys]

@Richard Johnson Yeah, Taylor had a change of heart about that though. And Dr. Zaius told him it would happen.

[@slagit]

@Screuu Guglew Yeah maybe deep inside Taylor started to accept maybe he was on earth or similar, yet part of him did not want to accept this horrifying possible truth.

[@Andrew-yb1uv]

The ending terrified me when I was kid! Chills.

[@292Nigel]

It was a brilliant ending. Great film.

[@kevinpittman2517]

same for me i was like 5 or 6 at the time.

[@aliensoup2420]

The shock reveal of the aged female astronaut, freaked me out more than anything. I was maybe 10 yrs. old and couldn't sleep that night.

[@johnsmith-i5j7i]

It was a crap ending. Of course it was earth all along. Duh

[@BigBri550]

@@johnsmith-i5j7i "Duh," exactly. But what you are not seeing is that was the ending's whole point: how could Cold War societies not see the inevitable outcome? But back then we didn't dare speak the truth of it, just like how we used to say "big C" instead of "cancer," or today how we can't say "suicide" without a 1-800 number attached. Back then, we were conditioned to modestly accept the inexorability of nuclear war, but our minds just could not get comfortable with it. The ending for Planet of the Apes was a long-awaited cry from our collect subconscious, at long last articulated out loud by Charlton Heston: "You maniacs!"

[@KEVMAN7987]

"Dear me. What are these things coming out of her nose?" "Spaceballs." "Oh, shit. There goes the planet."

[@UNKLP66]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@MrMovieRecaps]

God I love Spaceballs lol

[@autumbreeze1129]

Love that scene

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Well there it is.gif

[@daves4645]

She's gone from suck to blow!

[@fluff1353]

Serling was a master at script-writing. He understood the times in which he lived. This film was released during one of the most tumultuous periods of contemporary history: Vietnam, the civil rights movement, escalation of the Cold War...all of these issues and more were reflected in places throughout this movie. Serling and others knew it wasn't Taylor who was the cynic...it was all of us at the time. And that's why it worked so well.

[@evilsdemise1287]

I remember the first time I saw this movie I didn't get the ending right away, it took me a few seconds to realize what it meant then I was literally stunned in my seat, I sat there for minutes just processing it. This movie is one of the films that made me into a movieholic. It just doesn't get any better than this.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

The Simpsons actually spoiled this ending for me. Then Mad Men season 6 also spoils the ending for anyone who never seen it.

[@ruthpullis9279]

The one that really got me was Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The way this world is going nothing would surprise me if this planet of the apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes with the show you the future and we just didn't catch it in a different way of speaking though.

[@Stonecutter334]

Two words. Rod Serling.

[@StuartRyan-yi5ok]

This is an example of great science fiction.

[@donnaperry1654]

Poor Nova doesn't know why Taylor was so upset looking up at that statue of liberty.

[@ericunderwood1482]

She played that part well....

[@Teebone211]

Linda Harrison was so frikin hott in this....

[@214warzone]

She's too hot, it's distracting. Like Monica Bellucci in Matrix 3.

[@VanLat7]

@@Teebone211 She was one of the most beautiful women ever

[@edwardt.6766]

But why were those humans “dumb”? Where they just uneducated or their brain somehow became primitive?

[@jmadratz]

When I first saw this movie back in 1968 as an eleven year old, it shocked me at the ending, never before realizing it before then.

[@KB-ke3fi]

To me it made perfect sense. The spaceship time clock showed them being waaaay into the future, and also the dead scientist who obviously aged thousands of years when they crashed. They were in the future.

[@marcmywords6970]

I absolutely Love the fact that Rod Serling's ending was kept. Its perfect! its ties it all together and hits you hard the first time you see it.

[@garyturner5739]

Wonderful story telling right up to the last second of the film.

[@hanniffydinn6019]

This blew my mind when I saw it as a kid. They don’t make films with this kind of punch anymore. 🤯

[@Andrew-yb1uv]

Yeah me too, it terrified me.

[@jackson4861]

Same, I was so young, maybe 5 or 6 , and when I saw the Statue of Liberty, it clicked and I realized it could really happen.....or so I thought. I didn’t sleep a wink that night! Still the most gripping film ending of all time.

[@halloweenjack4482]

Same again. I remember my aunt taking me to see Beneath the Planet of the Apes too when I was about 8 and the scene where the humans take off their 'masks' completely terrified me. It was awesome.

[@GJ67]

Hanniffy Dinn same here, I’ve watched this movie 10 times. I could watch it another 10. My most favourite film 2, is Star Wars.

[@balemonte727]

Can you imagine seeing Moses Ben Hur fighting off ape beasts and then this ending?? I was real small when I saw this, i got it all mixed up

[@tnetroP]

I first saw this in the mid to late 1970's as a young boy. I thought it was a fantastic film and I was genuinely shocked at the ending. Even today it remains one of my faviourite films.

[@brahsumatra]

The Planet of the Apes ending is the greatest and most ionic.

[@ProNorden]

Brah, ... It's a metaphor for demographics, immigration, & suicidal Civilization decline. ✌

[@swam2922]

2001 ending was good ass hell to

[@Cambergain]

Overrated

[@Biggdoom344]

One of the overlooked parts of the movie is how the ape society was structured similar to humans with a twist. The gorillas were lowest class and did the blue collar jobs. The chimpanzees were the white collar workers. The orangutans were the elites. The humans were the people discriminated against as the minorities of the planet.

[@janefelix3821]

it was based on the societal changes going on in the late sixties. In the sequel, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes", there are scenes where the chimps (youth), stage anti-military protests against the establishment (orangutans) and military (gorillas).

[@keptyeti]

Orangutans and Gorillas were like Trumpists. The Orangutans are the cynical elites taking advantage of the uneducated brutes based on lies.

[@janefelix3821]

@@keptyeti It was based on the society of 50 years ago so leave Trump out of it. The Orangutans were the establishment, i.e. government which was both Parties as the youth were just as anti-Democratic (Daley, Johnson) as they were anti-Republican (Nixon, Goldwater). The gorillas were the military which was controlled by both Parties as Johnson was a Democrat who was succeeded by a Republican, both received the ire of the youth movement.

[@SimplyN2itive]

I did a report on this in college; You nailed it. This is not how the movie wants to be perceived by this comment section because it is a feeling they are unfamiliar with in real life

[@gusgrizzel8397]

It's implied that man forgot to talk.

[@Sedonangel]

Serling was completely brilliant. Crashing waves at that unforgettable end, brought just the right amount of bleakness and coldness .... down to the bone.

[@gusgrizzel8397]

The endless waves....

[@darkwitness2718]

Serling was brilliant but the crashing waves at the end with no music was a collaborative idea which the director and writers came up with together.

[@neonh161]

Planet Of The Apes is one of my favourite movies of all time because of everything you said..

[@Dohsoda]

Still the best "Planet of the Apes" film. It's just a classic. I do really enjoy the modern reboot trilogy as well.

[@sunsetman22]

@Daniel Rodriguez honestly I think this is one of the rare occasions where the reboot surpassed the original (and that's saying something). no disrespect to the classic though, it's just that the twist is too known already to have any impact anymore. I really wish I could erase my memory and see it for the first time. also it's quite obvious once you already know, since the movie gives a lot of hints. but the fact that it took a whole trilogy to surpass one film speaks of the sheer stature of the original in pop culture. Planet of the Apes is truly an institution.

[@TheCrusader1000]

In the first remake. Chuck is a Ape and Nova is in the cart of human slaves. So both originals make an appearance. I think the remake is true to the novel.

[@MrBryant240sx]

They really tried to ruin it with the Mark Wahlberg reboot. I also really enjoyed the newest trilogy.

[@etarver13]

The reboot series isn’t a reboot of the 1968 movie. It’s a reboot of Escape, Conquer, and Battle (original series movies 3-5).Which it makes the reboot inferior to the 1968 movie because the reboot is following or copying a linear, forgettable style that strays from what made the original a classic. This highlighted when those morons decided to create a Messiah-chimp (Ceasar) who brought together both man and ape in pure harmony. Fuck that. In the original movie, one of the main points is that if an intelligent, teamwork oriented, and dominant species exist they will abuse their power in every way. Hence, their behavior in general, which I find brilliant.

[@zsan157]

@@etarver13Just because it has a different message doesn’t make it inferior. It’s not trying to be the same thing as the original and that’s ok

[@thomaslong8401]

I saw planet of the apes in the theater when it was first released. Had no knowledge of the ending. And yes, it was incredible. And mind blowing.

[@TheKevinNewsom]

The way that scene is shot is pure genius. We see Taylor approach from the "teaser" angle behind Liberty's crown. The shot closes in on his emotional breakdown and then the zoom out at the end...revealing the horrific truth. Combined with the credits and shore noise you mentioned...it's a pure gut-punch ending.

[@346UNCLEBOB]

Didn't think I would like this video BUT I DID! I saw this film when it first came out and had forgotten how blown away I was by the ending. Good job, JoBio. Superb.

[@brianlondon5967]

This ending elevated a very good movie to a great sci fi classics. Arguably the greatest twist ending in movie history.

[@mattjean2652]

I still get chills watching the ending. Heston puts his heart and soul into that last chilling scene. Feel it!

[@DavidGreen_au]

I was surprised to discover that Taylor's final lines were considered too profane to allow the film to release "as is", and it was only a personal appeal by Heston to the Censorship Board that allowed it to pass, given the nature of the circumstances, the profanity was justifiable. Of course, these days, "God damn you all to hell" wouldn't even raise an eyebrow…

[@Serai3]

A different time. How amazing that in thirty years, they still hadn't got past the word "damn".

[@nicolaiitchenko7610]

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" was a long time before 1968

[@DavidGreen_au]

It was not "Damn" that was the issue, it was the full sentence "God damn you all to hell". Profanity has religious aspects, not just swearing.

[@Serai3]

+Frank Kopke About thirty years, if that's your idea of a long time.

[@altheagray103]

Really? I could understand the word, "Damn" being an issue in '39 (Gone w/the Wind). But in 1968? I'm pleasantly surprised. 😀

[@Pascalore]

The most important aspect of the ending of this film is that the last repairs on the arm of the statue really, really, really stood the test of time. Nice work guys!!

[@colinharbinson8284]

I think people forget or overlook just what a bloody good actor Heston was, and a very fine Shakespearean actor as well.

[@tanler7953]

I loved Heston and miss his acting terribly.

[@Kazrabet]

Great actor, terrible human being. Sucks they had to exist in the same package.

[@colinharbinson8284]

@@Kazrabet why a 'terrible human being' ?

[@Kazrabet]

@@colinharbinson8284 Outside of acting he was just another right wing lug nut. Racist, xenophobic...need I go on?

[@mr.zondide2746]

@@colinharbinson8284obviously because he supported the Bill of Rights.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

POTA is one my most favorite movies, of any genre. I remember when I first saw the trailer for POTA, that I just knew I had to see this movie, and, on opening weekend, I saw it at the Circle Theater in Dallas. I was 12 years old. My parents dropped me and a friend off at the theater that afternoon, and came back to pick us up when the movie was finished.

[@56postoffice]

I first watched the film with my brother when it came on TV in late 1981. We were absolutely stunned by the ending. Still gives me the chills.

[@frankl34798]

it's an ending to end all endings, and i challenge anyone to come up with three science fiction movies with better endings than that. love and peace to you and all, xxxxxxx

[@kencrowe1965]

Wow, think I saw the first one on tv around '73 or '74 😉 Did you ever watch the series that came on tv? It came out originally during the middle 70's as well. It only ran 1 season though...

[@streetsiswatching9660]

​@frankl34798 the 6th sense, the others, identity

[@markenriquez1486]

I can still remember being 5 or 6 years old when this came out and seeing it at the drive-in theater with my family. I also remember the sequels and how they got worse with each subsequent one. There was even a T.V. series later in the 70s and a cartoon series on Saturday morning, when cartoons reigned supreme.

[@r.s.334]

And you played POTA in the school yard just like I did lol

[@stevengrant8668]

Didn't get to see it when it first came out. But a few years further along: I read the book, and then saw each movie as it came out on TV., and then the series...Lol: my 8 inch action figure world was built around the world of POTA. I named my characters after the movie, my best friend had the TV series figures, so his characters were built on them. BIG influence on my childhood.

[@mattjean2652]

I loved them all. This was my Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings....I had action figures and t-shirts.

[@ssssSTopmotion]

The ending gives me shivers

[@ssssSTopmotion]

Thx for liking my comment joblo videos

[@theprofessor8598]

I will never forget seeing this in the movie theater when I was 8 years old. To begin with, the big screen cinematography and eerie background music while marching through the forbidden zone was amazing. Then the strange idea that on this planet apes were the dominant species and humans were far down on the food chain, literally herds of pests that had to be driven away from the crops. Midway through the storyline you realize that the senior apes are hiding something, humans are more than just pests and some apes actually fear humans. Several clues are revealed throughout the movie but when Dr. Zaius admits that he knows that man was here first and warns Tayler that " he may not like what he finds " it gets you thinking. Weather you figured it out or not the final scene on the beach hits you like a sledgehammer. It was 50 years ago but I remember clearly that the theater audience was shocked into silence and as the picture faded the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach were profoundly ominous. Planet of the Apes was the start of my love for science fiction (especially time travel genres) and to this day it is still the best science fiction movie plot I've ever seen.

[@gusgrizzel8397]

I think 2001 A Space Odyssey rivals it. Most people do suspect that the big gap between humans and animals was caused by something extraterrestrial.

[@risinbison1106]

There's so much I love about this movie. One of my favorites is Taylor's inner struggle with humanity and our ability to destroy ourselves. In the beginning he talks about men's evils and asks if we still wage war on our brother. Then near the end where Roddy McDowell reads from ape scripture and Taylor is forced to defend mankind's evil. It is then he finds, and realizes, "his destiny". No ending to any movie I have ever seen left me as speechless as this one....and the wave sound at during the credits, damn.

[@Serai3]

The lack of soundtrack at the end is one very important component, and makes this one of the best cinema endings ever made. Few directors these days have the balls to just let the audience sit, alone, with the devastation of an ending like THAT. I certainly can't think of one.

[@GentlemanAmerican]

I was struck by the shifting of Taylor's views toward mankind. In the beginning of the film he is very cynical ("I can't help thinking somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man") to being an apologist for mankind near the end when he told Zaius "He was here before you, and he was better than you are." But at the end he returns to his initial cynicism ("You maniacs. You blew it up.")

[@GentlemanAmerican]

​@@Serai3 It is ironic. I love the music in this film, which was used effectively in most dramatic scenes, such as when Taylor was chased and captured. But somehow the subtle sound of ocean waves in the background instead of music works better in the film's finale.

[@slagit]

Yep the silent ending with just the wave sound was brilliant and even as a kid it just chilled me to a degree! I always like how Heston played this last angry, cynical astronaut it gave some weight and power to the film in my book!

[@Serai3]

1) I don't think Taylor was completely bitter in the beginning. Remember when he argues with Landon, he says straight out that he doesn't hate his own species, he just hates what we do. He's hopeful at heart. That's what makes the last revelation so devastating to him - that hope he's held since he left that mankind had gotten better along the way. 2) The whole soundtrack is genius. I got it on CD and used to play it late at night. When you play it on its own, it takes on this insane life of desperation and unformed aggression. Fantastic stuff from a master soundtrack artist.

[@leonidas480bc]

I’ve loved this movie from childhood. Great exposition! Thank you!

[@JimHabash]

In 1970 I saw it at the drive in with mom and dad in 1st grade. What an ending! Made my chest sink. To this day, I think it made me think about us humans and what we do, and can do to the planet. And Charlton Heston screaming you maniacs! And pushing his fist into the sand, and saying GD you, GD you all to hell! Oh how powerful! I felt the exact same thing!

[@Serai3]

I was 7 when I saw it at the drive-in with my parents and brothers. I was enthralled. The ending blew my tiny little mind - it was my first experience with a story that deliberately set out to trick me. And for me, the most awful, scary, nightmarish thing about the ending was the droop of those tines on the Statue's crown - they were _melted._ That terrified me in a way I'd never felt before. (I also loved the humor, which was so wicked.)

[@JimHabash]

@@Serai3 wow i hadn't noticed that on the tines! Us maniacs, we blew it up!

[@davidgreen5099]

Saw it at the theater, I was 14, it was an impactful film for me.

[@JoBloOriginals]

@@Serai3 Ooof, that gave me an eerie chill haha. The nightmarish rendition of the statue is definitely haunting.

[@MrJoebrooklyn1969]

Yes but they really didn't blow it up did they? That's not what The Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes suggests.

[@johnsmithGMAiL8888]

Excellent. This was comprehensively explained, and wonderfully articulated. May I thank you Sir

[@Prairielander]

The apes speaking English would make me think it was earth.

[@jasona9]

The apes speaking English didn't make me think it was Earth as much as it made me think it was a movie. It's kind of like watching a film like Executive Decision. You have all these middle eastern terrorists, yet ALL of them are speaking English, not Farsi or Arabic.....because it's a movie and American audiences don't like subtitles....LOL

[@unitedstatesirie7431]

The broken Statue of Liberty shown in this movie is a filthy Satanic idol gift from the evil French ILLUMINATI. "Why do the American people keep defending their betrayers?" Many of you purposely allow your elitist public servants to brain damage your children with vaccinations. Many of you are so very naive about the evil side of human nature. The HOLY BIBLE warns you, but you choose to be willfully ignorant. You pride yourself in your foolish stubbornness. UNITED STATES I. R. I. E. Investigation Research International Educator The real "X-Files" US 4252935977 AGENT Sinne'

[@Spenced86]

@@unitedstatesirie7431 ok

[@GentlemanAmerican]

I think we all abide by an unwritten rule that most American science fiction films can have alien characters that speak English, even in a galaxy far, far away. We just accept it. 😃

[@RToni]

@@jasona9 and they don't like even dubbed movies.

[@orion5992]

The GENIUS of Rod Serling ... a late 60's terror, renewed TODAY, in 2023!

[@clifftanton8385]

Be careful Taylor you might not like what you may find

[@clifftanton8385]

Yes we have guns but you want need them yeah I want some anyway I don't plan on being captured again

[@travisking9321]

What a fantastic retrospective of a true instant classic. I still remember watching this film for the first time on FOX channel 13 in 2000 and I was blown away (excuse the pun) by the twist ending.

[@darrenmcmellon8575]

The passage read from the scroll. Never were truer words spoken about man

[@gigigalaxy1395]

Why didn’t Taylor just look up at the night sky, see our moon realize he was on Earth?

[@8584zender]

The geography of craters on the moon and the fact that all the constellations wouldn't have changed in a few thousand years would give it away. Him being an astronaut and all.

[@logandarklighter]

@@8584zender The moon is surprisingly far away. And without a telescope it's difficult to make out the actual iconic details that we THINK we are familiar with. And much of that is only visible during the waxing to full moon. How long did the story take? My sense of it is that it took less time than a month but I could be mistaken (see below). They could've landed as the moon was waning towards the new moon phase - and thus the details aren't visible. And the moon wouldn't have been in a position for Taylor to see it and make out the details with the naked eye for another 3-4 weeks. Also circumstances such as the weather could have hidden the truth. It could have been overcast or cloudy at the times when he could see it. Also - there's a significant period of time when he's kept against his will in a cage indoors. Particularly as he's healing. Who knows exactly how long that was? He could've missed an entire month of viewing in that time. As for the stars - you have to travel through space farther than you think for the constellations to significantly change. You could be at Alpha Centauri or Barnard's Star or any star out to about 10-15 light years away and much of the night sky would look very similar. Maybe they weren't expecting the sky to be that different. Or again - perhaps Taylor never had the opportunity to get a good look. How often do you really get a good unobstructed view of the night sky to check the constellations without clouds getting in the way? If they are close to New York, prevailing weather might simply conspire against Taylor ever getting a good view for the same reasons stated above for the moon. One last observation - did the apes even have telescopes? I do not recall seeing any. Maybe they hadn't invented them yet?

[@retroking59]

It was cloudy

[@alisterfolson]

retroking59 I like the your short reply better lol

[@Gamevet]

I think that he believed that he was in an alternate universe, where apes evolved and humans didn't. Though the discovery of the human artifacts should have told him it wasn't, he refused to believe what he was seeing. It wasn't until he saw the Statue of Liberty, that his greatest fear was finally realized.

[@OctaveAcrobats]

Thank You for revealing that it was Rod Serling's script.

[@wightangel]

This is the most memorable ending of all time and the image of a broken Statue of Liberty is iconic as they come. Nothing has ever matched the impact that had on its viewers.

[@speedbird737]

The Sixth Sense?

[@arricammarques1955]

The Statue of Liberty is buried, partial nuclear destruction?

[@superchef78]

Why is it so iconic and why does it have such an impact?

[@wightangel]

@@superchef78 I saw this at the cinema back in the 70’s and time was different then. We did not even dream of seeing the year 2000, let alone 2022. Nowadays it seems rather tame.

[@tundecsovak7817]

Exactly.....I still remember the reaction of the audience in the movie: UTTER SILENCE for long minutes on.....they got the hint....yes, the human race had destroyed themselves. Great ending, which is all the more painful in our days, still very relevant, more relevant than ever.

[@nico03456]

I saw this when I was eight years old and ask my old man if this could really happen and he said “ damn right it’s on tv, this is your future son.” It traumatized me. I guess that’s why I love post apocalyptic movies.

[@corrineanders6373]

I believe that this is going to happen soon, not apes taking over, but man destroying the world

[@patrickbone6171]

Love this film Couldn’t quite get it’s intentional end as a child. Was horrified when it was explained. Thanks

[@luisvaldes1568]

I will never forget the ending as a little kid watching on tv in mid 70's.

[@robertpolanco1973]

Personally, I LOVE the original "Planet of the Apes" from 1968 because it presented what science-fiction meant to be. I certainly would help give enormous credit to Pierre Boulle, the author of the novel that inspired the movie, and to the screenwriters, Rod Serling and Michael Wilson, as well. I also think that films like "Planet of the Apes" had made me just another BIG science-fiction fan all along.

[@reesaserik3759]

I was 7 years old when this came out and my family did not go to see it -- going to the movies was too expensive. It was very rare they ever went to the movies. It was released on Television and I think I was between 10 and 12. Not too sure. We were so stoked up, us kids, to be able to finally see it. The night that it aired, a hurricane blew through in our area -- not a bad one; a cat 1. But wouldn't you know it, we lost the TV signal. The station that was airing it, could be tuned in on the radio, and that is what my parents did. We huddled in the kitchen, listening to the movie, trying to imagine what it must have been like. We were so disappointed. A few years later, it aired again and this time we got to actually see it, and it blew our minds. I was fascinated by it. Being a young science fiction fan, the whole concept enthralled me. I found out, as a young adult, that it was based on an actual book. My husband took me to every second-hand book store we could find in a 200 mile radius. Finally I found it, bought it, and read it. The book was amazing in itself. That was about 38 years ago. Still have the book, have a copy of the movie on DVD, of course, as it is one of my most all time favorites. Oh, and I still have the husband!

[@BabaBest2000]

Sometimes, I feel like I'm living on Planet of the Apes.

[@jacobpeters5458]

because of all the hot mute women near you??

[@Sushi.Elemental]

This video is a glorious testament to high schoolers everywhere. The ability to convey very little information or analysis over a long span of time, I.E. , how I got through highschool.

[@ssj2matt]

Second twist it's actually Spaceball One

[@andrewblanchard2398]

🐵 " OH SHIT THERE GOES THE PLANET "

[@Cha-y412]

Watching this film as a 9 year old was incredibly amazing , I didnt see the Statue of Libery twist coming at all. Watching it 50 years later I laughed hysterically at Charlton Heston smoking a cigar in his space craft.

[@DAFTBONCHKOOPA]

Love this movie. Such a shame that the vhs and dvd cover art ruined the ending for so many years. "Conquest" R-rated version is my favorite of them all.

[@JoBloOriginals]

Yeah that's one of the reasons it becomes a known twist ending for many who haven't even seen it!

[@bombercountyblues]

@@JoBloOriginals that and the hundreds of comedy take offs over the years.

[@robertherrick6703]

Is that the same as the Un-Rated version?

[@DAFTBONCHKOOPA]

@@robertherrick6703 I think so.

[@slagit]

Yeah when I saw that in the store I was thinking how stupid of 20th century to run with the cover. What was funny up close I believe there was a figure standing in for Heston and it looked like he had flip flops on. It was like epic failure! Man I could do better work at some of these studios at times! LOL!

[@ThePoorBoy]

One of my all-time favorite films. I haven't seen it in years, but seeing the ending again still spooks me out and gives me chills. This vision of humanity's fate still seems uncomfortably possible.

[@KB-ke3fi]

especially with the Biden administration.

[@ThePoorBoy]

@@KB-ke3fi Yep!

[@gakabler]

People that watch this movie fail to realize that Taylor and company, once out of the time loop, crash land in a lake which is somewhere in what was New Jersey. This would explain the ending far better as it explains how when Taylor comes to the statue he realizes that he is back in NEW YORK!

[@nde1083]

Was that revealed in the book?

[@Serai3]

+NDE108 No, not at all. The story in the book was not about Americans. The people in it were all French. It was Americanized when the film was made, because of course no story would be interesting unless it involved Americans. ARGH

[@SteveTheFazeman]

The New Jersey thing or Statue of Liberty doesn't make sense. After all, they landed in high desert country and that environment carried the movie to the end where the beautiful cliffs of the left coast are located.

[@Serai3]

+SteveTheFazeman Dude, you're overlooking the fact of worldwide nuclear war. Not only changes the climate, but the landscape as well.

[@SteveTheFazeman]

@@Serai3, I disagree with your summation. The atom bomb that was tested at Trinity site in New Mexico did nothing to change the topography of that land.

[@111Phoenix777]

This is one of the greatest movie endings of all time. Even though I know what it is, it's so dramatic and so visually stunning, and unique, you can watch it over and over again, and it's still very powerful.

[@bubu345]

mawkish jejune puerile stuff for kindy kit kat kids

[@nigel_saxon]

"The Only danger is if they send us to that terrible Planet of the Apes. Wait a minute, Statue of Liberty... that was our planet! YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL! (sobbing)"

[@naim7466]

The most memorable iconic twist at the end in film history,when watched for the first time,its a shock.

[@levierickson7321]

I reenact the final scene and Charlton Heston‘s lines at work, every time something happens that makes it suck for us on the shop floor

[@TheKevinNewsom]

Please put the footage on You Tube.

[@majikman7355]

First movie introduced to me by my father. Vivid memory watching it with him. My dad passed away when i was 30. Im now 47 and when i watch this clip it made me think of how i never let him know i remember watching this with him....thanks for the sharing ❤

[@karenlbellmont6560]

Rod Serling is amazing. One of my favorite movies ... ever.

[@CarlEvz13]

My all time favourite scifi film it blew my mind as a child when I first saw them and still does now just everything about it the whole story its absolutely amazing! And yet so fitting with the way us humans are its almost telling us our destiny that mankind will destroy itself .

[@tomhahnl1927]

What a great movie, loved it and still love it today!

[@mercari734]

Yours is a really good explication of the story and its nuances. Nicely done.

[@OneAngryDeacon]

17/10 one of the greatest films ever made is done wonderful service by this excellent and thoughtful video. Thanks for making it and well done

[@JoBloOriginals]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@leebush4053]

Best ever ending to a film. First watched this aged around 7/8 years old. Guessed it was earth and changed my mind. Wonderful film I can watch over and over.

[@EdwinBetancourtJr]

“DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!!” That quote would be funny as hell on a tombstone.

[@UNKLP66]

HAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@Patrick-hb7bk]

Not to the ones that are in hell .

[@sargondp69]

H G Wells

[@christopherdunn317]

@@Patrick-hb7bk THERE IS NO HELL !

[@Patrick-hb7bk]

@@christopherdunn317 You keep telling yourself that , you may eventually believe it .

[@wilhelminaclark839]

The music added to the ending,Still gives me the shivers

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

The first Planet of The Apes is a bloody terrific film. A great twist ending, and a stellar performance by Charlton Heston. I put Beneath The Planet of The Apes in the same category as Exorcist 2 and Beyond The Poseidon Adventure. That category is known as "Pretentious depressing 1970s film sequels that were made by a bunch of corporate suits to take the piss out of New Hollywood and Arthouse filmmakers by making their films as incredibly pretentious and depressing as possible". The reason for Beneath's place in that category is because of it's everyone dies ending. Escape From The Planet of The Apes is a lighthearted relief from the dark and heavy introspection of the first 2 films. But towards the end, the film remembers it's supposed to be a depressing 1970s Sci-Fi movie and kills off its 2 leads. Conquest of The Planet of The Apes is my favourite of the film series purely because the violence and brutality aren't as overblown as the second film was. The less said about Battle For The Planet of The Apes, the better

[@isgodreal1337]

"Pretentious depressing 1970s film sequels that were made by a bunch of corporate suits to take the piss out of New Hollywood and Arthouse filmmakers by making their films as incredibly pretentious and depressing as possible" Oh how much I hate those movies.....!

[@Panzer4F2]

I enjoyed Beneath The Planet Of The Apes primarily for Maurice Evans' performance, and that smoking hot sauna scene. Glad that the Simpsons have honoured him with a song. The protesting Chimps was a nice touch. Even as a kid, I thought that the Escape movie was more of a tv episode than a motion picture, but Ricardo Montalban added much credibility. Big shout out to original casting though, as all those actors nailed their roles. Especially through all that latex.

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

@@Panzer4F2 Maurice's performance was a saving grace for that movie, but I feel that the protesting chimps was a bit much

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

@@isgodreal1337 Is that meant to be a criticism or a correction?

[@isgodreal1337]

@@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051 I'm quoting your comment and adding my opinion (youtube has no reply system like forums have so that is how I had to quote)

[@bergydermeister5616]

53 years old & we still haven't made it to the moon.

[@Hunterelits]

The apes are people

[@briansmith2207]

A true iconic performance by Heston

[@mcwarhol17]

Thanks for this great video...this movie was always one of my favorites but I never could find any literature or articles on its special ending, I obviously understood the ending however I could never find anyone's review of it....please more vids like this :)

[@alfonzo9389]

I think the whole concept of "wiping ourselves out" had to be even more prevalent back in 1968 when the Vietnam War was at it's peak and was seen as a pointless war

[@jdenino6022]

Well…this comment didn’t age well.

[@onceamusician5408]

A lot of us were literally kids when we saw this in 1968. and to us at this age this ending WAS a shock. we did not have adult minds and adult experiences before this time. I was 9 or 10 depending on the month it arrived in my homeland, NZ since so, sorry, but no. i will not talked down to because i and many of my contemporaries as seen here in the comments, did not "get it" until we saw the statue of liberty back when we were kids in 1968 remember, we were the FIRST to see it. it was not a cultural icon echoing back in the cultural memory for those who saw this as kids in the 1990s. we saw it when it was brand spanking new

[@alisterfolson]

JoBlo leaves the crashing of waves as the outro to the engrossing video: *DAMN YOU...ALL TO HELL*

[@JoBloOriginals]

Haha! Had to....

[@davidjarkeld2333]

Really, just who needed this explained to them!

[@donmcc6573]

The planet has humans, and apes speaking English. Breathable air. Trees and fruit just like on earth. Horses..... Weren't the clues always there?

[@JohnPepp]

Well, it's a weird to think Apes evolved from Humans.

[@chicagofan76]

I love the entire series from the Original to the newest ones.

[@bentramer682]

Still one of my favorite movie endings of all time.

[@jonkline709]

One of the best endings ever. Made you stop and think

[@E-stylz-1967]

In my book this is the best movie of all time. As a child watching this for the first time it was a life altering event.

[@robertrichards8418]

fantastic film just got my background 1/6 for the ending display love to show you all when its put together shame you can't post images on utube xx

[@Dogboy73]

Imaging watching this in the cinema in 1968!! Would have been crazy. Especially seeing the ending seen for the first time.

[@dragdragon23]

This movie still has my jaw drop several time each time I watch it to this day, The first time was at the drive in theater as a kid, The remakes arn't even close to this master piece.

[@louisbuzzi869]

I loved Nova as a kid; now i know part of the reason was she couldn't speak.

[@propogandalf]

Gross

[@indy1936]

The grand finale will stay one of the best movie ending of all time....saw it when I was 6 yrs old and still engraved in my memory for ever...hope humanity will not end this way....

[@robynvorsa9283]

Planet Of The Apes and Solient Green, tow of Charlton Heston's best movies.

[@shrek_428]

Omega Man was good, too

[@jerryheck5344]

He was a excellent actor and starred in some of the MOST remembered movies ever made!!! Ben Hur, The 10 Commandments, Planet of the apes, Solient Green, Omega man!!!! Not including his westerns he made also!!!!

[@slagit]

@@shrek_428 Yep he really had a good run of scifi films I grew up with in the late 60s early 70s!

[@Sameoldfitup]

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams.

[@davidcervantes7961]

Anyone watch this video after June 2nd, 2020 are starting to realize this is going to be America's future if the Riots don't stop 💀

[@cynthiaclarke3979]

Instead of Taylor looking up and seeing "the Statue of Liberty"..could had been worse..looking up at a statue of George Floyd..then letting out his famous last words.."Goddamn you all to Hell"..

[@davidcervantes7961]

@@cynthiaclarke3979 I love it 🤣🤣

[@cynthiaclarke3979]

@@davidcervantes7961 - Why lie..lol..

[@-Sober-]

it sucks people are misinformed by the media about unarmed killings by police and Joe Biden is taking advantage of that to become president :(

[@cynthiaclarke3979]

@David Cervantes - A aged statue of George Floyd holding a gun to a pregnant woman's belly..Taylor upon seeing that,I'd said the same thing.

[@MagSeven7]

Interesting comments by the narrator. Having seen this movie when it first came out and 100 times more or less since, I always felt Taylor had a sense he was on Earth but, never wanted to face that fact. As this video notes, the planet he was on was similar climate, terrain, etc. to Earth and the Apes even spoke English! I'm glad he threw the comment in there about the book. I read it a few years ago and was surprised how much different the story was. He makes a good point that knowing the main characters in the book were apes would've taken all the drama out of the movie. Only Rod Serling could have written this screen play anyway. The only thing missing was Rod's voice over commentary at the end! "Mr. Taylor found his destiny,.... in the Twilight Zone".

[@Lestat21500]

I always felt anxiety and sympathy for Taylor after this scene. Mainly in imagining him trying to survive in this new world with barely any supplies, not even shoes. I know we see him a bit in beneath, but his death was frankly cheap and extremely depressing. I'd rather write my own fanfic where he and Nova survive in the desert somehow.

[@nicholasbartonlaw341]

Well for a brief time, he likely thought he had all he needed, a horse, a rifle, a girlfriend, and freedom.

[@aidankerrigan7117]

@@nicholasbartonlaw341 Nothing like the barest essentials. As long as they stay away from the woods!

[@cheaplaughkennedy2318]

I saw this in 69 at the old Greenbelt movie Theater in Maryland. I loved it as a kid , such a classic.

[@Listermintsluesh]

watched as kids with dad. just amazing film. stunning ending and actors and costumes out of this world. all ape films after just didnt reach the atmosphere of this one.

[@ursa41]

Great vid and very informative. Well-explained too. But there's only one thing you skipped over (and I thought you were going to cover that with the three astronauts paddling moments after they abandoned ship, with Landon asking "It's not so much where we are as when we are.."). Before that scene, the VERY FIRST question Landon asked AFTER they left the ship was: "So...where are we? Any notion skipper??" To which Taylor complies: "We are some 4.2 Light Years away from Earth, on a planet in orbit around the Star and Constellation of Orion. That good enough for you?" That piece of dialogue, back in 1968, was enough to convince audiences it was indeed "an alien planet" (not to mention the fact that Frank Schaeffener actually chose Lake Powell to shoot the opening because of its "otherworldly appearance").

[@edwardramirez8768]

"It's a madhouse" " Shut up, you freak"!

[@danaeiler4563]

Not quite sure why this long winded "explanation" is needed. It's a pretty simple, understandable ending.

[@chrispnw2547]

When Taylor said: 'I'm Home...' , it really got to me and still does 50 years on. To witness a civilization returned to rubble with all technologies lost is unthinkable.

[@natashacutiepie6074]

I always thought watching they were on Earth in the future. I didn't know it was suppose to be a twist. I just shrugged at the ending.

[@quantisedspace7047]

I shrug along with you. Wasn't aware that it was supposed to be a twist until I read here.