Planet Of the aPes

WHEN is it? 3978 WHAt is tHE FUtURE?

how do you distil the fears of Cold war america into one image? You show the statue of liberty half-buried in dust following an apparent nuclear war. the remnants of mankind are voiceless primitives enslaved by a race of intelligent apes. the film’s infamous twist ending revealing mankind had destroyed itself was born out of the same nuclear tensions that had schools teaching students what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. mix in allegories for the racial tensions in ’60s america and you’ve got one of the bleakest possible futures in science fiction.

WHAt WOULD it BE LiKE tO LiVE tHERE?

well, it didn’t end well for Charlton heston...