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Film1972

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

Directed by J. Lee Thompson

  • action
  • science fiction

The story

In a futuristic world that has embraced ape slavery, a chimpanzee named Caesar resurfaces after almost twenty years of hiding from the authorities, and prepares for a revolt against humanity.

What it’s like

Grainy 1970s film stock over sun-bleached Los Angeles streets and dusty industrial yards, with the human city rendered in flat daylight and washed-out concrete while the ape quarters look cramped, dim and rough-hewn. The camera stays mostly steady and wide, letting crowds, cages and police lines sit in the frame, and the action set pieces are blunt and kinetic rather than polished, with riot scenes and a grim arena showdown cut quickly. Jerry Goldsmith's score is brassy and percussive, leaning on militaristic drums and tense strings that swell into a sense of mounting pressure. The vibe is bleak, angry and urgent, a dystopian uprising story with a streak of mordant irony about who really holds power. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with the emotional register tilting from wary survival toward open defiance as Caesar, a quietly determined chimp, moves from hiding to leadership. Violence is present and fairly frequent: riot beatings, shootings, a brutal arena fight and a few deaths, rendered with 1970s bluntness but without gore. It suits a Saturday afternoon with some grit, and fits viewers who want social allegory, retro sci-fi action and a darker, more serious take on the franchise.

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