Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)The saga of clash between the human and their supposedly inferior evolutionary cousins, the primates, which started in the late 60s continue in the times of our children. My son, DA, had been pestering me to view this 8th offering of this franchise even before its release. And there I was enjoying the advancement of cinematography and make up of a 21st century film. What started as philosophical movie in 1968 with Charlton Heston had slowly evolved to impress the masses.
At a time in the future, the world as we know is almost annihilated of its inhabitants after an viral epidermic befalls mankind. Man quickly succumbs to this ailment in mammoth proportions. The world looks a scene from a Discovery Channel's "50 years after Man". Roads are abandoned, public amenities are left to rot and the world is an empty place (almost).
We are brought to a thick lush jungle where a large colony of apes and other primates swing from tree to tree without a care in the world. The tranquility in peaceful shangri-la is disturbed one day by a man.
You see, after the epidemic, the number of surviving had dwindled tremendously. A small group of immune individuals survived the viral onslaught and congregated in small area of the country surviving on their meagre supply of food, ammunition and source of energy. As the energy resources dwindled, Man remembered that there was a disused hydroelectric dam that they could get going again to generate power. Hence, the visit to the jungle enroute to the dam.
At the spur of the moment in a state of shock, the visitor shoots an ape.
Like the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that started the WW1, this event was the catalyst that started the avalanche of other events. The leader, Caesar, who had had spent time with human long time ago comes to fore and speaks the first spoken word, GO!, scuffling man back to his hiding.The leader of the expedition, Malcolm, returns with an olive branch to get permission to get to the dam. They agreed on a deal where Caesar's wife with puerperal sepsis gets treatment and human put away their weapons. Both parties are wary of each other. Caesar's second in command, Koba had had an extremely traumatic as a laboratory animal.
Long story short, sceptics on both sides of the divide incite violence turning the once humble abode of both parties into living hell.
As the apes gain victory, word comes in that reinforcement was coming for the side of man. To be continued....
At one look it looks a man versus ape movie. There is actually more than meets the eye.
By and large, apes are portrayed here as highly intellectual beings who are wary of their actions and its effect. The humans, on the other hand, look like Neanderthals and nincompoops. They seem to be contented with their self proclaimed superiority in hierarchy, their booze, their lackadaisical attitude and the ability to gunpowder everything within their sight to smithereens.
It is also not easy to control strong opposition a community especially when violence is an option. Any being, be it ape or human, are easily influenced by the seed of uncertainty or fear of being fooled. No matter how good a leadership is, peaceful symbiosis does not seem to an option for nature.
Life on Earth is a constant struggle. History has shown that biology and survival of species is no pleasure cruise. It is a violent struggle between and within species to ensure survival of the fittest with the hope of continuation of species.
So, after the movie, I asked DA what he had learnt from the movie? He, excitedly waiting for its sequel, replied, "..that war does not bring good!" To that I told him, "In fact many years ago, Lao Tze, a Chinese philosopher had told 'There are no winners in war, only losers!' "
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