Frederick- Knowledge is Power

Tim Burton addresses many dualities in his film Planet of the Apes. One in particular would be education vs illiteracy within the human/ape power struggle. Apes as they appear in the film are highly intelligent with a complicated political structure and a highly developed civilization with a hierarchy. The humans in the film, on the other hand are shown as very primitive and still living in a nomadic tribe like civilization as we can see by their tools, dress, and homes (teepees). The knowledge that the apes possess is what gives them power over the human beings. At the same time, it is reveals that the apes oppress the humans because they know that the humans have the capacity to develop superior technology that could over power the apes. The duality comes in how Captain Leo Davidson views apes as intellectually inferior, like they were in the world he grew up in. In his universe, humans control apes and put them in cages, because humans are more intellectually developed, but know that apes are stronger physically then they are and therefore are somewhat of a threat.

This human/ape ape conflict and the struggle to keep the other side oppressed helps to characterize the human and ape characters in the film. We can understand why each character is like it is because of this struggle. For example, the human girl, Daena, is practically mute throughout the movie. She hardly speaks up except to say how she hates apes, or to make sure she is protecting her people. Daena is like this because she and other human's had been oppressed and shown that they were inferior and stupid, so she doesn't have much to say, and she doesn't think she has anything intellectual to say. Captain Leo on the other hand, being raised in a world where he is considered superior, feels entitled to freedom and does not fear the apes, so he is able to lead a revolt against them. Captain krull, an ape, is an exception to the apes who want to enslave humans. He still feels they are inferior, as he has been taught all his life. He is also very religious, so he believes them to be inferior again in that relm, but when Peraclese the chimp from space arrives, he loses faith in his religion, and thus loses faith in the apes. He was treated poorly by many apes, and this is another reason he decided to side with the humans, besides being Ari's faithful guard.

The dualities an the conflicts within Planet of the Apes characterize and make the humans and apes in the film that much more relatable, understandable, and interesting.