Planet of the Apes 1968 is a unique film in comparison to its modern remakes because it is a true dystopia. The film takes Place in Ape city where a very obvious class system is in place. The chimpanzees are scientists, the gorillas are the police/military force and the orangutans are the government officials. I like this example as a dystopian theme because it reflected our own society in the 60’s. It is a very obvious take on racism and even classism in my opinion.
Another dystopian aspect is how the humans (also apes) are treated. Humans are on the lowest tier of the hierarchy and are hunted and killed or used for slave labor. This aspect makes Ape City a dystopia for some not all. The other apes all live comfortably while the humans live in exile in fear.
The final dystopian aspect is the environmental damage that has occurred. At the end of the movie it is revealed that Ape City is actually NYC. Throughout the movie you can see the desertification that has occured to the environment. My interpretation was that this came from nuclear war (another issue from the 60s/ Cold War). It should also be noted that the humans and apes have completely switched roles where the humans devolved and are feral and speechless.
