6d50e858   
   From: ggggg9271@gmail.com   
      
   On Monday, March 30, 2009 at 5:48:10 PM UTC-10, good grief wrote:   
   > Planet of the Apes and Its Implications.   
   > Planet of the Apes has always been one of my favorite films. I loved   
   > it as a kid though the first viewing freaked me out; I had screaming   
   > fits and turned it off after the first 30 min–I must have been 5 yrs   
   > old. So, I really saw the entire film when I was around nine. I loved   
   > every minute of it, and I like it even today. Of course, reasons for   
   > liking it changed over time.   
   >    
   > I saw Planet of the Apes again some months ago and couldn’t help   
   > noticing certain parallels with the 10 Commandments, not least because   
   > Charlton Heston played both Moses and Taylor. I’m not sure if the   
   > makers of POTA consciously thought of 10 Commandments, but the two   
   > films make for interesting comparisons. Both are stories of alien   
   > minorities, oppression, liberation, and uncertainty. But, if Ten   
   > Commandments reflected the moral certitudes of the Cold War 50s, POTA   
   > reflects the anarchic skepticism of the late 60s. Moses leads his   
   > people out of bondage to an uncertain but promised land. There will be   
   > many obstacles and tragedies, but God is on their side. Taylor flees   
   > Apeland toward freedom, but he’s practically alone, with only a horse   
   > and mute bimbo. He rides toward the future only to re-discover   
   > humanity as a past-tense. Triumphant miracles aid the Hebrews on   
   > their path to freedom; tragic catastrophe awaits Taylor on his   
   > journey. Moses condemns the Golden Calf worshipers and saves the good   
   > members of his flock. Taylor condemns all of mankind, but deep down   
   > realizes and knows that he too is part of cursed humanity.   
   >    
   > Another movie that comes to mind in relation to POTA is Bridge on the   
   > River Kwai, hardly surprising since both stories were written by the   
   > French author Pierre Boulle. I haven’t read Bridge on the River Kwai   
   > and don’t know what changes were made for David Lean’s film, but both   
   > stories share common themes. When the books were written, France still   
   > had an empire stretching all over Asia and Africa. For a couple of   
   > centuries, the French, along with the British, assumed that the   
   > dominance of white man would practically be permanent. The West was   
   > great and powerful; white man was advanced and well-organized. Whether   
   > one called it the white man’s burden or white man’s destiny, it seemed   
   > like the world was meant to be ruled by white people.   
   > The first crack in this assumption happened with the rapid rise of   
   > Japan. An isolated feudal-state, Japan catapulted to world power   
   > status in a few decades after its gates were crashed open by Brits and   
   > Americans. In 1905, the Japanese, deemed a newcomer to world power   
   > politics, defeated the Russian Bear. Japanese power grew in Asia to   
   > the point where it became the premier imperialist player in northern   
   > China. But, that was not enough for Japan. Japan wanted dominance over   
   > all of Asia. This brought Japan face to face with European powers in   
   > Southeast Asia. Japan’s victory over British, French, and Dutch forces   
   > in Southeast Asia was shocking to both Westerners and Asians. It was   
   > as if the world was turned upside down. This was something new. Yes,   
   > Japan had defeated Russia in 1905 but that didn’t lead to rule over   
   > white folks. Yes, Japan had competed with Western powers in China and   
   > elsewhere, but Japan didn’t gain dominance over white-ruled areas.   
   > This all changed in 1941 when Japan charged into Western Imperialist   
   > holdings in Asia. This was all the more shocking because Japanese   
   > victory was so swift and resounding. There were deeper implications in   
   > this victory for all Asians–most living under colonialism–could now   
   > see that white folks could be defeated by non-whites. Though most   
   > Asians resented and hated Japanese imperialism–even more than Western   
   > Imperialism–, Japan’s victory inspired anti-Western-Imperialist   
   > movements(both Rightist and Leftist)all over Asia, Middle East, and   
   > elsewhere.   
   > Of course, Japan was finally defeated by white powers. US smashed   
   > Japan in the seas and from the sky. Russians charged into northern   
   > China and totally whupped Japanese ass. But, the West–especially   
   > Europe–never recovered from the shock of defeat at the hands of Japan   
   > in Southeast Asia. (And, Russians later came to fear the 800 million   
   > Chinese communists that turned into enemies.) Indeed, when the   
   > Europeans returned to take control of Southeast Asia, it was   
   > hopeless. Even Southeast Asians who hated the Japanese took   
   > inspiration from the Japanese example and fought against the re-   
   > imposition of Western imperialism. Dutch had to abandon Indonesia.   
   > French gave up Indochina. British realized its days were numbered in   
   > Malaysia. Americans, though not an imperialist power, inherited the   
   > French mess, tried to make the best of it(create an anti-communist   
   > South Vietnam), but was eventually pushed out by crazed communist   
   > Vietnamese in the North.   
   > Of course, victory over the white race by non-whites is nothing new if   
   > we look at all of history. The ancient Huns whupped the Europeans over   
   > a long period. The Mongol armies reached as far as Paris at one time,   
   > and the heirs of the great Khans ruled over Russia for centuries.   
   > But, since the time of Western advances in science, technology, and   
   > industry, it seemed to Western Europeans and Americans that there was   
   > nothing to turn the tide of history; white folks would rule and rule   
   > for good. Of course, many white folks saw this as a good thing since   
   > they were supposedly good Christians bringing the light of progress to   
   > all those crazy, backward, poor, and benighted darkies. There was some   
   > truth to this as much of the world was ruled by oppressive tyrants or   
   > systems, steeped in superstition and idiotic customs, and such. The   
   > concept of universal human rights, modern medicine, democracy, and   
   > other good stuff all originated and came from the West. The West ended   
   > slavery all over the world. Japan and Turkey gained much by opening up   
   > to Western powers(or being forcibly opened up by them). But, there was   
   > also an element of arrogance and high-falutin-ness on the part of many   
   > Westerners. Some white folks just couldn’t resist going around   
      
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