I discovered a fascinating book, God on the Planet of the Apes: Uncovering the Lessons of the Lawgiver, a 222-page, speculative analysis by Dann Michalski.
As one reared on Christian faith and an impassioned, Apes afficionado, Michalski ties the original, five movies (based on Pierre Boulle's influential novella), as well as the 2001 reboot and the newfangled, Caesar trilogy, to Biblical verse, though professes that his observations (culled from significant scenarios throughout the franchise) are personal and aren't meant to be (pun intended) gospel. As the author indicates, art has the means to inspire and sway interpretation, and for the sake of the Apes saga, Michalski has achieved that admirable angle.
Though the 1968, blockbuster holds a number of Biblical allusions, in particular through its lawgiver component, Michalski leans on Beneath the Planet of the Apes as the most prolific example due to its prayer-service segments, punctuated by the fable's cathedral climax, where the Alpha-Omega bomb becomes more than a mere, misled worshipping device.
Michalski presents an equivalent, apocalyptic tie-in to Escape from the Planet of the Apes, doing so with convincing contemplation for its particular, fish-out-water novelty (a clever twist on what one finds in the novella and the initial movie).
However, for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Michalski uses relevant, scripture to underscore the chapters' social context. Truly, one won't watch these two in quite the same way again, after absorbing his insights and opinions.
The 2001 "redux," as well as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War of the Planet of the Apes, which pull from Conquest ... and Battle ..., also receive Michalski's shrewd scrutiny and additional, uncanny, Biblical parallels.
All the chapters are divided by sub-sections, with plot overviews and critical outcomes being most prevalent, but there are also segments on the saga's "Divine Spark" and "Good Shepherd" elements. (I appreciate the latter since such tackles the concept of compassionate heroism, a storytelling trope that extends even beyond Apes mythology, as any Superman fan can attest.)
I'd love to see Michalski compose a revised edition where he applies his techniques to the 1970s, live-action and animated Apes, television series, along with the period's comic-book offshoots and of course, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. I'm certain that such simian quadrants would only further fortify his theological theories.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRC4VV37?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
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