Jane Goodall was “unexpectedly moved” when she watched War for the Planet of the Apes, she writes in Variety. In an article featuring 25 writers weighing in on their favorite movies in 2017, Goodall writes that she was particularly affected by the “powerful moral message” of the film.
Directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback and Reeves, the science fiction film is the third installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, after Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). The first Planet of the Apes film released in 1968. The franchise chronicles the story of a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control.
“I have distant memories of seeing the very first Planet of the Apes movie many, many, years ago,” Goodall writes in Variety. “I can’t remember it in detail, but I do distinctly recall feeling delighted when the scientists in their white coats were trapped in the cages and the chimpanzees were experimenting on them. Just what they deserved! I thought. When I saw the current film, I was unexpectedly moved.”
Considered the world’s foremost expert on the chimpanzees, Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a global wildlife and environment conservation organisation. She is most well known for a six-decade-long study of wild chimpanzees. Goodall was only 26 when she left her home to conduct her study in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960.
“For weeks after I watched it I found myself thinking about our human arrogance in believing we are so superior to the apes and other animals,” Goodall writes about the latest Planet of the Apes movie. “Mark and Matt’s script, along with excellent acting and brilliant special effects, have created a number of unforgettable characters, not only chimpanzees but an endearing orangutan and a gorilla — who just happens to be the bad guy in the movie. As someone who has fought for a long time against using wild animals in entertainment, it’s fantastic to have created such vivid characters without exploiting any living apes.”
She writes that her favourite character in the series is Ceaser (Andy Serkis), the leader of the clan of genetically enhanced chimpanzees. “In him Mark and Matt have created an extraordinary being (brilliantly brought to life by Andy Serkis and Gino Acevedo) whose behavior, in many ways, reflects the struggle of humanity as we try to overcome our faults and achieve our true potential for good. So Caesar struggles with justifiable feelings of rage and hatred and, in the end, rises above these destructive emotions as he fights not only to protect the other apes, but also a young and vulnerable human girl,” Goodall writes.
She asserts that Caesar’s acceptance of his flaws, and the resilience and fortitude he displays, make him an ideal leader. “Caesar is not perfect: he sometimes flies into rages, he succumbs to despair, he withdraws from his friends. But these flaws only serve to highlight his many virtues — his leadership qualities, his courage, humility, wisdom, compassion and ability to forgive. The sacrifice that he makes to help the other apes is truly moving. In fact, Caesar is everything one could want in a leader and I only wish more of our human leaders behaved like him,” Goodall writes.