Day 200: Planet of the Apes and Three Phases of Marxist Revolution (3/3)

Lee Ngo
Lee Ngo
Jul 20, 2017 · 2 min read

Yes, yes, awesome that I made it to 200. I’ll write about that later.

War: The Heart of Darkness and Moral Justification

This film was almost entirely about Vietnam, drawing inspiration from other Vietnam War films such as Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, and even actual events, footage, and photographs. The film dealt mainly with the question of moral alignment, and its main villain “The Colonel” (wink wink) was so heinous that it was virtually impossible to root against the apes.

At this stage, Caesar and his clan were not concerned about collectivism or economic systems — their sole aim was to survive. Caesar also struggled with his morality throughout the film, haunted by the ghost of Koba and contemplating if he would also be consumed by a selfish hatred that overpowered his community-first orientation.

Some scholars argue that, for the Vietnamese at least, their war a nationalist campaign, not strictly a Marxist or communist one. For decades the enemy of the Vietnamese has invaded from the outside — the Chinese, the French, the Americans, etc. — and through the philosophies of Marx, it was possible to remain vigilant against a stronger, richer oppressive force.

Side note: I thought this film felt very similar to Aliens, another film that has strong Vietnam allegories.


I won’t tell you how it all ends, but it’s awesome. Go watch War of the Planet of the Apes. I, for one, welcome our ape overlords.

— Lee

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Lee Ngo

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Lee Ngo

Write with intention. Think with compassion.

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