'Planet of the apes'
( La Planète des Singes )
VOCABULARY
apes = animals such as monkeys,
chimpanzees, orangutans...
Imagine a world where you slim = thin
are hunted like an animal, dystopia = imaginary society where
there is oppression or terror
used for experiments. You
to depict = to portray, to represent
have no rights. You fight for
survival, but your chances are very slim.
Planet Of The Apes,
Comic
This is the dystopia imagined by French writer Pierre Boulle
(1912-1994), in his science fiction novel 'La Planète des
Singes', published in 1963.
The story is set in the future and depicts a society in which humans are animals
on a planet where apes rule.
It all began on Earth, in the 20th century when French journalist Ulysse Mérou
joined Professor Antelle and his disciple, a physician, Arthur Levain for a space
expedition.
Traveling at the speed of light, they are now a few hundred years in the future,
as the result of Einstein's theory. Their journey takes them to an unknown
planet that first looks uninhabited. They come to a shock when they meet
primitive humans and gorillas on horseback chasing and capturing them.
On this planet the apes dominate. Their 'civilized' society is divided into 3
categories: gorillas, who are warriors, orangutans, who are politicians, and
chimpanzees, who are scientists.
The book was translated and published in the USA in 1963 under the title
'Planet of the Apes' and in the UK in 1964 as 'The Monkey Planet'. It was made
into a film in 1968, then 4 other films (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973), a tv series (1973),
comics (1968-2018), and more recent movies (2001, 2011, 2014, 2017).
The original story is a sci-fi classic with a reflection on humanity, animal rights,
races, tolerance, war, peace...
'Planet Of the Apes' ACTIVITIES
I) Conversation questions:
1) Did you know 'Planet Of the Apes'?
2) Do you prefer novels, comics, movies or TV series?
3) Do you think animals are well-treated by humans?
4) In what ways are we uncivilized?
5) Is the ape society similar to our human society? If so, to what extent?
6) Could our planet become one day 'The Planet of the Apes'?
7) Can a dystopia help people change their mentalities?