Heston's Role in "Planet
of the Apes" Remake
by James Tupper
July 28, 2001
From
wired.com's recent editorial about the newly-released remake of Planet of the
Apes -- Planet
Doesn't Monkey Around By
Farhad Manjoo -- we find the following quote:
"But her bleeding-heart act doesn't go
over well with Thade, the land's head chimp in charge. Thade's dad -- played,
in a cameo, by Heston himself -- has told him the true dangers humans pose to
apes. What's so bad about them? Guns, Heston's character says. Humans can make
guns, and that can hurt apes real bad. (Heston heads the National Rifle
Association; the cameo is apparently supposed to make him look like a good
sport.)"
A few people who've already braved the crowds
and seen the movie are offering suggestions that Charlton Heston's role speaks
poorly of gun rights. These people are either looking too hard for small
reasons to attack the NRA -- when plenty of big
reasons exist -- or they aren't all that insightful, in my opinion.
Without giving the movie away, the scene
involves Heston's apey character explaining to his son, a true thug and
oppressor, that the humans would be able to take over -- to stop their
oppressors, the apes -- if they were allowed to develop technology in the form
of guns. That is a clear statement in support of guns as Oppression
Regulators, any way you shake it.