ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Caesar!

War for the Planet of the Apes: Hail Caesar!

Hail Caesar.

Directed again by Matt Reeves, War for the Planet of the Apes picking up 2 years after the events of Dawn and shows that the battle between humans and apes has escalated tremendously.? With multiple casualties on both sides, Caesar (Andy Serkis) is determined to free ape-kind from the attacks of the humans? relentless military leader Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson).? After a human raid on the ape compound ends in tragedy, an enraged Caesar sends his colony away and opts to seek revenge on the Colonel himself.

What has made these most recent entries into the Apes franchise so special has been their heavy emphasis on character.? Through his portrayal of Caesar, Andy Serkis isn?t just compelling as the Ape leader, he practically leaps off the screen as one of the more complex and, yes, ?human? characters in a franchise in the last two decades. More than a mere sympathetic character, director Reeves portrays Caesar as broken leader, torn between two worlds.? Despite the fact that he was raised by humans, he isn?t one.? What?s more, he doesn?t fit in with his fellow apes due to his human upbringing.? There is a tension within Caesar that seems to bring conflict into every decision he makes.? Will he succumb to his baser instincts?? Will he seek a path that will cause tension with his own kind?

All of these questions, however, point to Caesar?s very human struggle of wanting to do good but battling his own inner demons.? Unlike many other onscreen sci-fi characters, Caesar could be any one of us.? While there remains a safe distance with many current onscreen ?heroes??after all, who has the resources of Batman or the powers of the Hulk? ? Caesar somehow remains accessible.? A survivor of abuse, he recognizes that evil has come as a result of a few and not all of humanity.? He has been damaged but struggles to move on. Through his obsession with focusing on the eyes of his characters, Reeves shows the????brokenness within Caesar with a simple glance.? (After all, wasn?t it Shakespeare that claimed that the ?eyes were the windows of the soul??)

War puts the conflict within Caesar on full display, as he wrestles with obsession and revenge.? Having endured incredible personal losses, Caesar?s battle with his inner demons takes on a visceral edge as he slowly slides into potential savagery. ?Anchored by his visions of Koba, the treacherous ape who led a rebellion in Dawn, Caesar?s desire for peace gradually gives way to his desire to kill. ?(In fact, there is even one particular dream sequence that plays out similar to Christ?s experience in the wilderness, with Koba?s voice inviting Caesar to give in to temptation and unleash his hatred.) ?While Caesar?s life has been touched by grace through his human friends, the scars of war, hurt and hatred left by others prevents him from fully living.

Yet, in the midst of this dark descent, there lies hope.? Despite the apes? incarceration in the ?human zoo?, Caesar?s struggle against the Colonel provides a beacon of light for those around him.? His acts of courage and defiance show his ape family that rebellion against evil doesn?t necessarily mean combat.? It?s interesting to note that Reeves? desire for this film was to depict Caesar as the ?Moses? of ape-kind, leading his people out of the hands of overwhelming oppression.? In this regard, War take on the structure of a biblical epic, buoyed by Caesar?s desire to see his people reach the ?promised land? of freedom.? (SPOILER ALERT:? In fact, the film?s destructive avalanche even seems to echo the plight of Pharaoh?s army at the hands of the Red Sea.? SPOILERS END)

Though, unlike Moses, Caesar?s hope is far less secure.? Whereas Moses believed that God would intervene, Caesar?s hope frequently lies within himself.? Aware that he bears responsibility for the ape capture in the first place, he places the burden of freedom upon himself.? However, in doing so, his inner brokenness becomes more evident and he remains paralyzed. ?Ironically, it is only after his fellow apes remind him that ?Apes. Together. Strong? that Caesar remembers that true hope lies in something bigger than himself and he begins to move towards freedom once again.? (If that doesn?t sound like the beating heart of a Biblical epic, I don?t know what does!)

In the end, the power of this latest batch of Apes films lies in the audience?s relationship with Caesar.? Each film leaves with the question of whether we need a Caesar or whether or not we are Caesar.? His courage and love remain Christ-like at times, yet his brokenness and angst mirrors so much of our own.? With War wrapping up Caesar?s journey, Reeves believes that there are many more stories to tell about this iteration of Apes moving forward.? Still, regardless of where this franchise goes, the impact of Serkis? Caesar will undoubtedly echo throughout the future.

After all, the life of any good ?Moses? would do the same.

Special features on the Blu-ray Combo Pack from Fox include audio commentary by director Matt Reeves, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reeves, and “Apes: the Meaning of It All,” the in-depth??Waging War for the Planet of the Apes?, “All About Caesar” (the star of the trilogy), “WETA: Pushing Boundaries” on special effects, “Music for Apes,” and “The Apes Saga: An Homage.”?

3.26 Waging WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

This week on the show. Steve welcomes back Shelley McVea to battle Caesar and the WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES! While a part of the original franchise, these latest Apes films have gone in an entirely new direction with an intense energy and focus on what it means to be ‘human’. But does Matt Reeves’ claim that this particular entry is meant to portray Ape-leader Caesar as ‘their Moses’ add anything more? Shelley and Steve answer this question and more, only on ScreenFish.

Want to continue to conversation at home? ?Click the link below to download ?Fishing for More? ? some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

3.26 War for the Planet of the Apes

Thanks Shelley for coming back on the show!

Yes, One Last Top Ten List

Yes, tonight is Oscar night

Yes, it’s the end of February.

Still, I wanted to wait until I’d seen enough of last year’s films to truly give a proper ‘Top Ten’ list… and that takes time. ?While there were many films that could have been on here, I felt that these were my picks as the ten most engaging film experiences I had in 2016. ?Do you agree? ?What would be on yours?

10) Doctor Strange – I admit it. ?Over the last two years, I’ve grown tired of Marvel’s overall repetitiveness. ?While they often?create interesting characters, they often lack in bringing anything particularly new. ?Doctor Strange was the exception to the rule. ?By introducing magic into the MCU, director Scott Derrickson also introduced a heart of spirituality that has often been lacking from the franchise. ?It would take a lot for me to enter a Marvel film into my Top 10 but I couldn’t deny this pleasant surprise from an appearance.

9) Sing Street – This little rock n’ roll film film from the director of Once is pure joy. ?The film moves along at a solid pace and the characters fit well with the world in which they exist. ?Despite their youth, they struggle with the effects of poverty and tensions within 1980s Ireland but they find hope as the come together in their music. ?Also, it’s a ton of fun. ?And ‘Drive It Like You Stole It’ will stick in your head all day.

8) Kubo and the Two Strings – While this likely won’t win?Best Animated Feature tonight, it really should. ?This surprise is all about the power of our stories and how they drive us. ?The animation is simply beautiful–given to look like paper themselves, re-emphasizing the story motif–and the film is simply amazing. ?See it.

7) Birth of a Nation?- Yes, it has it’s issue. ?Yes, it’s controversial… but there’s a lot of good in this?Braveheart-style film (which was, incidentally, ‘mentored’ by an uncredited Gibson. ?Much of the backlash towards the film was related to writer/director Nate Parker but the film itself is focused and has much to say. ?The story of Nat Turner is one that Parker wants you to experience and feel, and personally, I felt he accomplished this. ?In addition, the film has lots to talk about who owns the Scripture, which I found very interesting.

6) Silence?- This film breaks my heart–not because of the torture scenes of Christians but actually due to the lack of support it received from the Evangelical community. ?Seen as one of the biggest bombs of Scorcese’s career, it really is only because people didn’t show up. ?The quality of the film is superb and provides a riveting challenge to faith while also demonstrating the value of it. ?Frankly, the church missed out on an amazing opportunity. ?This film was brilliant.

5) Jackie – To me, this was undoubtedly one of the best scripts of the year. ?Following Jackie Onassis on the week after JFK’s assassination, this character study was a fascinating exploration of the relationship between fame and politics. ?Portman’s performance is, in my mind, the best lead actress of the year (though she likely won’t win the Oscar). ?She plays Jackie O with ferocity and fragility and it’s truly something to see.

4) Hail, Caesar! – Clooney arguing the Communist dialectic. ?Channing Tatum tap dancing on a table. ?”Would that it t’were so simple?” ?This Coen brother’s comedy is hilarious in its absurdity but also an interesting look at Hollywood’s connection with faith-based culture. ?I laughed. ?A lot. ?And it earned them. ?Definitely one of my favourites of the year.

3) Arrival – I love thoughtful sci-fi… and Denis Villeneuve… but this film earns the position based on it’s own merits as well. ?While not truly a ‘twist’ ending, the film’s finale does bring everything together in an engaging and thought-provoking matter. ?Plus, I found the exploration of language and suffering is moving. ?I’d say more but the less you know before you see, the better.

2)?La La Land – Yes, it’s good. ?I’ll admit it. ?I simply don’t get the emerging backlash against the film. ?It’s fun, the music is wonderful and the performances engaging. ?Chazelle proves yet again that his direction is something to be noticed and the set design is eye popping. ?More importantly though, the story does have something to say by talking about the tension between nostalgia and moving forward. ?Does it deserve 14 nominations? ?I struggle with that… but it’s a worth Best Picture film should it take gold tonight.

1) Moonlight – No other picture surprised me as much as this film did this year. ?Moving and powerful,?Moonlight explores sexuality and masculinity in an urban African-American setting that is rarely explored. ?The slow, panning camera let you feel each?moment as Little grows to Chiron and transforms to Black. ?In the end, this film simply gave me more to think about than any other film this year.