Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) Movie Script

Beware the beast man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him, for he is the harbinger of death. Nova. Where will you go? Follow the shoreline. Don't try to follow us. I'm pretty handy with this. Of that, I'm sure. All my life I've awaited your coming and dreaded it. You're afraid and you hate me. Why? The Forbidden Zone was once a paradise. Your greed made a desert of it ages ago. That doesn't tell me why. A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer. Don't look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you find. Zira, Cornelius, untie me. What will he find out there, Doctor? His destiny. Damn you all to hell! No, Skipper. It's me. Just me. Brent... did you contact Earth? I tried to, sir. Not a crackle. Skipper... I took an Earth time reading just before reentry. What did you get? A.D. Almighty God. Well, we were following Taylor's trajectory. So whatever happened to us must have happened to him. What about us? Where... where are we? In my opinion, Skipper, we passed through a Haslein Curve, a bend in time. I don't know what planet we're on, but we're both here, we're breathing, we're conscious, we got plenty of oxygen and water. We're going to be all right, Skipper. As soon as you feel better, we'll--we'll run a navigational lesson. God, if I could only see the sun. It's up there all right. You can feel it. Yes... but which sun? I don't know. I don't know. Our computer's shot. We're lucky to be alive. Lucky? No. If it's 3955 A.D.... Oh, my God. My wife... my two daughters... dead. Everyone I ever knew. Everyone. Hey! Who are you? I--Don't be afraid. I just... Just tell me where I am. Can you understand me? My name's Brent. Brent. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to know where I am. Where are you from? I mean, your people, where are they? How do I-- How do I get to them? Which way? Can you... Can you talk? Right, right, so you can't talk. Taylor! Where is he? Taylor. Taylor. Nova. Nova. Nova. Come on. That's the idea. Taylor. Nova. Here. Taylor. Taylor. OK, here's the prize. Go to the head of the class. Why don't we settle down and found a colony? The kids will learn to talk. Sure they will. Now, where in hell do we go from here? We might make it yet. Taylor. Taylor. Just tell me what happened to him. Is he hurt? Is he alive? Where is he? It wasn't here. A minute ago, that wasn't here. I'm not the only one. She sees it, too. Listen. Listen now. If you lose me... If you lose me... me, try to find Zira. Remember? Zira. Go find Zira. Zira. This tag, did he give it to you? Where did you get this? Look, is there... is there someone... some other... someone who can talk? Look. You... take me... to Taylor. Taylor. Taylor now. Which way? My God, it's... It's a city of apes. I'll tell you one thing every good soldier knows. The only thing that counts in the end is power. Naked, merciless force! Members of the Citizens' Council, I am a simple soldier, and as a soldier, I see things simply. I don't say all humans are evil simply because their skin is white. No. But our great Lawgiver tells us that never will the human have the ape's divine faculty for being able to distinguish between evil and good. The only good human is a dead human! It's a bloody nightmare. But those fortunate enough to remain alive will have the privilege of being used by our Minister of Science, the good Dr. Zaius. Zira, stop. You're in danger. So is the future of science, with him fomenting a senseless military adventure. The Forbidden Zone has been closed for centuries, and rightly so. However, we now have evidence that that vast barren area is inhabited. By what or by whom we don't know, but if they live, and live they do, then they must eat. Now we must replenish the lands that were ravaged by the humans with new improved feeding grounds, and these grounds we can obtain in the once Forbidden Zone. It is our holy duty to enter it, to put the marks of our guns, wheels, and flags upon it! To expand the boundaries of our ineluctable power. And to invade. Invade! Invade! Invade! As your husband, please, I beg you to stand. Only for my principles. All right, for your principles and mine. Only please stand! I got to get out. I got to get back up there. I don't know how or what with, but I'm not staying here. General, I only pray you know what you're doing. How can you have any doubt? You're aware of reports we've been receiving of strange manifestations in the Forbidden Zone, manifestations which you, if I might add, as Minister of Science, have been unable to fathom. just disappeared, vanished into thin air. Huh? Ha ha ha! Very well, 11... And the 12th returned with incredible stories of huge walls of fire, strange violent earthquakes, his--his mind gone, shattered no doubt by some unsimian torture. Well, General, I still think you're being hasty. No, Doctor. Decisive. Now we invade or we starve. It's as simple as that. And as dangerous. What is more dangerous than famine, Doctor? The unknown. If I had any proper sense of scientific purpose, Cornelius, I shouldn't be cutting up the healthy heads of humans. I should be dissecting the diseased brains of gorillas to find out what went wrong. And how would you put it right? I've wet-nursed their babies on the milk of chimpanzees and the milk of kindness. At least our child, when it's born, won't be breast-fed on bile. You know, my dear, the trouble with us intellectuals is we that have responsibilities and no power. I think I'll make chocolate icing. Do you like chocolate? What, dear? No, you don't. But I do. If we had that power here in our hands, we'd be worse than them. I don't agree. Gorillas are cruel because they're stupid-- all bone and no brains. Zira, my dear, I wish you would not talk like that. Somebody is liable to hear you. Nova! What are you doing here? Taylor? No, not Taylor. My name's Brent. You talked! That's impossible. In a whole lifetime devoted to the scientific study of humans, I've only found one other like you who could talk. Taylor. Is he alive? Have you seen him? Where? Where? Tell us. Where? Where? I don't know where. I'm trying to find him. The longer I stay, the less I care. Oh, now, we loved Taylor. He was a fine, a unique specimen. Why, if it had not been for Zira here, he--he would still be here, a stuffed specimen in the great hall of the Zaius Museum, with his two friends. With his two friends? Well, I don't plan to stay around here quite that long. Look, can you get me some food, some--some water, a map--a map, so at least I'll have some idea where I'm heading? You'll want that taken care of, too. I'll get the map. Now, if you will look up here, ah, yes, towards the north. This was the last place that we saw Taylor. Aah! What is that damn stuff? You wouldn't know if I told you. Just relax. Among other things, I'm a trained vet. Oh, great. Go on, go on. Taylor was riding with Nova here, between the lake and the sea. Yes, they were heading deep into the territory we call-- Yes, I know. The Forbidden Zone. Who told you that? Hmm? Your glorious leader back there. Quick! Cornelius, open the door. Put the things away. Open it! Dr. Zaius, how nice. We were just about to have something to eat. Not until I talk some sense into your headstrong wife. Where is she? Good day, Dr. Zaius. Has there been an accident? Cornelius hit me for my bad behavior at the meeting. I don't blame him. I don't resent it, but his nails need clipping. Enough of this nonsense. Are you so blind, you two psychologists that you're unaware that we're on the verge of a grave crisis? You heard Ursus' speech. Militaristic tripe. Zira! Perhaps. But now he has the incident he requires to go on a rampage of conquest. But that is appalling! To remain silent while this bully Ursus is permitted to-- to destroy everything in his path is no longer possible. As Minister of Science, it's my duty to find out whether some other form of life exists. Where are you going? Into the Forbidden Zone with Ursus. Another manhunt, Doctor? Someone or some thing has outwitted the intelligence of the gorillas. - That shouldn't be difficult. - Shh, Zira. We apes have learned to live in innocence. Let no one, be it man or some other creature, dare to contaminate that innocence. Why, is innocence so evil? Ignorance is! There's a time for truth. And the time is always now. Are you asking me to surrender my principles? I am asking you to be the guardians of the higher principles of science during my absence. I am asking for a truce with your personal convictions in an hour of public danger. And you shall have it, Dr. Zaius, or I shall hit her again. Let us have no violence, Cornelius. Now, I'm relying on you both. We are counting on you, too, Doctor. If I should fail to return from the unknown, the whole future of our civilization may be yours to preserve or destroy, so think well before you act. Good-bye, Dr. Zaius, and good luck. Let me finish this up and get you out of here! Yeah, get me out of here, please. I've seen the delicate, humane way they treat humans here. I don't much care for it. Have you a horse? Yeah, out in the scrub. I'd better get you another set of clothes, the kind fit for humans, like yourself. You'll pass. Get rid of this. And this, too. If you are caught by the gorillas, you must remember one thing. What's that? Never to speak. What the hell would I have to say to a gorilla? But you don't understand. Only apes can speak. Not her, and not you. If they catch you speaking, they will dissect you and they will kill you in that order. Cornelius is right. Be very careful. And get out of these things you're wearing as soon as you can. Thanks. Thank us by finding Taylor. Yeah, if he's still alive. Scissors. Sergeant, wait! This is a type-E cranium. Very unusual. With occipital development. Substandard lobe. Female. It's been a long time since we've been able to study specimens of such extraordinary clinical interest. Bring them inside. No! No, you can't have them. They are marked for target practice. Take them away. I'll take the key. To the target range! Uh, wait! Wait! I'd better double lock the door. Good luck. All right! God Almighty. This used to be my home. I... I lived here, worked here. What--What happened? What--What could've happened? My God, did we finally do it? Did we finally really do it? O God, bless, we pray You, our great army and its supreme commander on the eve of a holy war undertaken for Your sake, and grant, in the name of Your Prophet, our great Lawgiver, that we, Your chosen servants, created and born in Your divine image, may aspire the more perfectly to that spiritual Godliness and bodily beauty which You, in Your infinite mercy, have thought fit to deny to our brutish enemies! So be it. There they go, Dr. Zaius trotting along beside them. Don't be too hard on the old boy, Zira. His motives are honest. He has only one motive-- to keep things exactly as they have always been. I say that it's time for a change. We chimpanzees are too few. How can we take initiative when they're in control? Love, yes! War, no! No more lies! No more crying! No more guns! No more blood! Stop! Stop! Stop the war! Freedom! Freedom! Whoa! Freedom! Peace! Peace and freedom! Get off the road, young people. Freedom! Peace! Get them out of the way. Wait. We don't want martyrs, do we? We want peace! We want freedom! Major, do it quietly. We want peace! We want freedom! Peace! Freedom! Peace! Freedom! Peace and freedom! Battalion. Are you what we were before we learned to talk and made a mess of everything? Did any good ever come from all that talk around all those tables? I wonder where the hell they are? I wonder where the hell we are? I think we're near the Forbidden Zone. That's where the army's headed. They'll roll right over us. Why can't we go back to our outfits? Because the sarge says to keep looking until we find them. Nova. Nova, Nova, wake up. We've got to go. Come on. That hum... You hear it, too? All right, come on, we're going to follow it. Well, whoever or whatever... something's guiding us. Whatever they are, they breathe air. Well, there's an intelligence working in this place. That sound, good or bad, it's either a warning or a directional device. It doesn't matter. They know we're here. Put my hands... around her throat. Off! Hold her throat! She... dies! Get out! Get out of my head! I reveal my inmost self unto my God. What did you say? What do you mean there's no point? Will they hurt her? No, maybe not physically, but here. Here, you can hurt here. I know. Your lips... don't move. But I can hear. No, I mean... I know what you're thinking. Nothing. I... I saw nothing. Who are you? It's Brent. Who are you? Oh, I see. The only reality in the universe. That's nice to know. I got here by accident. How did you get here? You got it all wrong. Why would I want to spy on you? I'm not even sure you exist. Of course I know who I am! I'm an astronaut! I was sent here on a rescue mission to find a fellow astronaut, Taylor. We're from this planet, but from another time, I know I... I know I sound insane. And it's my insanity. No, I don't know how to get back. We came through a defect, a slippage in time. That's what must have happened to Taylor. I'm sure he tried to get back. Yes, my Skipper is dead. I'm--I'm alone. Who? Nova? What's that? Some star? A galaxy? What's Nova? Ahh! All right, all right, yes! I know her. I know her. No, no. She's harmless. Let her alone. Ow! Tell me what you want to know. Tell me. She helped me to break out of ape city. No! Wait a minute! Stop it! I can't understand you. You're all screaming at me at the same time. I can't separate it! He's right. He has only limited intelligence. We should speak aloud, and one at a time. You were in the city of the apes? Yes, two days ago. What sights did you see? You're talking. Certainly we can talk. We use speech when we must. When we pray. When we sing to our God. You mean that-- that thing out there, an atomic bomb, your god? You don't understand. The Bomb is a holy weapon of peace. Holy weapon of peace! Peace. Ah! Ah! Oh! Mr. Brent, we're a patient people, but we are determined to know what the apes want-- war or peace. Try to understand. The only weapons we have are purely illusion. You just imagined that he hurt you. Traumatic hypnosis is a weapon of peace. Like the visual deterrent-- or the sonic deterrent-- Oh! Let me make a last appeal to your reason before we inflict more of this on you. These are weapons of peace, Mr. Brent. Like all our weapons. Mere illusions. Mere illusions? Damn your hypocrisy! Is that bomb out there, is that an illusion? It's operational, isn't it? The firing mechanism-- it's intact, isn't it? We very much need your help, Mr. Brent. Why? We are the keepers of the Divine Bomb. It is our only reason for survival. And yet, as you see, we are defenseless, defenseless against the slaughtering, monstrous, materialistic apes. I'll help nobody. So go ahead. Annihilate each other. I forgive you your language. Sometimes your sanity is about to give way. I hope that does not happen. I hope you can tell us-- Exactly what the apes are planning. We've caught some of their scouts. They're hideous creatures. We've had them here, standing precisely where you are now. Either their skulls were too thick, or they really knew nothing at all. Neither do I. Can't you understand that? I don't know anything! You make us very sad, Mr. Brent. She can't help you. She can't even talk. Don't harm her. We never harm anyone, Mr. Brent. You're going to harm her. The apes sent me out to you. You're lying. How do you know? How do you always know? Nova. Now-- Tell us of the apes. The apes... are marching on your city. Bugler, sound the advance. Ursus! Ursus, I warned you. Look what we're faced with! I told you you should wait! Brutal butchery! I swear, those responsible shall pay with torture and with death. If you have any pity, give orders to shoot our poor people. I can't order them to do what the Lawgiver has forbidden. Ape shall not kill ape. Hold your positions! He bleeds. The Lawgiver bleeds! The spirit of the Lawgiver lives! We are still God's chosen! This is a vision! And it is a lie! The vision was false! Bugler, sound the advance. Advance! Stupid animals. They don't have the brain to hold our illusions. We have no defense. Except our Bomb. Call our people to the high sanctuary. Do you know the range of their city? Yes. Set in the mechanism and wait for me. I want a public thought projection at adult and infant level. Adults to the cathedral, infants indoors. Is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Amen Amen Amen The heavens declare the glory of the Bomb, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. His sun has gone out unto all the land. And gives light unto the end of the world. He descendeth from the outermost part of heaven, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. There is neither speech nor language, yet His voice is heard among them. Praise Him. Praise Him. My strength and my redeemer. Glory be to the Bomb and to the holy fallout as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen Amen Amen Amen Almighty and everlasting Bomb, who came down among us to make heaven under Earth, lighten our darkness. Instrument of God, grant us Thy peace. Almighty Bomb Who destroyed all heavens And created angels Behold His glory Behold the truth that abides in us. Reveal that truth unto that Maker. I reveal my inmost self unto my God. Unto my God. Unto my God All things bright and beautiful All creatures great and small All things wise and wonderful The good Bomb made us all He gave us eyes to see with And lips that we might tell How great the Bomb Almighty Who made all things well Let everyone go to his private shelter. Empty the streets. They're to find the city of the dead. May the blessing of the Bomb Almighty and the fellowship of the Holy Fallout descend on us this day and forevermore. Amen I trust this simple ceremony convinced you of our peaceable intentions, and I'd like to thank you for your cooperation. When may we hope to be set free? You may hope whenever you please, Mr. Brent. How could we hope to let you go on the eve of war, Mr. Brent? You know too many of our secrets, like your friend. Taylor! You're Brent. My God, Taylor! Brent! How in the hell did you get here? Spaceship, ape city, subway-- By yourself? No, Nova found me. Nova? Is she with you? Where? I don't know. They separated us. They tried to make me kill her. Mr. Taylor, Mr. Brent, we're peaceful people. We don't kill our enemies. We get our enemies to kill each other. I'm fighting it. I'm fighting it off. Aah! Aah! Ah! Ah! Aah! Aah! Aah! Taylor. Taylor. Aah! Taylor! Unto God... I reveal my inmost self. Ah! This isn't exactly sterile. We'll do the best we can. Taylor. Taylor, they've got a bomb-- Atomic bomb. It's operational. They intend to use it. What type is it? I don't know. I don't know what type. I've never seen it before. Didn't you see a series number? No numbers, just some letters on one of the fins, Greek letters. Alpha... And omega. What? The doomsday bomb. My God. Another lovely souvenir from the 20th Century. They weren't satisfied with a bomb that could knock out a city. They finally built one with a cobalt casing, all in the sweet name of peace. Those bloody fools. They don't know what they've got. They pray to the damn thing. If they shoot it off, it could set off a chain reaction in the whole atmosphere. Burn the planet to a cinder. How's that for your ultimate weapon? This must be what your scout reported, a subterranean passage. I think it's worth exploring. What will you do, Holiness? Everything necessary. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I'm thinking just that. Nova. Nova. Ah, God! Should let them all die-- the gorillas, every damn... When it comes time. It's time it was finished. Finished. Taylor. Come on, come on. The bomb. Yeah. Why not? They're obscene! Follow me! Sergeant! Arrest that creature. This is the instrument of my God. He can speak. Your God, eh? Sergeant. Your God didn't save you, did he, huh? Ursus! That weapon is built by man. You can't shoot it down with bullets. If we can't shoot it down, we'll pull it down. Rope! Block and tackle! You don't know what you're doing. It will kill us all! I'll find a way to stop it. Men, over there! Ursus, someone at the pillar! Zaius. Taylor! It's doomsday. The end of the world. Help me. You ask me to help you! Man is evil, capable of nothing but destruction! You... bloody bastard. In one of the countless billions of galaxies in the universe lies a medium-sized star. And one of its satellites, a green and insignificant planet, is now dead.