Rise of The Planet of The Apes: Caesar’s Self-Discovery

Caesar — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Introduction

Rise of The Planet of The Apes was the beginning of a trilogy that still sits highly with me to this day.

It introduces us to a modern adaptation of Caesar. For this movie, he is trying to find his own place in the world.

Throughout his life, he was raised by Will as a father after he realized that they were going to put him down after his mother Brighteyes lost her mind trying to protect him from harm.

Caesar, now entering adulthood, doesn’t know who he is and in this journey, he is figuring out his own path.

Childhood/Growing Up

[embed]Caesar Growing Up — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

As a child, Caesar had intelligence beyond most humans even. This was because his mother was being tested with the ALZ-112 and ended up being passed to him genetically.

Caesar was treated well growing up. Will always tried his best to keep him safe, so out of fear he only kept him on a leash when walking around, unless they were in Muir Woods so he could test him in his habitat.

Eventually, when Caesar got older his intelligence grew with him, so he started to question his purpose once he saw a dog was on a leash. It makes him wonder why he is on one as well, since a dog is like a pet but Caesar was raised like family.

Caesar Looking Out The Window — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Caesar’s Decision

[embed]Caesar Fights Neighbor — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Everyday, he’d usually look out of the window from their attic. It was his only way of looking out at the world on his own and was his way of identifying his home.

One day when looking out of the window he noticed Will’s dad getting attacked by his neighbor. This happened after Will’s dad walked into a car and drove it forward and backwards, wrecking a few cars in the process.

Caesar understood that Will’s dad just had Alzheimer’s disease so he was just confused about where he was and what he was doing, and sensed that he was in danger.

He had loved Will and his family for giving him a home so he couldn’t stand watching this kind of treatment. He ends up attacking the neighbor relentlessly because he just wanted to show the same love to them that they showed to him.

Caesar Hugging Will’s Dad — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

After that he hugs Will’s dad. It showed that he was doing this out of love, not because he wanted to harm someone else. He didn’t want to see anyone harmed, but he also felt he needed to protect his family from danger.

The Ape Shelter

For the danger he caused, Caesar gets brought to an ape shelter that is run by John and Dodge Landon.

When dropped off, Will promises that he’ll come back and he’ll return home. However, Caesar feels deeply betrayed by what he sees. This is not just an ape shelter, here Dodge abuses and hurts other apes, treating them like they’re his pets, locking them in cages and allowing very little freedom.

This is unfamiliar territory for Caesar, even if Will made a lot of decisions for him, he had learnt family and had been treated with kindness. Because the place doesn’t feel like home to him, he draws the window on his wall in order to make him have some kind of hope that the place could at all feel like home.

[embed]Rocket Fights Caesar — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

However in this time, he also learns to connect with the other apes. At first, Rocket tries to fight him, but while they are fighting Dodge tranquilizes both of them. Besides that he also met Maurice, a circus orangutan that knows sign language, meaning he has a friend he can communicate with.

[embed]Rocket Surrenders To Caesar — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

This allows him to realize he could begin using his intelligence to his advantage here. He learns how to open his cage himself and eventually takes over as the alpha ape from Rocket.

[embed]Ape Together Strong — RIse of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Over time, he still allows Rocket in, because he realizes that Apes are stronger when they work together, so he allows this in order to encourage all the apes to be together as one.

This slowly allows him to realize he is forming a family with his own kind, so he doesn’t need to cling to Will anymore.

Choosing For Himself

Will does come back to the shelter, but Caesar chooses to stay in the shelter. By now, he has realized there is another path for himself by helping these other apes.

He erases the window that he drew on the wall because he realizes he needs to accept his new reality instead of clinging to the old one.

He ends up escaping on his own, but not to go back permanently, but to grab the ALZ-113 from Will’s home in order to make all the other apes gain more intelligence as well.

[embed]Caesar Speaks For The First Time — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Dodge attempts to get him back in the cage and tries to abuse him again but this time he stands up for himself.

When Dodge told him ‘Get your stinkin paws off me you damn dirty ape’ Caesar yells “NOOOOO!!!!”.

It was the first time he spoke and it was loud. He has chosen himself and chooses to use his intelligence to help the others escape as well. After this he frees them all from their cages and the apes begin to revolt against their abusers.

Acceptance

[embed]Apes Attack San Francisco — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

After this, Caesar and the apes run across San Francisco to free all the other apes that were being tested on, or used in the zoo.

It is now Caesar’s goal to free the apes so they all can live alongside each other in peace.

[embed]Golden Gate Bridge Battle — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Eventually they had to battle with authorities across the Golden Gate Bridge but at that point there were so many apes that were gaining a lot of intelligence that they overwhelmed the humans and got to the woods.

[embed]“Caesar Is Home” — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

Will then goes out to find Caesar and speaks to him one last time promising to protect him if he comes back home.

Caesar Hugs Will — Rise of The Planet of The Apes (2011) — 20th Century Studios/Disney

However, Caesar hugs him while saying “Caesar is home”, and Will accepts his decision, because he realizes he has a place with the other apes.

Caesar still loves Will, after all, his teachings allowed him to realize the injustice that humans were doing to the apes, but he has also accepted a path of freedom for himself and the apes.

Conclusion

Caesar’s journey in Rise of The Planet of The Apes is one of self discovery.

It is a common struggle with growing up, and Caesar shows us how he can make a positive impact on the world, using the values he was taught for his own species.

He doesn’t want to get rid of the humans, he just wants apes and humans to live peacefully on their own.

Will did a lot to show him compassion and what it’s like to be in a family, but eventually you have to figure out your own path, and Caesar found that in an ape shelter where he was constantly abused.

He went through struggles like most humans but he eventually accepted his path moving forward with the apes.