Spoilers · the ending
Planet of the Apes: the ending, explained
Franklin J. Schaffner · 1968
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
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Spoilers · the ending
Franklin J. Schaffner · 1968
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
Taylor and Nova ride along the shore and find the wrecked Statue of Liberty half-buried in the sand. He realises the planet was Earth all along, destroyed by humanity itself, and collapses in despair.
The last line
"You maniacs! You blew it up!"
What it says
The ending turns the apes' world into a mirror: nothing was alien, only ours transformed. Taylor left Earth despising humanity and now must face that his contempt may have been earned. It works as a Cold War warning about how fragile civilisation is.