finding dawn thesis

Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh Essay (Movie Review)

One of the reasons why Native women account for a disproportionately large share of missing people in Western Canada, is that as compared to what it happened to be the case with Whites and the representatives of other ethno-cultural minorities, they appear to be particularly vulnerable to different forms of a societal abuse.

Partially, this can be explained by the fact that, while remaining essentially euro-centric, Canadian society continues to deny these women their basic humanity – even though that it now is being done in a rather subtle manner. Therefore, there can be few doubts, as to the potential ability of the 2006 documentary Finding Dawn to enlighten viewers on the sheer acuteness of the earlier mentioned problem.

This is because; the documentary’s director Christine Welsh did succeed in humanizing the issue of violence against Native women, by the mean of encouraging viewers to emotionally relate to the stories of these women’s disappearances.

The validity of this statement can be well substantiated in regards to a number of documentary’s scenes. For example, there is a memorable scene, in which Laura Cray talks about her memories of its sister Dawn – a Native woman, confirmed to have been murdered by Robert Pickton (00.09.31 – 00.10.44).

According to Laura, while in Vancouver, Dawn was denied the opportunity of a social advancement, which caused her to succumb to depression and consequently, to become a drug-addict – an easy prey for maliciously minded men.

This, of course, suggests that Canadian society is partially responsible for what happened to Dawn. Moreover, Laura’s memories of Dawn also imply that the practice of socially established Canadians (who happened to be overwhelmingly White) referring to drug-addicted Native women, as such that consciously decided to lead morally repulsive lifestyles, is utterly inappropriate.

After all, it is mainly due to these people’s perceptual arrogance that Native women in Canada continue being mistreated, as we speak.

There is another scene in Finding Dawn , where Dawn’s brother Ernie Cray elaborates upon what caused his sister to remain on the ‘missing list’ for many years, while the Vancouver law enforcement authorities were refusing to apply a considerable effort into investigating her disappearance (00.11.59 – 00.13.33).

According to Ernie, there is nothing too surprising about it – since Dawn was a Native woman, police officers did not think of investigating her case in terms of a priority. Had Dawn been White, this would have been a completely different matter.

Thus, it will only be appropriate to refer to the earlier mentioned scene, as such that uncovers the deep-seated reasons for Native women in Canada to continue being victimized with ease. Apparently, while prescribed with the marginalized status within the society, Native women experience a particularly hard time, while trying to take a practical advantage of their constitutionally guaranteed social rights.

In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, despite having adopted the rhetoric of a political correctness, Canadian governmental officials cannot help experiencing a number of deep-seated prejudices towards these women, while denying them the right of an equal treatment with the rest of Canadian citizens (Turner and Van Winkle 562).

This is exactly the reason why, as time goes on, more and more progressively minded people in Canada realize that, in order for them to be able to reduce the likelihood of Native female abuse-victims to endure their socially imposed ‘anonymity’, citizens must be ready to expose their willingness to apply an active effort, while trying to address the situation.

The validity of this suggestion can be illustrated in regards to another memorable scene in Finding Dawn , which exposes viewers to the sight of Vancouverites taking part in the Annual Women’s Memorial March (00.18.45 – 00.19.48).

What this scene does, is prompting viewers to think that, despite Native women’s underpowered social status, which naturally predisposes them to be victimized in an essentially ‘anonymous’ manner, they are not alone in their struggle to secure their human dignity.

As it can be seen in this scene, the march’s participants did not only consist of Natives, but also of many Whites. This, of course, suggests that, as of today, there are objective preconditions for the country’s governmental officials to pay a closer attention to the issue of Native women continuing to suffer from remaining the most unprotected subjects of victimization (Culhane 595).

Essentially the same can be said about the discursive significance of one of the documentary’s concluding scenes, which features at least thirty residents of Vanderhoof (BC) standing along the Highway 16 th and holding ‘Stop the Violence’ posters in their hands (00.66.50 – 00.67.43).

This scene symbolizes that there is in fact very little ‘anonymousness’ to the plight of Native women in Canada. After all, according to the discursive motif, promoted throughout the scene, the residents of Native communities grow increasingly committed towards ensuring the safety of their family-members by the mean of promoting the message of tolerance.

As the President of Native Women Association of Canada (NWAC) Bev Jacobs pointed out: “I think it is important to just show support to the families (of disappeared/murdered Native women) and to let them know that they are not alone” (00.67.26).

After all, it is not only that the event’s participants appear to have been thoroughly aware of the Native female-victims’ names, but they also seem to understand perfectly well that it is only by adopting a socially active stance, on the issue of violence against Native women, that Canadians will be able to change the situation for better.

The documentary’s final scene, which features the images of Native Canadians expressing their support to the cause of protecting Native women against violence (00.70.25 – 00.71.02) is especially powerful, in the emotional sense of this word.

This is because this scene implies that there is indeed a good reason to believe that, as time goes on, Native women will be growing increasingly less likely to fall victims to a sexual/physical abuse. Apparently, the very course of history creates prerequisites for their existential ‘anonymity’ to be progressively undermined.

Thus, just as it was noted at the presentation’s beginning, Finding Dawn may indeed be referred to as such that contributed rather substantially to the cause of protecting Native women’s physical and emotional well-being.

The reason for this is apparent – this documentary does in fact endows viewers with the thought that Canadian society has evolved to the point when it can no longer remain arrogant, as to what causes its most vulnerable members to be deprived of a chance to attain happiness, while leading the lifestyle of socially integrated citizens.

Works Cited

Culhane, Dara. “Their Spirits Live within Us: Aboriginal Women in Downtown Eastside Vancouver Emerging into Visibility.” American Indian Quarterly 27.3/4 (2003): 593-606. Print.

“Finding Dawn.” Christine Welsh. National Film Board of Canada . 2006. Web.

Turner, Pauline and Barrik Van Winkle. “’Indian Blood’: Reflections on the Reckoning and Refiguring of Native North American Identity.” Cultural Anthropology 11.4 (1996): 547-576. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2019, April 18). Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh. https://ivypanda.com/essays/scene-analysis-from-finding-dawn-by-christine-welsh-movie-review/

"Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh." IvyPanda , 18 Apr. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/scene-analysis-from-finding-dawn-by-christine-welsh-movie-review/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh'. 18 April.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh." April 18, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/scene-analysis-from-finding-dawn-by-christine-welsh-movie-review/.

1. IvyPanda . "Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh." April 18, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/scene-analysis-from-finding-dawn-by-christine-welsh-movie-review/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Scene Analysis from “Finding Dawn” by Christine Welsh." April 18, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/scene-analysis-from-finding-dawn-by-christine-welsh-movie-review/.

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Finding Dawn and the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry: Story-Based Methods in Anti-Violence Research and Remembrance

From the book violence against indigenous women.

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Finding Dawn

National film board i christine welsh.

This is compelling documentary that puts a human face on the epidemic of missing or murdered Indigenous women in Canada. The film takes a journey into the heart of Indigenous women’s experience, from Vancouver’s skid row, down the Highway of Tears in northern BC, and on to Saskatoon, where the murders and disappearances of these women remain unsolved.

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Finding dawn.

Directed by Christine Welsh

Acclaimed Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh presents a compelling documentary that puts a human face on a national tragedy: the murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years. This is a journey into the dark heart of Native women's experience in Canada. From Vancouver's Skid Row to the Highway of Tears in northern British Columbia, to Saskatoon, this film honours those who have passed and uncovers reasons for hope. Finding Dawn illustrates the deep historical, social and economic factors that contribute to the epidemic of violence against Native women in this country.

Christine Welsh

Director Director

Producers producers.

Svend-Erik Eriksen Kathryn Lynch

Writer Writer

Editor editor.

Janice Brown

Cinematography Cinematography

Moira Simpson

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Rina Fraticelli

Composer Composer

Bruce Ruddell

Sound Sound

Gael MacLean Moira Simpson

Alternative Title

À la recherche de Dawn

Documentary

Releases by Date

01 jan 2006, releases by country.

73 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by caroline 3

@ Justin Trudeau: Do something u bitch!!!

Seriously, JT fucking do something about this.

Review by Val ★★★½ 1

an epidemic.

Review by tazz13 ★★★

I had to watch this for some work training so it has partially fulfilled my goal of being paid to watch a movie. It's a documentary about missing Aboriginal women and I'd have preferred if it went more into the crime aspect of it, but that's not the goal of this film. Overall though it's fairly interesting.

Review by beets ★★★★

watched this documentary for my criminology class and i highly suggest watching it. finding dawn is such a powerful and moving film, filled to the brim with some of the strongest voices i've ever heard of. it was a hard watch at times but thats how it should be for anybody with an ounce of empathy. because the common perspective with crime media, especially nowadays, is uninformed, outright dismissive, and at times blatantly disrespectful of the people actually effected by these crimes, the perspective shift to platform indigenous communities was both highly appreciated and refreshing.

Review by Nate Draper ★★★★★

This film offers an important perspective on the realities faced by women from Indigenous and First Nations communities across Canada. There are several interviews with people who are open and honest about the reality. It’s a harrowing portrait and sad that here we are fourteen years later and very little has been done to address what’s been happening.

Review by Gabriel Freund ★★★★

Without really intending to, my friend and I dropped in on a screening of Finding Dawn at the Cinematheque downtown Vancouver. This story is incredibly important and while the problem is now common knowledge in BC, the efforts to offer justice and prevention have ultimately failed. In the film someone aptly remarks that the hardest thing about the efforts to solve and prevent these types of attacks and murders is that in 10 years things could be exactly the same. The filmmaker Christine Welsh was at the showing and was already feeling emotional these past weeks because of the Colten Boushie Trial. Amidst the difficult terrain, Finding Dawn manages to highlight efforts of resistance and refusal. All the while Welsh attempts to honour, commemorate and immortalize the stories of these women as an assertion of their humanity. (This screening was in a series on the history of BC film.)

Review by Daniel Charchuk ★★★

Using the mass disappearance of Native women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as a jumping off point, Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh resolves to investigate a single missing woman – Dawn Crey – after her DNA remains were found on the farm of notorious serial killer Robert Pickton. Following the trail to Crey’s brother, a Native rights activist, Welsh eventually tells the stories of two other missing Aboriginal women – one in British Columbia, one in Saskatchewan – as well as several others who had been assaulted but managed to survive. In discovering this vast network of victimized and vanished Native women across Western Canada, Welsh uncovers a legacy of violence and discrimination (both racial and sexual), doing her part to prevent it via information dissemination and subtle moralizing. In this way, the film is vital more as a piece of news journalism than personal essay-filmmaking, although it’s clearly effective as both.

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• Cast & crew

Finding Dawn

The murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years. The murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years. The murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years.

• Christine Welsh
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• 2006 (Canada)
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2024 english and creative writing honors thesis presentations.

Please join the Department of English and Creative Writing for this year's English and creative writing honors thesis presentations, Tuesday, May 28 - Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Sanborn Library.

Please join the Department of English and Creative Writing for this year's English and creative writing honors thesis presentations, Tuesday, May 28 - Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Sanborn Library. These presentations will also be available virtually. Please register at dartgo.org/engl-cw-honors .

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12:30 p.m. Introduction   12:45 p.m. Elle Muller Haunted Halls and Misnamed Monsters: Displacement and Erasure in Hrólfs Saga Kraka and Beowulf   1:00 p.m. Kennedy Hamblen Soft Mechanics: Hallucinogenic Media from De Quincey to Burroughs   1:15 p.m. Jea Mo Letters from Hanseong Street   1:30 p.m. Elizabeth Lee Grooves of Enactment: Bob Dylan's Planet Waves and the Philosophy of Recording   1:45 p.m. Isabella Macioce Everything Is a Love Poem   2:00 p.m. Ophelia Woodland Landmarks: A First Approach

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

1:00 p.m. Introduction   1:15 pm. Eliza Holmes The Madwoman Reimagined: Narration and the Diagnostic Process in Victorian Gothic Fiction   1:30 p.m. Maria Amador The Museum of Everyday Life   1:45 p.m. Kat Arrington Please Watch Me When I'm Alone So I Don't Stop Existing   2:00 p.m. Elijah Oaks A Paralytic History: Narratives of the Late South   2:15 p.m. Edgar Morales Out in the Field, There Are No More Fences   2:30 p.m. Zhenia Dubrova What Remains: Stories

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10:00 a.m. Introduction   10:15 a.m. Grace Schwab Counsel and Consequence: Intergenerational Models of Womanhood in the Novels of Jane Austen   10:30 a.m. Arielle Feuerstein "Remember who the enemy is": Liminality as a Tool for Revolution in The Hunger Games   10:45 a.m. Laurel Lee Pitts Good Neighbors   11:00 a.m. Heather Damia In a Woman's Hide: Supernatural Gender in Shakespeare's History Plays   11:15 a.m. Jiyoung Park Post Office 4640   11:30 a.m. Michaela Benton Wounded Lives: Trauma, Survival, and Slavery in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Octavia Butler's Kindred .

Upheaval in Fruit Park (Part 1)

Don, Din Din’s youngest brother, loved to hear bedtime stories. His Grandmamma, who had a fine imagination and was a talented performer, told him a story every night. And every night he insisted on one story: the history of Fruit Park.

Tonight too, Grandmamma was perched beside Don on the rock shelf which served as his bed. He shared the room with Dave. The other room was shared by Din Din and Derek, the elder brothers. But for the bedtime story, all four brothers gathered to listen to their grandmother.

“Fruit Park has a rich history. It is one of the most valuable parts of D’Land as it is abundant in fruits of all kinds. The dinosaurs of D’Land have made it their home for countless years. A few years ago, a part of Fruit Park was invaded by the jackals. To avoid a war, a peace treaty was signed and the jackals were given one part of Fruit Park while the dinosaurs continued to inhabit another,” Grandmamma said in her animated style which the four brothers loved so much.

“For years the dinosaurs thrived under the leadership of Old Rex but the dinosaur’s old age led him to step down. An election followed in which Tazzo a young, strong and aggressive dinosaur was chosen as the leader of the dinosaurs a year ago,” Grandmamma finished.

“Gran, why doesn’t this story end with the line that ‘the dinosaurs lived happily ever after’?” asked Don innocently.

“That’s because this is not a fairy tale; it’s a real story, silly,” smirked Dave from his bed.

“I heard a few dinosaurs at the Terrestrial School saying that Tazzo was becoming unpopular among the dinosaurs,” remarked Din Din.

Grandmamma’s smile vanished. “We should not be talking like this, Din Din. He is a fairly elected leader of the dinosaurs,” she corrected him solemnly. “If the dinosaurs start to fight among themselves other creatures will take advantage of the situation and weaken us and take over our territory.”

The four brothers nodded gravely as they realised the importance of what their grandmother was saying. Just then Mr. D, Din Din’s father poked his head inside the room. “Mom, there is an emergency meeting at the Orange Orchard. Dad and I are leaving.”

“An emergency meeting? So late? That doesn’t sound good,” Grandmamma said frowning. “I’ll update you as soon as I return,” Mr. D promised and disappeared.

“Now you boys go to sleep,” said Grandmamma. She kissed them all good night and went out to the front garden. Mrs. Dee was also waiting for the males of the family to return.

Din Din joined his mother and grandmother for a while as the stars shone down upon them.

“Go to sleep, Din Din,” protested Mrs. Dee.

“I’m going to the Orchard too,” Din Din said after a while. “I can’t stand the suspense. I will come back and give you news soon.

Before they could object, Din Din had scampered off. As he neared the large Orange Orchard where most of the important meetings of the dinosaurs of Fruit Park were held, he could hear loud, angry voices. Din Din saw the clearing packed with heads of families of dinosaurs. In front of the gathering was Old Rex, their ex-leader and Tazzo who looked furious. A few other dinosaurs were pointing fingers at Tazzo and talking loudly.

“We elected you so you could protect us. But your high-handed attitude is benefiting no one but yourself. You are bartering our fruits to other creatures and keeping the earning for yourself,” one dinosaur hollered.

“I wish we had voted for Dr. Trish,” someone else yelled. “At least she would have been selfless.”

“Even Fredrick would have been a more sensible leader than you. You act impulsively and that’s not how a leader should behave,” another voice complained.

“I resent this mutiny,” said Tazzo trembling with anger. “It has only been a year since I have been chosen leader. That is not enough time to let me make a difference.”

“It has been enough time for us to see that you are not a true leader. Old Rex had been a sensible, yet brave leader. You do not have the qualities to be his successor,” said Dr. Trish in her matter-of-fact voice. Many dinosaurs murmured their approval. Tazzo and his supporters started arguing. It seemed as if the dinosaurs would begin to fight physically.

Din Din trembled. He had never seen adults behave like this. Suddenly, Old Rex’s hoarse, quivering voice rang out silencing everyone.

“Let me speak!” he demanded. He may have been old but his presence still commanded respect.

“Today I regret stepping down,” the old tyrannosaurus said with a sigh. “My reason for stepping down was that the dinosaurs would have a more able and stronger leader. But the opposite has happened. The election which was supposed to have united you all has divided you.”

There was pin-drop silence as Old Rex spoke, his voice becoming stronger with each passing sentence he uttered.

He continued, “I am sorry it has come to this but I will have to take some decisions which some of you might not like. I can see two popular leaders here; Tazzo and Dr. Trish. In an organised way please gather behind the person whom you think will be better able to lead the dinosaurs of Fruit Park.”

A flurry of movement ensued. Soon a large group of people had gathered behind Dr. Trish. Even Fredrick, one of the candidates who had stood in the elections a year ago was siding with the doctor.

There was a mob behind Tazzo too. Old Rex observed the two factions. “We have no choice but to have a re-election,” he finally said.

“No!” shouted Tazzo. “I was elected a year ago. I need at least another year to prove myself. I object!” His supporters nodded in agreement.

“But we do not wish to give you another year. In a year’s time, the dinosaurs will have become so weak that the jackals will take over the entire Fruit Park. I will not allow that!” announced Dr. Trish in her loud, clear voice. Her supporters cheered in agreement.

“I have the veto,” declared Old Rex. “We cannot have a division amongst us. A re-election will take place in two days. And the leader elected this time will complete a term of two years.” With those words, he returned to his cave.

The other dinosaurs who were also tired decided to retire for the night muttering among themselves. Din Din walked up to his father and grandfather. They both seemed surprised to see him but said nothing.

“Let’s go home, Din Din,” said Mr. D quietly.

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Critic’s Notebook

The Power of the ‘Planet of the Apes’

Why is this long-running film series so gripping and effective? Because it doesn’t monkey around.

By Alissa Wilkinson

When the very first “Planet of the Apes” movie opened in 1968, the movie critic at The Times, Renata Adler, found it unremarkable . “It is no good at all, but fun, at moments, to watch,” she wrote, deeming it an “anti-war film and a science-fiction liberal tract,” with the apes representing “militarism, fascism and police brutality.” It’s probably safe to say she wasn’t expecting it to become one of the longest-running science-fiction franchises in Hollywood history.

I cannot quite blame her — and not just because endless sequels weren’t as ubiquitous as they are today. Watching the 1968 film, you see how close it could have veered toward a quick extinction. At times the whole thing has the quality of a skit. Actors wear monkey suits and masks (“wonderful anthropoid masks,” as Adler put it), and the attempt to draw a parallel between the apes’ civilization and the viewers’ can feel a little clumsy. It’s 1968, so there are winking catchphrases like “you can’t trust the older generation” and “never trust anyone over 30,” slogans that had been adopted by the counterculture. Had I been the reviewer back then, I might have called it “sometimes hamfisted.”

Yet with regrets to Adler, the movie does work on its own terms, and it has held up extraordinarily well over the past 56 years. Charlton Heston stars as the captain of a four-person space crew that crash-lands on a planet that feels unfamiliar, where talking apes rule and humans, such as they are, have been enslaved. (One member of the crew is female, which I suppose was meant to suggest something futuristic; the first American woman didn’t go into space until 15 years after “Planet of the Apes” premiered.)

The movie was based on a 1963 satirical novel by the French author Pierre Boulle, who also wrote the novel “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” Rod Serling, the creator of the wildly popular science-fiction TV show “The Twilight Zone,” was brought on to adapt the book for the screen. Serling’s influence is obvious from the first moments, which involve Heston in monologue about philosophical matters. More time has passed on Earth than in the spacecraft, since they’re moving at the speed of light. “Seen from out here, everything seems different,” he says. “Time bends. Space is boundless. It squashes a man’s ego. I feel lonely.”

“Tell me, though,” he continues. “Does man, that marvel of the universe, that glorious paradox who has sent me to the stars, still make war against his brother, keep his neighbor’s children starving?”

This introduction is a thesis in a thimble for the whole franchise, which combines an intriguing premise — what if apes evolved beyond men — with a host of other social and political concerns. Serling, for instance, purposely injected ideas about the Cold War and nuclear weapons into the film. As Adler noted, police brutality, militarism and fascism also make appearances, a good reminder that our time is hardly unique in those concerns. There are questions about free speech and religious fundamentalism, mythmaking and liberty, technology and scientific study, race, viral pandemics, animal rights and a whole lot more woven throughout the movies.

And there are a lot of movies. In the 1970s, the first “Apes” was followed by four more, plus a live-action TV show, then an animated one. In 2001, an ill-conceived remake directed by Tim Burton starred Mark Wahlberg in a version of the Heston role, and then a reboot series followed, starting in 2011. There have also been several “Apes” video games.

That reboot trilogy — “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011), “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014) and “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) — is widely considered some of the best franchise cinema ever, and I heartily concur. The trilogy posits that a cure for Alzheimer’s developed by humans had grave unintended consequences when it escaped its lab: It turned apes supersmart, but had the opposite effect on humans, killing vast swaths of the population and then mutating to turn most of humanity mute and less intelligent. A saga then follows in which the human characters change (none repeat across the three films) but the apes do not; they’re the main characters, and it’s their story. It’s masterful.

Sometimes this opinion surprises people. Really? The movies with the apes?

Yes, really. Part of the reason the films succeed is simply their artistry, especially notable in bigger-budget blockbuster fare. We’ve gotten used to rushed, sloppy action and muddy cinematography, so there’s something invigorating in seeing detail, emotion, shadow and rich color that feels real. It’s all led by Andy Serkis’s compelling and dynamic motion-capture performance as Caesar, leader of the apes. (He’s so good that it sparked a mini-movement for an Oscar nomination.)

Serkis, as Caesar, speaks and emotes with the kind of gravitas that we associate with people playing world-historical leaders — which, in a sense, is what he is doing. But that also points to part of why this trilogy, and indeed the entire “Apes” series, is so gripping: It is serious.

Serious, in the sense that it takes its characters seriously. Each has a personality and genuine emotions, and when they mourn, we mourn too. But serious also in the import of the issues at hand, spun throughout stories that are intriguing and grim. There’s a sense of grief in every “Apes” movie, and in the reboot trilogy it’s almost palpable. (I’m pretty sure Steve Zahn’s “Bad Ape” character was a studio addition to lighten the mood in “War,” and while he starts to veer a little Jar Jar Binks-ward, the director Matt Reeves manages to hold it all together.)

Why do these films grieve? It’s not about the lost world of humans, not really — it’s always been clear, even from the famous conclusion of the 1968 film, that humanity has only itself and its hubris to blame for its own destruction. Instead, the grief stems from the very issues that the films raise — the fascism, the nuclear war, the brutality — and the deep pessimism of the series about those issues ever being eradicated for long.

Apocalyptic films are increasingly obsessed with a question posed to the viewer, similar to Heston’s query at the start of “Planet of the Apes”: In light of humanity’s treatment of the planet and of one another, does the species really deserve to survive? Most of the time, the movie comes up with a way to say yes (most expensively, in “Avengers: Endgame”).

But the “Apes” movies (so far) say no, not really. Since they’ve shifted focus from humans to the apes that replace them, that works. Even in the newest installment, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the humans who show up are not presented as heroes or even particularly worthy defenders of their own species.

Yet, as “Kingdom” also reveals, the “Apes” movies aren’t so sure that any other sentient, reasoning species will be better. Though Caesar taught a way of living that would produce more harmony and protect the planet, in “Kingdom” we already see power-hungry apes reproducing the sins of humanity, finding ways to perpetuate oppression and repression.

The 1968 film is set many centuries after the reboot trilogy and “Kingdom,” so we already know where things are headed, and it’s not great. That may be part of why the “Apes” movies have resonated for so long, across so many moviegoing decades. They are telling a truth in science fiction that’s hard to face in reality: There’s no perfect way to run a civilization, no way to fix things forever, no teacher so profound that their words won’t be twisted for someone else’s gain. Every generation has its own struggles and saints — and there is nothing new under the sun.

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of years between the premiere of “Planet of the Apes” and the first American woman heading into space. It was 15 years, not 25.

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Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson