Servant Leadership and Planet of the Apes Film Review

Servant-Leadership in the Character of Caesar: A Film Critique of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Caesar from the film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes provides an example of servant-leadership, the presence of which affects the drama of life within the context of the film's storyline. Caesar leads his band of apes through a moral and conscientious example that includes empathy. However, Caesar is also a character who has an arc within the storyline so that he too is developing as a leader, after undergoing a particular trial involving a rebellious ape angry at Caesar's befriending the humans. In the end, Caesar learns a valuable lesson about trust, mercy, acceptance, and judgment -- and through the various examples in which the "common good" is elevated above selfish desires and vengeance, Caesar exemplifies the notion of servant-leadership.

For Caesar, a philosophy of life is important and his is that no ape should kill another ape. He is still growing as a character in that he does not view humans as equal to apes because he sees that they are prone to immorality. Caesar does not yet appreciate the fact that even apes can do immoral things. But somewhere inside he must suspect this because of the fact that he feels the need to define the good against the bad -- that is, he sets a rule of life, a mode of conduct, which is that killing other apes is bad: this is akin to the Golden Rule. But if apes were not prone to immorality as well, why would there even be the necessity of the rule in the first place? This is a question whose significance is something that Caesar will come to realize. At the outset of the film, however, he is mainly focused on leading by example and with a spirit of humility: thus, he is established at the start as an example of servant-leadership because he is a "natural" leader, who sows the seeds of goodness and virtue. Later, his epiphany will come and he will sense the "unity of all things." As Koba fails to embrace this unity (between ape and man), Caesar fails to recognize him as an ape and allows him to fall to his death. In this instance, Caesar sees that some choose to embrace wickedness and spite -- and that as they choose so too shall they be let alone. Koba chooses to be spiteful, so Caesar allows him to be consumed by his spite: Koba spits at the helping hand; Caesar therefore withdraws the hand. In the end, Caesar is the strategist, who does "not avoid conflicts but creatively manages them by honoring disparate points-of-view while still accepting the role they may have as a decision maker" (Torbert, Fisher).

Likewise, Reave (2005) shows that "values that have long been considered spiritual ideals, such as integrity, honesty, and humility, have been demonstrated to have an effect on leadership success" (p. 655) -- and this is precisely the case in Caesar's development as a servant-leader. Furthermore, Reave suggests, like Dekker (2012) and Festinger (1957) that persons should not be isolated from problems but that the two should be taken together -- problems and individuals are not to be separated but embraced. Socio-centric relational capacity is attained only through the recognition of this phenomenon -- that cultures differ and that sociological change is congruent to how cultures come into contact with one another, as Hall notes in his adult development model. Between apes and humans there is a divide, but that divide is bridged thanks largely to Caesar's display of servant-leadership.

However, when Caesar is wounded by Koba and the apes go to attack the humans, Caesar is removed momentarily from drama. But when he is helped by the humans and restored to health, he re-engages with the drama and directly with Koba, the source of the problem. He embraces the problem and the people and seeks to effect a resolution. However, the only resolution that Koba will permit is a violent one and so Caesar accepts the fight, knowing that as a leader he must take on this situation as a consequence of the immorality of Koba rather than through any wrongdoing on his part. Indeed, Caesar has made amends for whatever injustice he showed towards humans at an earlier time. Yet, even then his attitude was tempered by empathy and mercy, which allowed him to gradually warm to the humans and to see that really they were similar to the apes in that both had a sense of consciousness, of right and wrong, and of morality.

As Koba lacks a true sense of servant-leadership and leads mainly through subversion, deceit, and brutality, his character illustrates what happens when servant-leadership is absent in the human drama. For example, when Caesar is laid low by Koba, Koba rises to the head of the army of apes, who quickly begin a campaign of war and strife against the humans. Koba's lack of humanity/morality directly leads to slaughter, mayhem and violence. He refuses to bridge the gap between cultures and thus does the opposite -- he tears the two social groups apart. He is entirely self-centered rather than socio-centric, and his relational capacity is nil. Unlike Caesar, who appreciates the effect of compassionating oneself, Koba sees only the pleasure of self-gratification and prideful reward. Yet, his reward at the end of the film is to fall to his death -- a dramatic point which illustrates in a graphic way the fundamental and underlying principle of Koba's philosophy: vain and self-centered leadership does not elevate one but momentarily; ultimately it sets one up for a great fall.

Thus while Caesar illustrates the ultimate development of the servant-leader by evolving into the strategist, his foil Koba reflects the opposite end of development which is impulsive leadership. Caesar does not leap impulsively at opportunities but takes time to stop, consider and reflect. He is like this at the beginning of the film too when he stops to consider his surroundings and thinks to protect Blue Eyes from a potential threat. He does not lead Blue Eyes haphazardly into harm's way but shows care and concern for the ape: he is a true servant-leader from the start in that he is concerned for the safety and welfare of others and is willing to sacrifice himself in order to spare another from experiencing danger.

Likewise, there is the moment when Caesar sees the old video footage of his younger days when his owner was with him: he is brought back to himself, in a sense, and grows from the experience of reflecting on this memory. In this way, he deepens himself and his capacity for morality, empathy and sympathy -- and through this deepening he grows even more as a servant-leader.

Caesar also applies the characteristics described by Larry Spears in his assessment of servant-leadership: Caesar is aware, committed to the growth of individuals like Blue Eyes; he wants to build a community and foster it by showing respect to all. He has a concept of the world -- a worldview, so to speak, that is based on empathy. He displays foresight and intelligence. He appreciates the need for time to heal and the power of physical and spiritual healing. He listens when others speak; he contemplates and considers which course of action is the best. He is persuasive and most importantly he appreciates the meaning of stewardship: he recognizes his duty as it has befallen him, which is to care for those under his command. He also recognizes an ideal or transcendent truth that exists above him to which he in turn must submit in order to be a good steward and an effective servant-leader. In this sense, Caesar is authentic, caring, humble, infused with a spirit of mission, capable of integrity (unlike Koba), selfless (also unlike Koba), and values flourishing.

Overall, the Caesar character and his foil Koba embody the Tolbert, Fisher model of development in that Caesar exists at the top of the development spectrum, being the ultimate strategist, while his nemesis Koba exists at the bottom of the development model, being impulsive and self-centered. Caesar exemplifies effective leadership because he is selfless and other-seeking. He gives more than he takes and accepts the burden of leadership -- which in of itself (identifying leadership as a burden that must be born) suggests that Caesar sees far more deeply into the nature of leadership than Koba or any other character. Caesar is one who recognizes that stewardship is rife with pitfalls and problems but that someone must accept the responsibility even at his own peril: this is what Caesar does, which is why he proves to be the most effective servant-leader in the film.

In conclusion, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes presents the character of Caesar as a prime example of servant-leadership. His presence within the story allows the apes and humans to come together in a mutually-benefiting socio-centric relationship that contains…