The Duality of Carver and Koba (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)

Carver and Koba are two characters from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. While Koba acts as the film’s antagonist, Carver serves a relatively minor role throughout the plot. However, we will be discussing them in relation to each other, due to their interesting dynamic and impacts.

Carver is a human who, while sent on a peaceful mission in ape territory, decided to bring gun. This gun, when discovered, amplified tensions between the two species. Koba is an ape who underwent cruel lab experiments at the hands of humans. This forced him to develop a deep hatred and distrust for humanity.

Carver and Koba, in essence, represent the problems that cause most tension in the world today. The humans and apes in this film have no reason to fight. The only thing that war accomplishes is a loss of resources and lives on both sides. On paper, it would make sense that no individual, on either side, would feel compelled to start conflict. However, the cycle of distrust that these two perpetuate eventually leads to near annihilation for both sides. It is hard not to compare these two to modern-day real-world equivalents, in which many people are in favour of conflict, simply because of fear and distrust rather than legitimate concerns of self-defense. Had Carver or Koba not made their respective destructively proactive decisions, every individual on both sides would be better off. They are victims to their own fear and wariness, and feed into each other to cause untold tragedy.