Why did she throw the baby in the water? - Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Discussion

[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

She may have been desperately trying to dispose of the body so nobody found out that it was a month older than it should've been, and all she was able to do was to dump it into the bay. Apparently no one had discovered that it wasn't Zira's child, unless Dixon and Branton subsequently made the realization after its recovery and kept quiet about it.

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[–] dollvalley 9 years ago

They didn't really look that different though, and how much bigger would it be in a month?

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[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

Undoubtedly an autopsy would've been performed, especially since it was supposed to be an evolved chimp baby.

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[–] dollvalley 9 years ago

What biscuits said made me think, instinctively she should have kept the baby with her and ran to Cornelius and died all three together. BUT, it wasn't their baby, so she didn't want it with her. Maybe that fact made her want to get rid of it.

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[–] PreachCaleb 9 years ago

. BUT, it wasn't their baby, so she didn't want it with her. Maybe that fact made her want to get rid of it.

No. She was trying to cover up the switch. Looks like it worked too.

Can't stop the signal.

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[–] overseas7 (3523) 3 months ago

Correct.

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[–] savagebiscuits 9 years ago

I really don't get it. It's not gonna be swallowed by the earth, they will be able to fish it out. There is really no point.

She was shot, grieving and in a panic. In such circumstances, being level-headed would arguably be more unrealistic. People don't always do the rational thing, particularly in a situation that Zira was in.

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[–] JoeKarlosi 9 years ago

"You wanted this baby so badly, Hasslein? Here -- it's yours..."

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[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

Good one. "Share the same watery grave, you lousy human bastard!".

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[–] millsey72 (9523) 3 months ago

But Zira was a chimp, not a person

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[–] moosefeathers 9 years ago

She was hoping no one would retrieve it and find out it wasn't Baby Milo.

Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...

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[–] Fletcherj119 9 years ago

I can picture Dixon and Branton later discovering the infant's true identity, but keeping their mouths shut.

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[–] millsey72 (9523) 2 years ago

She was hoping the baby survived the gun shots and perhaps could swim away to safety

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[–] emori (3058) 2 months ago

I felt it was probably for us, viewers. To tell us that she switched the baby. In case anyone would be doubting and think she didn't knew or something. Script was like: "Look people, she knew and kicked that other baby out".

It was stupid scene, really. Bad writing.

On the other hand from her perspective she thought that maybe body of Milo would swim away. In her monkey world it could easily do. Apes would not go to water and try to find corpse. They probably don't even swim.

Also - who knows. So baby Milo's body drowns. Then starts floating underneath. Its a river with currents. They would not be able to retrieve it right away. It could actually be never find. Since its not human. It could wash away miles away and not many people to notice. Thinking its some animal. They would not call police upon seeing decomposed hairy body of animal. So they may never find out and her actions make sense.

It just that we, audience, assume they would retried body fast.

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