A TOS and AOS comparison
Nov. 6th, 2012 01:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarnathI've been thinking about the themes of Star Trek XI, and why it means the sequel won't be (or shouldn't be, at least) about Khan.
The themes are easy to see, of course; ST XI is not a subtle film. (Aside from a couple complaints, I love it, though; a film doesn't have to be subtle to be good. Just to be clear!) There's the main theme of vengeance and the havoc it can wreak, the theme of births and new beginnings, and then the twin lines of coming of age for Spock and Kirk. Simple, yet effective.
(I think there's also an argument to be made for the revenge theme being reflected in how Kirk's and Spock's rebellions are a sort of revenge on their mother (for Kirk) and father (for Spock) in the coming of age themes, but I won't expand on it this time.)
But why won't Abrams make a Khan film? Because he's essentially already done so.
Nero and Khan
Khan is obsessed with thoughts of taking revenge on Kirk because he blames Kirk for what became of "his" planet, as well as the death of his wife.
To have his revenge, he and his loyal followers steal a ship and a the powerful Genesis Device, something that was originally created to save planets, but can also be used as a devastating weapon. They then leave Kirk marooned at an uninhabited planet to observe how everything he loves is destroyed.
Khan is driven only by his obsession, which ultimately leads to his defeat (to emphasise this the director even had him quoting Moby Dick, as well as including a copy of the book in the film itself). At the very end, it's all he thinks of, and what leads to his defeat.
Then there's Nero.
Now, Nero is also obsessed with thoughts of revenge because of the fate of his planet and death of his wife. His history is with Spock, but I think the parallel is very clear.
He has a ship, which he modifies, and then steals the Red Matter, something that was originally created to save a planet but can also be a devastating weapon. He leaves (old) Spock on an uninhabited planet to observe how everything he loves is destroyed.
Nero is driven only by his obsession, which ultimately leads to his defeat. It's what makes him refuse mercy in the end.
There are several other parallels and references to TWoK in ST XI which I think are interesting, like for example Ceti eels vs. Centaurian slugs, the Kobayashi Maru test, the malfunctioning of the warp core, the barely escaping a large space anomaly at the end (the results of the Genesis Device vs. The results of the Red Matter), the militaristic aestheticism in the red uniforms. Also, the apple eating!
While TWoK has a theme of growing old and death, though, ST XI inverted the the theme into beginnings and births. The births of Kirk and Spock, the bridge crew as a group, the Enterprise herself, and the new universe that was created because of Nero.
Kirk and Spock
This part was very different from TWoK, because, again, beginning rather than an end. Also, it's something we never got to see in TOS; when the series start, they've already known each other for a while even though they're not as close as they'll later become, and they're older and more experienced. But I think it's interesting, and part of the film's theme, so I'm going to talk a little bit about it.
The twin lines of Kirk's and Spock's stories (despite not taking place at the same time - Spock is actually three years older than Kirk) is the second major theme of the film I think, or at least intimately intertwined with the births and beginnings theme, and have several pivotal points that are emphasised by the direction and cutting of the film.
Their childhoods: Not fitting in, rebelling through for their cultures unacceptable actions of violence (car over cliff, beatdown of classmates).
Adolescence: Rebelling against the expectations on them through not joining Starfleet (in the case of Kirk) and not joining the Vulcan Science Academy (Spock).
Turning point: A revelation from a father figure. Kirk's is at the beginning, being reached by Pike and finally joining up with Starfleet. Spock's is further in, when he's lost his planet and mother and it's finally revealed that Sarek loved Amanda and didn't marry her out of duty; in short, that emotions aren't actually anathema to being Vulcan, but can be an intrinsic part of it.
Resolution: I think the whole part where Kirk and Spock work together to defeat Nero is a partway resolution. It's a representation of how they complete each other, but not only that; it's about how they've found a place in the universe where they really fit. It's also an acknowledgement of each other, the start of a deeply trusting relationship. It's where they for the first time put their lives in each other's hands. They have both also at this point suffered a great loss that changed the course of their lives in very significant ways.
Aftermath: Acceptance. For kirk, from Starfleet, and for Spock, from himself. I do think for both it's only the beginning, though; they're both still wounded by their pasts in both similar and different ways (but that's another piece of meta).
So yeah, just a few thoughts, not very detailed. But it's something I've been considering for a while.
The themes are easy to see, of course; ST XI is not a subtle film. (Aside from a couple complaints, I love it, though; a film doesn't have to be subtle to be good. Just to be clear!) There's the main theme of vengeance and the havoc it can wreak, the theme of births and new beginnings, and then the twin lines of coming of age for Spock and Kirk. Simple, yet effective.
(I think there's also an argument to be made for the revenge theme being reflected in how Kirk's and Spock's rebellions are a sort of revenge on their mother (for Kirk) and father (for Spock) in the coming of age themes, but I won't expand on it this time.)
But why won't Abrams make a Khan film? Because he's essentially already done so.
Khan is obsessed with thoughts of taking revenge on Kirk because he blames Kirk for what became of "his" planet, as well as the death of his wife.
To have his revenge, he and his loyal followers steal a ship and a the powerful Genesis Device, something that was originally created to save planets, but can also be used as a devastating weapon. They then leave Kirk marooned at an uninhabited planet to observe how everything he loves is destroyed.
Khan is driven only by his obsession, which ultimately leads to his defeat (to emphasise this the director even had him quoting Moby Dick, as well as including a copy of the book in the film itself). At the very end, it's all he thinks of, and what leads to his defeat.
Then there's Nero.
Now, Nero is also obsessed with thoughts of revenge because of the fate of his planet and death of his wife. His history is with Spock, but I think the parallel is very clear.
He has a ship, which he modifies, and then steals the Red Matter, something that was originally created to save a planet but can also be a devastating weapon. He leaves (old) Spock on an uninhabited planet to observe how everything he loves is destroyed.
Nero is driven only by his obsession, which ultimately leads to his defeat. It's what makes him refuse mercy in the end.
There are several other parallels and references to TWoK in ST XI which I think are interesting, like for example Ceti eels vs. Centaurian slugs, the Kobayashi Maru test, the malfunctioning of the warp core, the barely escaping a large space anomaly at the end (the results of the Genesis Device vs. The results of the Red Matter), the militaristic aestheticism in the red uniforms. Also, the apple eating!
While TWoK has a theme of growing old and death, though, ST XI inverted the the theme into beginnings and births. The births of Kirk and Spock, the bridge crew as a group, the Enterprise herself, and the new universe that was created because of Nero.
This part was very different from TWoK, because, again, beginning rather than an end. Also, it's something we never got to see in TOS; when the series start, they've already known each other for a while even though they're not as close as they'll later become, and they're older and more experienced. But I think it's interesting, and part of the film's theme, so I'm going to talk a little bit about it.
The twin lines of Kirk's and Spock's stories (despite not taking place at the same time - Spock is actually three years older than Kirk) is the second major theme of the film I think, or at least intimately intertwined with the births and beginnings theme, and have several pivotal points that are emphasised by the direction and cutting of the film.
Their childhoods: Not fitting in, rebelling through for their cultures unacceptable actions of violence (car over cliff, beatdown of classmates).
Adolescence: Rebelling against the expectations on them through not joining Starfleet (in the case of Kirk) and not joining the Vulcan Science Academy (Spock).
Turning point: A revelation from a father figure. Kirk's is at the beginning, being reached by Pike and finally joining up with Starfleet. Spock's is further in, when he's lost his planet and mother and it's finally revealed that Sarek loved Amanda and didn't marry her out of duty; in short, that emotions aren't actually anathema to being Vulcan, but can be an intrinsic part of it.
Resolution: I think the whole part where Kirk and Spock work together to defeat Nero is a partway resolution. It's a representation of how they complete each other, but not only that; it's about how they've found a place in the universe where they really fit. It's also an acknowledgement of each other, the start of a deeply trusting relationship. It's where they for the first time put their lives in each other's hands. They have both also at this point suffered a great loss that changed the course of their lives in very significant ways.
Aftermath: Acceptance. For kirk, from Starfleet, and for Spock, from himself. I do think for both it's only the beginning, though; they're both still wounded by their pasts in both similar and different ways (but that's another piece of meta).
So yeah, just a few thoughts, not very detailed. But it's something I've been considering for a while.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 03:19 am (UTC)I've been betting against Khan for a while for the obvious reason (it's the best of the old movies, so it would be foolish to invite comparisons) but also because TWoK is an intimate story that presumes a lot of knowledge and investment in the characters by the viewer. It's about families, real and created, and what happens when a force from outside threatens them. The Enterprise crew in STiD will still be in its formative stages, so a villain that shapes that family formation--maybe by forcing people to pick sides--would make more sense than someone who dredges up the past.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 03:37 am (UTC)Yes, I definitely agree. I think ST:IX was possibly done as a sort of homage to TWoK, a parallel and a mirror of sorts, but it would be impossible to make a "true" new version without all the history that went before the original.
And good point about STiD shaping the crew's family formation! I'd be really excited to see that.
It might also be interesting to see the AOS version of Tarsus IV and Kodos, but that may be because I'm such a Kirk fangirl, heh. I'd like the new vulcan colony to be involved somehow too, if possible, I'm really curious about it!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 08:00 pm (UTC)OCsnew villans with homages to the old, since Trek as a fandom is known for its pickyness.Next year is filled with sequels that I really really hope don't fuck up.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 08:26 pm (UTC)Hah, I wish I could have become invested in Avengers fandom, but alas. I liked the films, but don't feel the fandom draw.