The Movement Image’s Particular Results

As has been written within the pages of /Movie earlier than, Robert Clever’s 1979 characteristic movie “Star Trek: The Movement Image” is not a boring movie. It is extra possible that you just’re simply watching it incorrectly. Recall that “The Movement Image” was the primary time Trekkies had seen something from this franchise because the cancellation of the unique TV collection in 1969. For a decade, the adventures of Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and all the remainder had been hampered by the present’s funds, leaving many unique planets trying like parks in Southern California, and aliens like character actors in make-up. 

“Star Trek: The Movement Image” aimed to make — and succeeded at making — the outdated present look as epic as potential. There is a purpose why “Movement Image” pauses for a number of minutes whereas Kirk and Scotty (James Doohan) fly round the united statesS. Enterprise, simply to have a look at it. This was the primary time the Enterprise ever felt like an enormous spacecraft, a huge construction with lots of of individuals inside. The identical is perhaps stated of the movie’s prolonged V’Ger sequences, whereby the Enterprise is seen slowly flying via a cloud lots of of tens of millions of miles throughout. “Star Trek” is not filming animated phasers and styrofoam rocks. Now, it lastly takes locations within the epic vastness of area. 

The particular results, nonetheless, had been completely balanced with notable character work. A variety of time in “Movement Image” was spent re-establishing well-known “Star Trek” characters, catching up with them after a several-year absence. Based on a 1979 article within the New York Instances, “Star Trek” creator stated that the particular results wanted to be nice, however he demanded that the characters be stored on the middle of issues. The consequences might by no means overwhelm the individuals.

It ought to be famous that Roddenberry’s feedback had been being made solely two years after the discharge of George Lucas’ ultra-blockbuster “Star Wars.” That movie pushed sci-fi VFX ahead an amazing diploma, and Michael Eisner (then the Chief Operations Officer at Paramount) felt {that a} “Star Trek” film needed to at the least match “Star Wars” by way of its visuals. As any Trekkie can inform you, although, the characters in “Star Wars” had been mere legendary archetypes, whereas the characters on “Star Trek” are extra advanced and human, wrestling with sensible morals and the fineries of command. Eisner’s feedback about improved VFX got here with an implication that “Star Trek” would possibly — like “Star Wars” — turn into extra about visuals and simplistic legendary storytelling than the outdated TV collection. 

Roddenberry, remaining true to his imaginative and prescient, stated that the results in “Movement Image” had been all based mostly on enriching the world and including texture to Trek’s utopian future. As he put it: 

“We attempt to analyze how a spaceship will likely be operated within the 23d Century, so the Enterprise is larger and extra refined. However whereas there will likely be loads of particular results, they’re associated to the characters — they’re a part of the dramatic integrity, not an finish in themselves. They will not take over the image.” 

There’s a common sense that “Star Trek: The Movement Image” aimed to function an antidote to the high-octane, effects-based blockbusters that had been coming into vogue on the time. “Star Wars” is enjoyable and all, however it’s infantile. The implication is that “Star Trek” was going to be a sci-fi movie for grown-ups, and that the results would not be the one spotlight. 

“Star Wars” wasn’t the one perpetrator, both. Recall that Steven Spielberg had a serious hit within the type of “Shut Encounters of the Third Variety” the identical yr as “Star Wars.” Clearly, particular results had been turning into unbound, and a brand new type of audience-pleasing, wholly accessible pop filmmaking was forming. Director Robert Clever helmed “Star Trek: The Movement Image.” Clever was, properly, a sensible option to direct, as he had beforehand made the sci-fi hit “The Day the Earth Stood Nonetheless” and one of the vital profitable films of all time within the type of “The Sound of Music.” He, too, did not have sort issues to say in regards to the current wave of sci-fi, citing “Shut Encounters” specifically. Clever stated: 

“[I re-wrote the script] to develop characters extra strongly and set up chemistry between them. I assumed it wanted extra emotion and feeling to make the story extra plausible. ‘Shut Encounters’ had an fascinating starting, however fell aside within the center.”

As Trekkies can now inform you, “Movement Image” wasn’t as large successful as “Star Wars,” and left Paramount feeling slightly disenchanted. Gene Roddenberry was eliminated (creatively) from future “Star Trek” films, and different producers and filmmakers managed to make extra crowd-pleasing, money-making movies all through the Eighties. “Movement Image” went down in historical past as “the boring one.” 

But it surely’s not the boring one. Certainly, it is essentially the most considerate, brainiest of the “Trek” films. It zeroes in on Kirk as a personality (he is now grumpy and has misplaced his sense of awe) and on Spock (who was on the cusp of rejecting his humanity). The consequences are nice, however the characters come first. By design, “Movement Image” is a far cry from “Star Wars.”