Star Trek: Into Darkness
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Benedict Cumberbatch,
When a malevolent entity known as Khan threatens to annihilate Star Fleet, in his quest for revenge, Captain Kirk and his crew must come together to extinguish the flames of war before the world is lost to darkness.
Emotion is a powerful theme in “Star Trek: Into Darkness”. The component that Spock conveys most strongly is demonstrated in his ability to master his emotions. No matter how dire the situation is that Captain Kirk and his loyal crew find themselves in, Spock is always there to guide them on the path of logic, even when logic is the hardest path to follow. He is, in a way, a moral compass for Kirk and Dr. McCoy – the patient guardian who is always there to watch over them and deliver them from peril.
His ability to master his emotions is his greatest strength, but ironically, it is also his greatest weakness. He draws strength from his ability to look at things from a purely logical perspective instead of an emotional one, but he also struggles to understand why emotion is so vitally important to life. His inability to comprehend emotion is the reason that Spock struggles to understand why Kirk saved him from imminent death at the beginning of the film.
The component that makes Spock truly unique as a Vulcan is demonstrated when he allows himself to convey deep emotions to the people that he is most intimately connected to. The people that Spock shares his emotions with the most are Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura. In both instances, Kirk and Uhura express their feelings to Spock first. Instead of dismissing their emotions as illogical, it is the intimate emotional attachment that Spock shares with both Uhura and Kirk that allows Spock to express his feelings to them.
When Spock and Uhura are in the ship with Captain Kirk on their way to capture Khan, Uhura assumes that Spock’s lack of emotion toward his own demise was a reflection of his feelings for her. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Spock reveals to Uhura that he truly does love her. His decision not to express emotion regarding his own demise was to spare himself from having to feel the excruciating pain that he felt when he was forced to witness the deaths of his mother, his home, and Captain Pike. This tender exchange is strengthened by Spock choosing to use Uhura’s first name, Nyota, rather than her formal title as he shares his true feelings for her.
Captain Kirk’s perspective of emotion is the opposite of Spock’s. In the beginning, Kirk’s emotions almost reflect those that a child would have. Although he cares deeply for his crew, his impulse to act without thinking is often the catalyst which puts his crew in danger. It is not until Kirk truly understands the value of emotion that he can truly appreciate that his crew is, in a very real sense, his family.
A significant illustration of the bond between Kirk and Spock is found in the death scene in “Star Trek: Into Darkness”. When Jim is in the Engine Room of the Enterprise after stabilizing the warp core, his life is hanging by a fragile thread and he pleads with Spock to help him not be scared. This scene between Spock and Jim is significant. Not only is it an emotionally powerful moment for both characters, it allows Spock to truly understand the reason that Jim rescued him from the arms of Death, and it is in this moment that I felt both characters finally understood what the word family meant...for them and for their crew as a whole. In a very real sense, these two are brothers…there are times when they don’t always agree, but their love for each other never waivers.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Benedict Cumberbatch,
When a malevolent entity known as Khan threatens to annihilate Star Fleet, in his quest for revenge, Captain Kirk and his crew must come together to extinguish the flames of war before the world is lost to darkness.
Emotion is a powerful theme in “Star Trek: Into Darkness”. The component that Spock conveys most strongly is demonstrated in his ability to master his emotions. No matter how dire the situation is that Captain Kirk and his loyal crew find themselves in, Spock is always there to guide them on the path of logic, even when logic is the hardest path to follow. He is, in a way, a moral compass for Kirk and Dr. McCoy – the patient guardian who is always there to watch over them and deliver them from peril.
His ability to master his emotions is his greatest strength, but ironically, it is also his greatest weakness. He draws strength from his ability to look at things from a purely logical perspective instead of an emotional one, but he also struggles to understand why emotion is so vitally important to life. His inability to comprehend emotion is the reason that Spock struggles to understand why Kirk saved him from imminent death at the beginning of the film.
The component that makes Spock truly unique as a Vulcan is demonstrated when he allows himself to convey deep emotions to the people that he is most intimately connected to. The people that Spock shares his emotions with the most are Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura. In both instances, Kirk and Uhura express their feelings to Spock first. Instead of dismissing their emotions as illogical, it is the intimate emotional attachment that Spock shares with both Uhura and Kirk that allows Spock to express his feelings to them.
When Spock and Uhura are in the ship with Captain Kirk on their way to capture Khan, Uhura assumes that Spock’s lack of emotion toward his own demise was a reflection of his feelings for her. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Spock reveals to Uhura that he truly does love her. His decision not to express emotion regarding his own demise was to spare himself from having to feel the excruciating pain that he felt when he was forced to witness the deaths of his mother, his home, and Captain Pike. This tender exchange is strengthened by Spock choosing to use Uhura’s first name, Nyota, rather than her formal title as he shares his true feelings for her.
Captain Kirk’s perspective of emotion is the opposite of Spock’s. In the beginning, Kirk’s emotions almost reflect those that a child would have. Although he cares deeply for his crew, his impulse to act without thinking is often the catalyst which puts his crew in danger. It is not until Kirk truly understands the value of emotion that he can truly appreciate that his crew is, in a very real sense, his family.
A significant illustration of the bond between Kirk and Spock is found in the death scene in “Star Trek: Into Darkness”. When Jim is in the Engine Room of the Enterprise after stabilizing the warp core, his life is hanging by a fragile thread and he pleads with Spock to help him not be scared. This scene between Spock and Jim is significant. Not only is it an emotionally powerful moment for both characters, it allows Spock to truly understand the reason that Jim rescued him from the arms of Death, and it is in this moment that I felt both characters finally understood what the word family meant...for them and for their crew as a whole. In a very real sense, these two are brothers…there are times when they don’t always agree, but their love for each other never waivers.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.