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This Island Earth
Jan 26
Mysteries of the Krell: Star Trek's Lost Inspiration? (2)
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Mysteries of the Krell: Star Trek's Lost Inspiration?
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Mysteries of the Krell: Star Trek's Lost Inspiration?
Mysteries of the Krell: Star Trek's Lost Inspiration?By Ron SeidenSpecial to SPACE.composted: 09:44 am ET15 April 2000 It's a common axiom that there are only a few basic plots in the universe, and while this may be a slight exaggeration, certainly we see similar story lines going back at least as far as Homer's Iliad or Odyssey.
For example, should we expect Star Trek to pay any less homage to its predecessors?
It's obvious in retrospect, but Forbidden Planet isn't mentioned enough as a major influence on the look and feel of the "Wagon Train in Space" that became Star Trek.
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Looking carefully at this classic movie with post-Enterprise eyes, we see quite a few elements that have now become familiar to the point of cliche.
While in transit, the rescue crew receives shipwide announcements from Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) by means of an intercom/public address system with a speaker mounted head-high on the wall -- a nod to submarine communications protocol, but heady stuff and something of an innovative flourish for even the best science fiction films in 1956.
When the ship arrives on the Forbidden Planet itself, the initial exploration team is composed of the captain, chief science officer and chief medical officer, with blithe disregard for proper command structure. Starfleet regulations would revisit this urge to gather the leadership personnel of a deep-space vessel and put them, collectively, in positions of extreme danger on strange new worlds.
This oddly casual approach to shipboard discipline extends to the way these starfarers address each other in disregard of their seemingly military system of ranks and command. In Forbidden Planet, crewmen are addressed by last name, but staff officers call each other by rank and last name.
The exception -- here as on the Enterprise -- is the chief medical officer, who is called "Doc" in a show of a deep-space informality unequaled before Kirk's flexible ship discipline gave "Bones" McCoy a Starfleet niche in which to thrive.
Forbidden Planet uniforms are similar to those later seen on Star Trek. In both sets of costumes, each officer's area of responsibility -- as well as rank -- is indicated only by small emblems on their otherwise utilitarian uniforms.
Finally, and perhaps on a minor note, in Forbidden Planet we see a haunting reenactment of the drama that too many classic Star Trek episodes would later play out. While the science and medical officers solve the problem, the captain gets the girl.
In Planet, this is only a natural symptom of true love -- Adams' amorous attentions easily change Altaira's (Anne Francis) lifelong thought patterns and beliefs - but it only left me disgruntled after many a Trek episode.
Everything goes into the future
Of course, Forbidden Planet wears its own sources close to the surface, with the chief tip of the hat usually going to Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Did Gene Roddenberry and his designers, writers and costumers pay tribute to the classic film in much the same way that the film paid tribute to Shakespeare?
We're not here to point fingers -- it's the play that's the thing, and both works are classics of the genre.
"Borrowing" good (or, at least, useful) story elements is so deeply ingrained in science fiction that it has been used as a legal defense. When the world wanted more Star Wars, the television series Battlestar Galactica stepped in to fill the void.
In the ensuing courtroom battle over who was or was not copying whom, the Galactica legal team's expert witnesses included Isaac Asimov, who pointed out not only that Lucas' "fighting the tyranny of the evil empire" plot had an extensive body of precedent or "prior art" within science fiction, but his own seminal Foundation trilogy paid homage to Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
That brings up another important point. We can all think of elements of favorite SF movies that have shown up elsewhere, and the genre itself routinely collects on the favor by borrowing from outside the field. After all, exciting is exciting, and copyright depends not on the story but on how you tell it.
At one point, "space opera" was the term applied to sci-fi stories strongly reminiscent of the western "horse opera," which itself was then seen clearly as a modern mythos drawing on and recreating prior works of entertainment. It's not for nothing they call Star Trek the Wagon Train in space.
The art of echoes
I recall an article in the Christian Science Monitor comparing a still from Star Wars -- a view inside the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon -- to a still from 1949 air-war epic Twelve O'Clock High.
In the Star Wars shot, the "windscreen" was ahead, with the bottom end of a defensive gun turret visible behind the pilot and co-pilot. Han Solo was in the act of reaching up to an overhead control panel, flicking a series of toggle switches.
In the Twelve O'Clock High still, we see inside the cockpit of a B-17, complete with the bottom end of a defensive gun turret behind the pilots. The pilot is reaching up to an overhead panel to flick a series of toggle switches.
It is a credit to George Lucas and his actors that you could lay these movie stills over each other and find no discrepancies in either the physical scene or the position of the actors.
Remember: it's not so much the story as how you tell it.
It is only natural that all our favorite stories of politics, sex, and violence (Shakespeare's winning triple-play) should be reborn in a contemporary mythos suited to the style and spirit of our times.
Where the great frontiers once open to individual freedom, high adventure and heroism existed in sparsely settled and unexplored regions of this planet, now we must look to space for the frontier spirit and elbow room "to boldly go where no man has gone before."
What do you think? Send your comments to the editor.
Forbidden Planet: Images of Krell Technology
Forbidden Planet -- information and analysis of this film. the Robot -- one of the Krell's inventions.
One of the first aspects of the Krell we are introduced to is their music box. This functions like our CD players. You can listen to the music of the Krell (AIFF, 800k).
Adams tries to burn his way through the Krell metal with his disintegration gun, but doesn't even dent it. This is the strongest material man has ever seen.
Here is a still of the Krell's laboratory. The IQ machine is located to the left, and the computer terminal is on the right.
This is the Krell IQ machine. Long ago, Morbius used it to increase his intellect. Here, he is using it to create a 3D model of his daughter. Adams and Ostrow use it to measure their intellect -- and find that they are quite inferior to the Krell. Later in the film, Ostrow attempts to increase his intellect as well, but the machine kills him.
Here is the computer terminal that Morbius has been working from. It is very similar to the hypermedia system called 'Memex' that Vannevar Bush envisioned in 1945 -- 12 years before this film was made.
More information about the Memex can be found here.
This is an image of the Krell energy source. It taps directly into the molten core of the planet, providing an almost unlimited source of energy to the Krell's computer complex. The men are not able to look directly at it, as it is so powerful that it will cause them to go blind.
. erika . erika+sf@monkey.org .. last modified: Feb 23, 2000 .
Forbidden Planet
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General Information:
Year Released:
1956
Country:
US
Director:
Fred Wilcox
IMDB:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0049223
Forbidden Planet was another 1950's science fiction box office success, containing a mixture of technological paranoia (computers and technology ultimately destroyed the galaxy's most advanced race) and optimism (space flight is ubiquitous, mankind is flourishing, and Robby the Robot is every housewife's dream come true).
The film begins with a very squeaky-clean and positive view of science and technology.
The first piece of "alien" technology we are introduced to is Robby the Robot. Robby is another perfectly crafted work -- he is self-sufficient and perfectly loyal to his human masters. When we are first introduced to the rest of the technology of the Krell, it too is pristine. It shows no signs of wear and tear, despite its incredible age. It was perfectly crafted millions of years ago, and is entirely self-sustaining.
The first conflict surrounding technology in Forbidden Planet comes when Dr. Morbius and Adams fight about the distribution of this amazing alien technology. Morbius discovered it and has turned it into his life's work. He has spent years sitting in front of the Krell's computer terminal decoding their language and trying to understand their science. Despite the greatness of his discoveries and their potential benefit to humanity, he does not feel that this information should be shared with anyone else. He sincerely believes that knowledge should be kept by the elite few who are good enough to understand it -- which excludes everyone but himself.
Although this viewpoint is seemingly in error, the circumstances surrounding the Krell's technology make it correct in this case. Once we learn that the Krell were essentially destroyed by their self-inflicted dependency on machines, it becomes evident that some information should be kept from us. This film tells us that technology can be a good thing, but we must be careful to not allow it to eclipse humanity.
At the end of the film, the planet of Altair IV is destroyed, along with all of its high technology. This is a necessary step to prevent mankind from going the same route that the Krell did. "Let's hope when the human race reaches the same level of development as the Krell it will be better equipped to handle it," says Adams.
The Promise of Science: Alien Life
Extraterrestrial intelligence is also never physically encountered in Forbidden Planet (1956, US). Extensive remnants of an ancient, highly advanced civilization are discovered when space-travelling earth men visit the distant planet Altair IV. There is no direct interaction with alien beings in this film, as they no longer exist. However, enough of their technology is left over to produce a hostile confrontation. According to Dr. Morbius (AIFF, 5mb), the Krell were a million years ahead of humans, both ethically and technologically. They managed to completely suppress (not eradicate) their "basic" selves, freeing their culture from sickness, insanity and crime. Their music (AIFF, 800k) sounds very different from ours; the film implies that it, too, is more advanced. The Krell became extinct, virtually overnight. The whole race was collectively working on a project to move themselves into the next phase of evolution when they suddenly disappeared. They were seeking a way to leave their physical bodies behind and cease relying on tools. The underground complex was intended to provide the Krell with the capability of using their mental power to control physical reality, which it did -- all too well. When the Krell fused themselves with the machine, their suppressed animal selves were amplified and destroyed everything on the planet.
The only clue given to the physical appearance of the Krell is the shape of their doors. Unlike most aliens in film, they are not implicitly humanoid.
The Promise of Science: Space Travel
The flying saucer from Earth.
Interstellar space flight is portrayed imaginatively in Forbidden Planet. This film is set far in the future, when men have explored many of the far reaches of the universe. Unlike many of this film's predecessors, rockets are not used for space travel. Instead, a flying saucer (complete with artificial gravity unit and hyper-drive) is the vehicle of choice. Space travel is not the central event of this film, as it is in previous films. Travelling through space is nothing special to the people in the film. It is merely another aspect of life in the future, similar in function to today's methods of transportation. Instead of being manned by a small group of adventurers or scientists like the films we have examined so far, the crew of the saucer is similar to the crew of a military boat. Responsibilities are divided between a captain, first mate, communications officer, cook, etc. The eqipment encountered in the saucer is pristine, ubiquitous and works perfectly. Human technology does not fail its users.
The Promise of Science: Computers
Almost as large is the computer complex in Forbidden Planet, although it is located entirely underground. Its neverending energy source is the core of the planet, and it has been running for thousands of years. Despite its great age, it shows no signs of wear and tear, as it is able to repair and maintain itself. This computer system is different from many others that appear in SF film because it is neither good nor bad. It simply exists to serve those who built it. Unfortunately, those who built it have been extinct for over two thousand years. The computer complex was built to accomodate and magnify the mental power of all Krell, so they could download themselves into it and abandon their physical bodies. However, they forgot to accomodate their repressed lower-level instincts when designing the machine, and these were magnified to the point of destroying the entire civilization. Interestingly enough, the machine has the same effect on the humans that are visiting the planet centuries later. The computer (and therefore the planet) has to be destroyed in order to protect mankind.
This is a shot of the enormous underground cavern containing the Krell's computer system.
The Promise of Science: Robots
Robby the Robot short-circuits when instructed to shoot Adams, demonstrating his inability to harm humans.
A second machine that is incapable of harming humans is Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. Despite his clunky appearance, he is a technological wonder, serving humans as a driver, cook, maid and performer of heavy labor. There is nothing menacing or threatening about Robby at all. Robby the Robot is an invention of the extinct Krell. He is built by Dr. Morbius from plans found in the Krell computer system, and is far more advanced than anything created by mankind. He is highly adaptable, capable of learning new tasks and understanding human instructions. Complete loyalty to his human masters is demonstrated when he short-circuits when given an instruction to harm Adams. Later, when instructed to destroy the invisible monster, he also short circuits, providing evidence that the monster is a version of Morbius.
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Forbidden Planet: Images of the Krell Computer Complex
Related Pages:
The Promise of Science: Computers -- computers in science fiction film.
Forbidden Planet -- information and analysis of this film. Following are four shots of the Krell's immense underground machine complex. This complex is powered by the planet's core, and is self-repairing.
This is a conduit for energy. To get an idea of the cavern's size, the brown platform is a walkway, slightly wider than a catwalk. (A somewhat similar scene is shown the
first episode of the Time Tunnel.
This is an underground transport vehicle, sort of like a subway or monorail. It was used by Krell engineers while building this space, and is used by humans to explore it.
This is another section of the complex. You can see the men standing on a platform in the lower left hand corner.
This is a section of the complex dedicated to computer power (I think).
. erika . erika+sf@monkey.org .. last modified: Feb 23, 2000 .
Forbidden Planet: Images of Robby the Robot
Related Pages:
The Promise of Science: Robots -- robots in science fiction film.
Forbidden Planet -- information and analysis of this film.
Robby disembarks from the ground vehicle to greet Adams and his crew.
The crew men are suspicious of Robby at first -- they have never seen anything like him before.
Robby has Adams and Ostro board the vehicle, and fasten their seatbelts. He takes them to Morbius' for lunch.
Here, the crew men are astounded at Robby's strength -- the monolith he is carrying is made of lead. Robby insists that this is a light load for him, almost as if he is showing off.
When asked to shoot Adams, Robby short circuits. He is not capable of hurting humans. Morbius has to cancel the command so that Robby doesn't get hurt.
. erika . erika+sf@monkey.org .. last modified: Feb 23, 2000 .
. erika . erika+sf@monkey.org .. last modified: Feb 5, 2001 .
Editors Notes.
What the author of this peice forgets is the First Pilot for the Origal Star Trek series is even closer to the movie Fordidden Planet.You have a star ship re-routed to an ancient planet-where a lost and dying civilization is found underneath the surface.Although the Krell are long dead,the Talosians are being advanced mental powers-what Doctor Morbius assumed the Krell Mechines were doing to his intellect.The Captain of both
ships Captain J.J.Adams of the 57 D-(No big bust jokes .) and Captain Christopher Pike are no nonesence commanders,that don't care for crew members out of line or not pulling their weight.His relationship Doctor Boyce is simular to Captain Adams relationship with Doc Ostrow .Might I add,too that the original name for the commander of the USS Enterprise,if you don't wasn't Captain Kirk or Captain Pike,but Captain Robert T.April.Not too much of a stretch to think Gene Roddenberry was attempting to come up a name that sounded like Captain Adams.After why not Captain Winters or Captain Smith,than April-why April was close enough to Adams without looking to close.The whole idea of a Lost race certainly is both storylines-only the Krell are all dead and the Tellosians want the humans to repopulate their planet.Sure many of the original early and a few laters episodes use this theme of the Star Ship Enterprise encountering a long dead alien races or dying civilizations-What are Little Girls Made of ,the Omega Glory,Miri,That Which Survives,Return to Tommarrow-though I'd suspect both of these later episodes were at least being prepared as early episodes,that did get done until later on for one reason or another.Gene Rodenberry must been fasinated with this concept and made sure several different stories were spawned from similar ideas.
And Star Ship Enterprise,sure inspired by some old illustration ,that Gene Rodenberry showed to Matt Jefferie,but he must have want the ship to also resemble the 57D and Exidors saucer Ship from This Island Earth.
And Forbidden Planet ibspired not Star Trek,but Lost in Space,as well.The Saucer Star Ship and it's interior looks to close to co-incidence.Even the puppets on Mystery Science Theater 3000 make that joke that Exidors ship is the Star Ship Enterprise with some parts missing,Captain.Funny,not just to be funny,but because Exidors is the Enterprise missing the Drive Section and warp nacelles..
.
Firing Phaser,Exidor.
Lost in Space,had an Astrogator that looked alot like the 57 D's Astrogator.Co-incedence-I DON'T THINK SO.Both are fun star ship props often ignored by star ship creators and set designers.Even the Tardis of Doctor Who has a Control Station
and columb that resembles either,but but an up and down moving shaft,instead of a whobbling star ship inside a dome or globe.
I 'm not here to simply point out where the producers and creative people got there ideas,nor I'm just saying Star Trek and Lost in Space are simply ripping off Fordidden Planet,but no when one movie or book or comic or whatever does something well,you will seven other people thinking Wow.thats great,but what if those guys did that and tried this,and creative people are off and running ,with own concepts and storylines.Creative people,do not live in a darken room and come with ideas out of hyperspace ok.Whether it's Gene Rodenberry,Irwin Allen,George Lucas ,Stan Lee,Jack Kirby or whoever,they watch the same tv shows you do,see the same movies you do,read the same books and same comics.The only difference between you and them is it,gets up on film,in a book or comic-for masses to watch and read.Anything you heard or thought otherwise,by someone elses book on them or website or interveiw,should considered either poor memory,outright lies or bullshit spewed by the legal defense of don't sue us,we never saw that statement.
Me ,as a creative people ideas are everywhere.You cannot be creative and read a book or comic -see a tv show or watch a movies and not be thinking-shit how can I use this idea in my story or concept ?And this not nessessarilly ripping someone off,it's inspiration.Everyone and everyone no matter you personal dead or alive creative hero is or was,get there ideas this way.If they didn't,you be stairing plank pages in a novel or comic book and realms of blank film.Nobody creates anything in a vacuum of nothing outside themselves.Everyone inspired by something else somewhere sometime.Think anything else and your only fooling yourself to finatically devotion to something you and freinds have turned your own personal religion.Me,I think creative inspiration is fun to spculate on where this guy or that gal,got their ideas from.Give us plenty to read about in magazine articles-the good ones that is and the net-the goods that scolarly that is and not rehashes of other opinions and web material.Anyone can cut and paste-check above or rewrite someone opinions.True genius takes time to rethink what you have read or watch.That goes for creativety or fan opinions.
Snuff Said.
Doc Thompson.
Version: Current by LJ - Jan 263. Edit by LJ - Jan 262. Edit by LJ - Jan 261. Created by LJ - Jan 26
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Jan 26 2008 by LJ
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Jan 26 2008 by LJ
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Jan 26 2008 by LJ
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