My Favorite Films: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

"I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. "
-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

     My first exposure to Star Trek was to listening to the opening themes to the various movies on YouTube. After hearing in the comments section for one song how Star Trek II greatly improved upon it's predecessor I immediately became intrigued. After watching the original trailer for the film I was even more interested in watching it. The voice over in the trailer speaks of "a genetically superior tyrant" "banished by a star-ship commander he is destined to destroy." In retrospect it's a pretty poor description of the movie. But my teenage self was attracted to the idea of films that had a larger mythology or backstory and here was a film with a whole TV series worth of continuity behind it. This was a time when I was just getting into other franchises like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones. Wrath of Khan wasn't the first Trek movie I saw, that was Star Trek VI, but it was the film that really sparked my interest in the series.
   

     What's great about Wrath of Khan is how tight it is thematically. This is a story about old age, death and friendship. Kirk starts out as an admiral. Outwardly he seems to be in a good place having moved up the chain of command and being able to enjoy the benefits of his storied career in relative comfort. But, as Kirk quotes from the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, Spock's birthday present for Kirk, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." As an admiral Kirk is forced to sit on the sidelines and watch others perform the job he used to love. He feels like a relic, as he tell's McCoy "Galavanting around the cosmos is a game for the young". He wants to captain a starship again but doubts that he still has what it takes. At the same time he's dubious of the legacy he's left behind. After serving starfleet for so many years, what has he got to show for it? Carol Marcus and her son David who, unbeknownst to either of them is also Kirk's son, are an extension of this regret, representing the life he might have had if he'd not have sacrificed so much for his career. In some ways he mirrors Ebenezer Scrooge from that other Dicken's classic, A Christmas Carol, watching the woman he once loved celebrating Christmas with her family, the family he could never have. Khan, on the other hand, is a mirror for Kirk. He is quite literally a relic, a man from centuries ago who's main purpose, conquest and domination, has been left behind by humanity. He also represents Kirk's legacy, a figure from his past coming back to haunt him. A reminder that his illustrious career was not all it was cracked up to be.

     Another theme in the film is death, something that Kirk, as he tells David near the end of the film, has never really faced before. This is beautifully foreshadowed by the Kobayashi Maru, a no-win scenario designed to force aspiring starfleet officers, in this case Lt. Saavik, to face the possibility of death. We later find out that, during his time in star fleet academy, Kirk cheated in order to beat this test. This demonstrates the way Kirk approaches life, he doesn't believe in a no-win scenario. As he tells David, later in the film, "I haven't faced death. I've cheated death." In this film he's forced to come to terms with this, as he's repeatedly confronted by the consequences of his actions. First, when he witnesses Scotty's nephew dying after Khan's surprise attack catches him off-guard and then, at the end of the film, when Spock dies. The Genesis Device, something that could have been a cheap macguffin, serves to further reinforce this theme of facing death. McCoy only sees Genesis for it's destructive capacity at first. Similarly Khan is only interested in using Genesis as a tool for conquest. Spock on the other hand, sees it's creative possibilities. At the end of the movie he dies as a result of Khan activating the device. His death makes Kirk realize that sometimes, no matter what you do, you or people you care about will be hurt or killed. Ultimately you can't run from death.

     Finally, Kirk's friendship with Spock informs his arc in this film. For Trek fans we already know how close these two characters are but for newcomers the film helps to reinforce their friendship in a few key scenes. Firstly, when Spock gives Kirk his birthday present, a copy of Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities. Then, when Kirk goes to Spock's quarters to tell him that they have to investigate Regula One they have this wonderful conversation where Spock urges Kirk to become a captain again, his own sense of pride as the current captain notwithstanding. He says,"You are my superior officer, you are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours." Finally, when Kirk and the others are beamed off the Genesis planet we get a sense of there working relationship as they explain how they tricked Khan. Saavik accuses Spock of lying to which he responds "I exaggerated". When we finally get to the climatic death scene we really understand what it means for these two characters. After Spock's death Kirk begins to bond with David who realizes that Kirk is his father and tells him that he's proud of him. Kirk realizes that death and old age are not the end and determines to honor Spock's sacrifice. As Kirk says, quoting Spock "There are always possibilities" (something that Spock never said, exactly, but in line with similar sentiments he expressed). As Spock's coffin (a repurposed torpedo) descends toward the newly formed Genesis planet Kirk is able to say "I feel young." He and McCoy have both come to appreciate the creative possibilities of Genesis more fully.

     Star Trek II is a very performance driven movie. It's carried, chiefly, by William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban. Kirk and Khan never share any screen-time together, yet their rivalry is palpable. I love William Shatner and this film contains, perhaps, his best performance. He brilliantly channels over-the-top acting that people remember him for in the original series in a way that totally makes sense for this film. People remember this movie for the scene in which Kirk yells KHAAN! after Khan maroons him on Regula One, but what they forget is that he says that line for Khan's benefit. Kirk is channeling his own anger toward Khan and his frustration with himself in order to fool Khan into believing that he's really won. It's Kirk who's acting over-the-top not Shatner. Montalban is also really great as Khan. He steals every scene he's in as the brilliant former dictator with a touch of madness. He's driven enough to make you fear him and flawed enough to make you sympathize with him, at least to some degree. The rest of the cast also do well in their supporting roles, especially Nimoy. His method acting, as always, provides a really good contrast to Shatner's classically trained character acting. The quiet dignity he conveys during his death scene adds much to its emotional power as does Shatners teary eyed reaction. It's some of the best acting either of them ever did. I would be remiss not to mention DeForest Kelly, who is irascible as ever as the all-too-human Doctor McCoy. He adds a welcome element of humor in what is otherwise a very heavy, dramatic film.

     Nicholas Meyer direction also helps to carry the film. Despite being on a tight budget and a fairly cramped schedule, Meyer delivers a really smart and entertaining movie. As someone unfamiliar with Star Trek, Meyer was able to approach the material with fresh eyes and he really reinvigorated the franchise with this film. He enjoyed Horatio Hornblower novels growing up and so decided to imbue this movie with a nautical feel. The Enterprise is operated much like a sea-going vessel and the climatic battle in the Mutara Nebula is more in line with a submarine film then, say, something from Star Wars. The special effects, by Industrial Light and Magic, are truly spectacular. This film had a lower budget than its predecessor, The Motion Picture, but it never really shows.That's mainly because this film uses a less-is-more approach to the special effects, using them to tell the story rather than trying to evoke of a sense of awe for its own sake. James Horner's score for this film is one of the best of his career. Evoking the nautical feel that Meyer was aiming for, the score is both haunting and awe-inspiring. Horner's themes for the Enterprise and for Khan really help to drive the film's climax. This score, along with the visual effects and Nicholas Meyer's direction, add a lot of atmosphere to the film.

     Ironically the thing I most love about Wrath of Khan today is not how it reaches back into Trek canon, but how forward looking it is. It builds on and respects what came before by using a villain from the original show and bringing back the character driven storytelling that The Motion Picture lacked. But it also takes the series in a bold new direction featuring a darker, more mature story and making Starfleet more militaristic. Yet it still retains the charm and sense of hope that made the original series so enduring. Many of the executives at Paramount expected this to be the last Star Trek film but its thanks to its success that Star Trek was able to live on and tell more stories. As Spock would say "there are always possibilities." Indeed Trek has always championed the great possibilities offered by technology and human innovation and this film is no different. It recognizes the dangers of a device like Genesis but stresses that it's the human ability to overcome challenges and use this technology for good that makes it a worthwhile enterprise. The human adventure, like Star Trek itself, is just beginning.