Musical Mondays: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

     The Umbrella's of Cherbourg was released in 1964. It is written and directed by Jacques Demy and features music by Michel Legrand. It tells the story of two young lovers, Genevieve Emery (Catherine Deneuve) and Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo), whose love is tested when Guy is drafted into the French Military.

     The story follows an incredibly straightforward three act structure. In the first act we're introduced to our main characters Genevieve and her mother (Anne Vernon) who own a struggling umbrella shop, and Guy who works as a mechanic and lives with his ailing aunt Elise (Mireille Perrey). The two young lovers marriage plans are interrupted when Guy is drafted into the military and sent to the war in Algeria. In act two Genevieve learns that she is pregnant and is courted by rich young jeweler named Roland Cassard (Marc Michel). Discouraged by Guy's absence and his infrequent correspondence, she eventually accepts Roland's proposal. In act three Guy returns from the war only to find that Genevieve has married and left Cherbourg. He becomes aimless, losing his job and sleeping with a prostitute. When his aunt dies he finally comes to his senses and decides to rebuild his life with his aunt's caregiver, Madeleine (Ellen Farner).

     I won't spoil the film's denouement, which takes place four years later, but it's simply beautiful. It's simultaneously bittersweet, melancholy, uplifting, and even life-affirming. Ultimately, the film is about young love and how it rarely works out, yet it never feels depressing or jaded. Last year's La La Land owes a lot to this film, both in its tone and story. I wish more modern films would draw inspiration from Demy.

     Michel Legrand's jazzy score perfectly suits the films tone. All of the dialogue is sung as in an opera which, at the time, was a innovation. The actor's voices were dubbed by professional singers, so they all sound quite good. The actors themselves all do a great job, with Anne Vernon being a standout as the shrewd but sensitive Madame Emery. Demy directs the film with real panache, infusing it with a vivid color pallet which, as the story progresses, contrasts with the films growing sense of melancholy. Jean Rabier bright, colorful cinematography enhances the emotional impact of the film and adds to its distinct tone.

     The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is honestly one of the best musicals I've ever seen. It just has this infectious sense of joy. If you don't mind watching a film with subtitles, this is a must see.

Score: 10/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: The Emperor's New Groove

     The Emperor's New Groove was released in 2000. It is directed by Mark Dindal and written by David Reynolds. It tells the story of Kuzco (David Spade), an Inca Emperor, who is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma (Eartha Kitt). With the help of a llama herder named Pacha (John Goodman) he must regain his human form and his throne, and along the way learn a valuable lesson about kindness.

     This film surprised me in more ways than one. For one thing the protagonist is a singularly unlikable, self-absorbed character. At the beginning of the story there really isn't much, if anything, to separate him from the main villain. Indeed the Yzma's grievance against Kuzco fairly legitimate even though we never sympathetize with her. It's Kuzco's ability to grow as a character, past his self-centeredness, that ultimately gives him the moral high ground by the end of the story. Another thing that surprised me was Pacha's occasional selfishness. He refuses to help him the emperor unless he agrees not to tear down his village. This is completely understandable and relatable yet the fact remains that his motives are not completely altruistic. Yet he decides to help Kuzco more than once, despite the fact that he will gain nothing from it. Kuzco himself must learn from Pacha's example and, ultimately, has to choose between saving him or saving his antidote from being destroyed.

     First and foremost, The Emperor's New Groove is a comedy, and it's a hilarious one. The animation is filled with manic energy and there's a clear Chuck Jones/Looney Tunes influence here. The cast are all in top form. David Spade and John Goodman have great chemistry as the buddy duo of Kuzco and Pacha. Spade can get a little irritating but that's kind of the point and while I found Goodman's voice a little distracting at first (I kept imagining Sully saying his lines) he quickly grew into the likable, everyday guy role. However it's Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton who steal the show as Yzma and her dimwitted henchman Kronk. Warburton's childish, uncomprehending demeanor contrasts perfectly with Kitt's hysteria.

     The Emperor's New Groove may be a minor entry in the Disney animated canon, but nonetheless it's an eminently entertaining and well written one.

Score: 9/10

Western Wednesdays: The Mountain Men

     The Mountain Men was released in 1980. It is directed by Richard Lang and written by Fraser C. Heston. It tells the story of Bill Tyler (Charlton Heston) and Henry Frapp (Brian Keith), two Montana fur trappers who get into trouble when they meet Running Moon (Victoria Racimo), a Blackfoot squaw who has fled from her abusive husband, Heavy Eagle (Stephen Macht).

     Like many westerns The Mountain Men is often preoccupied with the erosion of the wilderness and the coming of civilization symbolized, in this case, chiefly through the character of Nathan Wyeth (John Glover). Wyeth is a tenderfoot who hopes to lead a wagon train over the mountains and for Frapp and Taylor, this would mean an end to their way of life. Already, their time seems to be running out. The beaver they trap are becoming scarce and the pelts they sell are no longer bringing a reasonable profit. Their buyer, Fontenelle (Ken Ruta) tells them, "Take it while you can, boys. Next year you may not be able to sell beaver at all." The wilderness, for the characters in this film represents freedom. Running Moon takes up with Tyler initially, to escape her marriage to Heavy Eagle, a marriage she had no say in. She pursues a relationship with Tyler not so much out of any physical attraction but because she desires a relationship on her own terms.

     This film was met with incredibly negative reviews on its initial reviews. Critics complained that the film seemed behind the times, displaying attitudes toward Native Americans for instance, that seemed out-of-fashion in the 1980's. I don't think this is totally unfounded. As much as Fraser Heston tries to flesh out Heavy Eagle by having him reflect on the end of life for his tribe, he can't help but come off as a one dimensional mustache twirling villain by the end. The film is also filled with insipid dialogue, choppy editing and generally over-the-top performances.

     Despite this I don't hate the movie. There are a lot of things to like about it. I do appreciate the little dimension they allow Heavy Eagle. Like Tyler and Frapp his time is running out but, unlike them, he fully realizes this. I also like the fact that Running Moon has some agency. It's she and not Taylor who ultimately defeats Heavy Eagle. In addition to this Micheal Legrand's score is really beautiful as is Michel Hugo's cinematography. Both add to the film's old school feel. In many ways I think that Charlton Heston was intentionally trying to make an older kind of western, albeit one with more swearing and violence, and the film's central theme, of the wilderness fading away, probably reflects the aging actor's self image at that time.

     I have to admit that, having grown up with Walt Disney's Davy Crockett, and NBC's Daniel Boone (both starring Fess Parker), I'm a bit of a sucker for stories set in this particular time period. I wouldn't recommend The Mountain Men to anybody but, if your anything like me, you'll probably enjoy it.

Score: 6/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: The Lion King

     The Lion King was released in 1994. It is directed by Roger Allers and Ron Minkoff and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. It tells the story of Simba (Matthew Broderick) the future king of Pride Rock, who must return to his home and reclaim his heritage after a tragic accident forces him to flee.

     For many, especially those who grew up with it, The Lion King represents that absolute pinnacle of Disney animation. I didn't see it until I was 15 or 16. I've always liked it but I never considered it a favorite. The filmmakers drew from classic literature and mythology to present a traditional hero's journey and I can't help but feel that they fell a little short in this regard. My main problem is that Simba, as a protagonist, is a bit inactive. He believes he is responsible for Mufasa's death. This haunts him and he struggles to come to terms with it and to move past it. This could be a compelling inner conflict but his decisions always seem to be mandated by the advice of those around him. After he runs away from Pride Rock it's Timon and Pumba who convince him to pursue a carefree lifestyle. When he finds out from Nala what's happened to Pride Rock in his absence he is compelled to return, but it's only when he is told to do so by Rififiki and Mufasa himself that he finally decides to.

     One might argue that both characters, at this point in the movie, are simply reflections of Simba's conscience, representing his own true inner desires. I do appreciate the mystical implications of Mufasa's ghost appearing to Simba, alluding to a classic scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet. But then the film makes a big mistake. The basic plot of The Lion King is that Scar frames Simba for his father's death. All of the character's guilt and indecision are a result of his belief in this lie. When he finally confronts Scar, only to find out that his uncle engineered the whole thing, he is able, essentially, to transfer his guilt onto someone else, rendering the essential conflict inert in the film's climax. In other words there's a disconnect between Simba's emotional conflict and his physical conflict with Scar.

     Despite these structural problems, I don't dislike the film. One reason for this is that I think there's another story going on beneath the surface. Simba starts out irresponsible and with little regard for the well being Pride Rock. His father tries to instill in him a better appreciation for the world around him. "Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life." He doesn't ultimately learn this lesson until the films climax where he witnesses, first-hand, what will happen if the circle of life is interrupted. Scar is a clever usurper but once he actually attains power he has no idea what to do with it and everything falls apart. By allowing the lions and hyenas to hunt the other creatures of Pride Rock completely unimpeded he ultimately drives them away, making his kingdom into a desolate wasteland. Simba must take his rightful place as king in order to restore things to their proper order.

     The animators do a great job evoking the natural movements of actual animals. Mufasa, Simba and the other main characters all resemble actual lions in the way they move but they also feel like characters that we can relate to. The filmmakers took a trip to Africa early on in the production process and were awed by its natural, primal beauty. They hoped to transmit some of that awe and wonder on screen and I believe they succeeded. Filled with sweeping vistas and shots of leaping antelope and stampeding wildebeest The Lion King is a visual feast for the eyes.

     The voice cast all do an admirable job. I actually quite like Matthew Broderick as Simba. He might not be a very commanding presence but he really sells the characters devil-may-care attitude when he is shirking his duties with Timon and Pumba, and his inner conflict once Nala and Rafiki enter the picture. James Earl Jones is absolutely perfect as Mufasa, imbuing the character with real gravitas but also a kind, fatherly demeanor. Jeremy Irons is also great as Scar, his ironic, disinterested line readings giving way to real perfidy at all the right moments. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella have great chemistry as Timon and Pumba. Rowan Atkinson channels his inner Blackadder to play the uptight, dignified Zazu. Robert Guillaume's Rafiki has just the right blend of zaniness and dignity. Finally, Madge Sinclair and Moira Kelly do their best to give the underwritten Sarabi and Nala some personality.

     The songs, by Elton John and Tim Rice, are a little hit or miss for me. While "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" are both solid pieces that help further the story and add to emotional weight of the film, "I Just Can't Wait to be King" feels like an irritating distraction. Generally speaking Tim Rice's lyrics are rather subpar, they work alright for the highly emotional songs but the more light, comedic ones are lacking in wit. Hans Zimmer's orchestral score, on the other hand, is a masterpiece. His contribution to the emotional impact of the film and its distinct African flavor is incalculable.

     While The Lion King stumbles in trying to present an archetypal hero's journey in the vein of something like Princess Mononoke I think it succeeds in telling a more simple coming of age tale about ecological responsibility, more in the tradition of something like Bambi. It has its flaws but they are far outweighed by the films strengths.

Score: 9/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: Akira (1988)

     Akira was released in 1988. It is written and directed Katsuhiro Otomo. In it Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki), a member of a biker gang in the futuristic city of Neo Tokyo, gains psychic powers in a freak accident and becomes caught up in a secret government program involving other psychics. Shōtarō Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), Tetsuo's friend and the leader of the gang, sets out to find him. Meanwhile, a group of resistance fighters hope to capture Tetsuo and gain his powers for their own use.

     If the films of Hayao Miyazaki are the preeminent example of subtle, restrained anime Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Adapting his own, at the time unfinished, 2000 page manga into a 2 hour movie Otomo's film moves at a relentless pace in order to include as many scenes and characters from the manga as possible. While Miyazaki's films are filled with serene scenes where little to nothing happens, Akira moves so breathlessly from one plot point to the next that you can barely keep up.

     The main plot involves the growing rivalry between Tetsuo and Kaneda, the conflict between the government and the rebels, and the efforts of the other psychics, called espers, to contain Tetsuo's powers. Kei (Mami Koyama), a member of the resistance eventually develops physic abilities of her own and is able to combat Tetsuo. Her friend and companion, Ryu (Tetsusho Genda) is working for a member of the parliament named Nezu (Hiroshi Ōtake), who is actually corrupt. All of these subplots are a little underdeveloped and is hard to keep up with them. Akira, who is an actual speaking character from the manga, appears here only in flashback and as a disassembled body in test tubes. Many other characters including Lady Miyako, the leader of a cult who hope to better control the psychics powers, and Chiyoko, a member of the resistance and a friend of Kei, are marginalized or left out all together.

     Akira paints a picture of an insane dystopian world where rioting and police violence seem to be a way of life. Yet amidst all this chaos, Neo Tokyo is filled with signs of corporate commerce. The lights and neon signs that fill the city suggest that consumerism is still rampant despite all the violence. The government, meanwhile, seems completely powerless. Yet there are still signs of hope in the end. The espers decide to sacrifice themselves to save Kaneda when he is endangered by Tetsuo's imminent self-destruction. They also suggest that Tetsuo may survive and transcend his current existence. At the end of the film, as Kaneda rides off into the ruins of the city with Kei and Kaisuke (Takeshi Kusao), and Colonel Shikishima (Tarō Ishida) watches the sun rise, we're left to wonder if the survivors can build a better tomorrow.

     The animation in Akira was really groundbreaking. It's completely hand-drawn and each frame was meticulously created by the animators. Neo-Tokyo is a neon saturated cyberpunk hellhole. At once dystopian and post-apocalyptic it provides a crucible for the diverse cast of characters to struggle through. There's depth and weight to the buildings, vehicles and people that make up the city. The scenes dealing with Tetsuo and the espers on the other hand, are distorted and dreamlike. It's like something out of the imagination of a six year old playing Five Nights at Freddy's on acid. The soundtrack, by Tsutomu Ōhashi's musical collective Geinoh Yamashirogumi, is a mix of drums, synthesized instruments and human voices that creates a sense of dissonance and tension that really complements the films tone.

     Akira is a furious, nitroglycerin fueled, nightmarish piece of animation. To quote Martin Scorsese (regarding Jean Luc Godard's Breathless) "It was too cool. I liked it. I didn't know what the hell was happening in it." Recommended to anyone who can stomach a little insanity.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Wyatt Earp

     Wyatt Earp was released in 1994. It is directed by Lawrence Kasden and written by Kasdan and Dan Gordon. It chronicles the life of Earp (Kevin Costner), from his childhood in Pella, Iowa to his days as a U.S. Marshall in Tombstone, Arizona where his involvement in a feud with an outlaw band leads to the now famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

     The story behind the making of Wyatt Earp is almost more interesting then the film itself. Kevin Costner was originally slated to play the Earp in the film Tombstone, but disagreed with screenwriter Kevin Jarre about the direction of the story. Costner wanted the film to be more focused on his character and ultimately left the project. He then went to Lawrence Kasden (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Silverado) who wrote a script for a biopic about Earp. Worried about the potential competition from Tombstone, he used his, at the time, considerable influence in Hollywood to convince most major studios not to distribute the film (it was ultimately released under Disney's Buena Vista subsidiary). Kasdan had intended Wyatt Earp to be a tv miniseries, but Costner's involvement meant that it would be made for the big screen. In retrospect it probably would have worked out better as a miniseries.

     Wyatt Earp is overly ambitious. It attempts to condense nearly 30 years of Wyatt Earp's life into a 3 hour movie and, as a result, it feels really truncated at times. We see Wyatt Earp meet Doc Holiday (Dennis Quaid), but the incident that really brought them together, namely Holiday saving Wyatt's life in Dodge city, is omitted. In general, some scenes are omitted or pass by far too quickly while others linger on for far too long. Despite this I still quite liked the film.

     Wyatt Earp is easily the most historically accurate film about the man. Eschewing the romanticized mythologizing of John Ford's My Darling Clementine, the more loose, character driven approach of John Sturgis' Gunfight at the O.K. Coral, and the action driven Hollywood glitz of Tombstone, Kasden, Costner and Gordon set out to make a true biopic which would explore the man behind the legend. Costner's Earp is a broken man. Loosing his first wife Urilla (Annebeth Gish) shatters his world, leading him to become a drunken reprobate. Given a second chance by his father (Gene Hackman) he first becomes a buffalo skinner and then a lawman "the only thing that (he's) any good at". He's a hard man. One who won't hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later. He tells Ed Masterton (Bill Pullman), "This is a harsh land, Ed. It doesn't suffer fools." Family means everything to Wyatt, and he and his brothers share a bond that goes far beyond friendship. This devotion to family also means that the death of Urilla left a hole in Wyatt's heart that never really healed. He takes in a prostitute named Mattie Blaylock (Mare Winningham) as a common-law wife but he doesn't really love her. It's only when he meets Josie Marcus (Joanna Going) that he is able to find some measure of peace, and even then he must first contend with the murder of his brother Morgan (Linden Ashby).

     Costner does a decent job in the titular role, though his performance is perhaps, a little too subdued at times. Dennis Quad is pretty much perfect as Doc Holiday, bringing the right blend of charm and pathos to the role. Gene Hackman is great, as always, as Nicholas Earp. Micheal Madsen is somewhat wasted in the underdeveloped role of Virgil Earp, though I really liked Catherine O'Hara as Allie, Virgil's no-nonsense wife and ostensible matriarch of the Earp clan. Linden Ashby is solid, but somewhat forgettable as Morgan Earp. Mare Winningham's puts in a short but spirited performance as Mattie Blaylock. Joanna Going injects some much needed energy into the film as Josie. Tom Sizemore and Bill Pullman essentially play variations on the roles that would define their careers (in Saving Private Ryan and Independence Day respectively) as the Masterson brothers. Really there are too many characters in this film to cover everyone but, suffice to say, the rest of the cast all preform admirably.

     The best thing about this film is the visuals. Owen Roizman, the Oscar winning cinematographer of The French Connection, fills Wyatt Earp with striking, dynamic shots. He really captures the stark beauty of the American west. This is the kind of film where you could pause it at almost any random moment and get a beautiful still image to hang on your wall. The score, by James Newton Howard, is incredibly stirring and emotional. Combined with Roizman's striking imagery, it create some really powerful moments. Kasdan brings a real sense of authenticity to this film, not just through the costumes and set design, but through the way he stages the action. Anticipating the legendary shootout from Costner's Open Range, the gunfights in this film are chaotic and unpredictable.

     Wyatt Earp is certainly a flawed film but its better then its reputation would suggest. If you can look past its rather bloated, unfocused story, you'll find a visually arresting film filled with colorful performances that gives you some insight into the old west's most enduring figure.

Score: 8/10

My Favorite Films: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (Saturday Evening Cartoons)

     Kiki's Delivery Service is essentially a coming of age story. Kiki sets out, with the blessing of her parents, to gain independence and make her own way. She must learn to balance her newfound responsibilities and also deal with emerging romantic feelings. This is communicated chiefly through the visuals. When she first arrives in Koriko she hopes to make a good impression on the people of the town, but she ends up flying into traffic and almost causing an accident. On her first delivery she loses the package and has to go to great lengths to retrieve it.Throughout the film, Kiki searches for acceptance from people in the town but struggles because she lacks confidence in herself. Despite this she is able to win people over through her kindness and goodwill. Osono, a pregnant women who owns a bakery, invites Kiki to live in the attic of her home after Kiki does a favor for her. A young boy named Tombo expresses interest in her but she haughtily shrugs him off. Despite this he persists and surprises her by inviting her to a party.

     She ends up missing the party in order to deliver a birthday present for an elderly women named Oku-sama. Standing in the rain outside of the home where she's delivered the package to Oku-sama's rather ungrateful granddaughter, Kiki reaches something of a low-point. After recovering from a cold she also is also able to regain some confidence when she goes out with Tombo. This confidence is shaken when some other girls who Tombo knows show up, causing her to feel jealous and leave. This leads her to lose her power of flight due to a lack of confidence in herself. She tells her cat, Jiji, "I think somethings wrong with me. I make friends, then suddenly I can't bear to be with any of them. Seems like that other me, the cheeerful and honest one, went away somewhere." Then the film does something unexpected.

     There's this great scene where Kiki goes on a kind of spiritual retreat with Ursula, an artist who lives in the woods outside of town, in order to find herself and reconnect with her powers. This helps her to come to a better understanding of herself and the person she is growing into. Because of this, Kiki's self-doubt and vulnerability end up being a positive thing. It leads here to seek self-reflection in a quiet and serene environment, something that is important to her growing as a person. Miyazaki's own restraint and sense of pacing in this film reflect this. Ultimately, this period of reflection gives Kiki the perspective she needs and she is able to regain her powers during the film's climax when Tombo' life is put in danger.

     What really makes Kiki's Delivery Service great is its subtlety and easy going atmosphere. While animation, both in the east and the west, is usually marked by bombast and larger-than-life settings Miyazaki's films are distinguished by there subtly and nuance. Despite being about someone who can fly this is a simple, down to earth story, brought to life in a beautiful, heartfelt manner by Miyazaki and the animators at Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki lets the film breath. There are many nice, quiet moments that don't really advance the story. They're just there for mood, atmosphere, and pacing. They invite the viewer to contemplate what there seeing, to really try to understand and empathize with the character.

    Though it doesn't feature the most breathtaking animation the studio has ever done, this is still a beautifully animated film. In particular it's the animators attention to detail that really draws you in to the story. Little details like the sweat on Kiki's face when she helps Oku-sama to bake her herring pie, the movement of the wind, rain and water, and the bustling activities of the people of of Koriko, really bring the world of the movie to life. But this is more than just eye candy. As I said, Miyazaki tells this story chiefly through the visuals and all of the intricate detail and expressive movement of the animation is put to use for this purpose. In the scene when Kiki flies home from after delivering Oku-sama's package, drenched by the rain and realizing that she is late for Tombo's party, the visuals tell us everything we need to now about her thoughts and emotions. Like all of Miyazaki's films, Kiki's Delivery Service displays the unpredictability of life.

     The way people and objects move is also important. In particular I love the way Miyazaki and the animators portray flying in this film. It's buoyant and graceful, giving you the impression of floating but it also feels tactile. Kiki has real weight as she maneuvers through the clouds on her broom. When I have dreams about flying, this is what it feels like. Indeed, the joy of flying and the desire to fly is a sort of motif running throughout the film. Tombo's obsession with flight is part of what initially draws him to Kiki and their mutual interest in it is what brings them together. It's partly Kiki's attraction toward Tombo that causes her to lose her powers and it's only when he is put in danger that she is able to regain them and the two are brought back together. Flying also ties in with another theme of this film, one that permeates all of Miyazaki's work: the connection between man and nature. When Kiki loses her ability to fly she also loses her ability to communicate with Jiji. The ability of young people to communicate with animals, and the loss of this as a part of growing up, symbolizing a loss of innocence, is a common trope in children's fantasy. Miyazaki takes this and feeds it into Kiki's arc. She may or may not be able to talk to her cat by the end of the story, it's left ambiguous, but she has learned to better communicate and interact with the people around her.

     The sound design is also very important and Miyazaki displays an uncanny ability to determine when to use music, ambient sound, or complete silence to express the emotion of a scene. Joe Hishaishi's score adds to the film's pleasant, easy going atmosphere and really punctuates the emotional moments. The main theme, featuring piano and solo violin is very melancholy and nostalgic while his use of accordion and plucked strings in other tracks lend a sense of youthful energy to the score and gives the world of the film a distinctly French feel.

     Kiki's Delivery Service is the kind of film I wish we could see more often. It's the kind of film that makes common, everyday events seem wonderful and magical. It's simply a joy to watch.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Review

After much delay I have finally gotten back to reviewing the Star Trek movies...

     Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was released in 1984 (which, by the way, is probably my favorite year for movies). It is directed by Leonard Nimoy and written by Harve Bennet. In it Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) still recovering from the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, learns that Spock's katra (his living spirit), which was transferred to Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley) must be reunited with his body and laid to rest on Vulcan. He must risk his career in order to return to the now restricted Genesis planet and retrieve the body of his departed friend.

     Star Trek III: The Search for Spock has the unenviable task of following up one of the best science fiction films of all time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It is also burdened with bringing Spock back from the dead, a move that can't help but come off as corporately mandated. After all, it would be difficult to market Star Trek without its most iconic character. Thematically, it parallels but also subverts The Wrath of Khan. Kirk's emotional loyalty to his dead friend in this film is contrasted with the cold logic of Spock's sacrifice in that film. "The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many" Kirk tells Spock near the end of the movie, the idea being that, while sacrificing oneself for the good of the many is noble it's also noble to risk one's life for a single human person, especially a friend, or even for a whole group to do this collectively. Jesus laid down his life so that "the many will be made righteous" but we also know that he would have done the same thing even if it would have saved only one person. "There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons."

"He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth,
which had been on Jesus’a head."

    It may seem odd to quote scripture in a review for a Star Trek movie but then, this film is filled with religious allusions. A comparison could be made between Kirk's efforts to retrieve Spock and Dante's journeys in the Divine Comedy. After his experience in Wrath of Khan Kirk goes on a sort of quest, descending into purgatory and then hell, metaphorically, in order to regain his lost friend. Spock's return from the dead, on the other hand, evokes the Resurrection of Jesus. When David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) and Lt. Saavik (Robin Curtis) come across his coffin (a torpedo casing) they, like Peter and John on Easter morning, find his burial robes. Then, just before finding the newly reborn Spock, an earthquake occurs. "There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone." If Khan in Star Trek II can be likened to Satan from Paradise Lost seeking revenge against Kirk the "god" who banished him from paradise, then Spock is like Jesus, who sacrifices himself to save paradise and then is brought back to life through Kirk's efforts.

     As in Wrath of Khan, the characters in this film are faced with the consequences of their actions. David, we learn, used an unstable element to create Genesis, reducing the device to a destructive force, a mistake he pays for with his life. Kirk regains the friend he lost but loses his ship and his son in the process. The destruction of the Enterprise is this films greatest conceit, as it makes Spock's return feel earned. It's also just a great, cinematic moment. The death of David Marcus, on the other hand, is its biggest mistake. Star Trek II ended with the prospect of Kirk forming a relationship with his son. Essentially he had become a father. Because David dies here, that will never come to fruition. It doesn't help that his execution by the Klingon's feels unnecessary and lacks the emotional impact it should have, as we've barely gotten to know the character. 

     I should note however, that his death will have important repercussions later one in Star Trek VI, where Kirk must put aside his hatred of the Klingons in order to pursue peaceful relations with them. Indeed, Star Trek III probably contributes more to both Klingon and Vulcan mythology than any big-screen Trek adventure. Christopher Lloyd clearly has a lot of fun in the role of Commander Kruge and imbues the character with that strange combination of savagery, loyalty and uncompromising sense of honor that would forever after be the mark of the Klingons in Trek.

     The biggest flaw of Search for Spock is it's pacing. The main conflict of the film only takes up about 40 minutes of run-time. This is preceded by nearly an hour of set up and then a 20 minute resolution where Spock's body is reunited with his katra on Vulcan. This imbalance between the three acts makes for a rather awkwardly paced movie. It's also shot and edited in a rather dull manner and, despite having a bigger budget than Wrath of Khan, it has a cheap look and feel much of the time. On the other hand the score, once again by the late, great James Horner, is magnificent. Appropriately, it's much less rousing then that of its predecessor, filled instead with understated, somber music befitting this film's subject matter. Horner also utilizes Alexander Courage's original theme for the show, making Star Trek III one of the few films of the series to do so.

     The biggest advantage Star Trek III has is it's director, Leonard Nimoy. If there's anyone who knows what makes Trek work its him. There's a real feeling of camaraderie among the Enterprise crew in this film, largely thanks to Nimoy's familiarity and friendship with the rest of the cast. Both Sulu and Uhura get nice little moments, though they are rather fleeting. The cast, generally, is in good form, though Nimoy has barely any screen time and DeForest Kelley is well, not himself through much of the run-time. As Kirk says at the beginning of the film "Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone." In many ways that's the entire crux of this film: to bring the crew back together again so Kirk (and the franchise itself really) can begin the new lease on life that he felt he gained at the end of Star Trek II.

     Out of all the Star Trek movies, this one feels the most like an episode of the original series. This is partly due to the cheap look it often has but it's also because of the film's relatively short run time. Cut out about 15 minutes and this could easily be a two part episode of a tv show. In many ways it relies on its predecessor in order to work and, because of this, it will always be stuck in that film's shadow. It may be the weak link in the loose trilogy made up of Star Trek II, III and IV, but it's still a pretty decent film in it's own right and, in many ways, an essential part of Trek canon.

Score: 8/10