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Star Trek-The Motion Picture & Militaristic Ideology

The first feature film in the Star Trek universe was Star Trek--The Motion Picture in 1979, directed by Robert Wise. The film reflects the general social structure of the series as a whole and of subsequent series that have followed in the same universe. It also reflects some of the political and social realities of the time when the film was made and in this way connects the film to the audience in a more direct fashion.

The dominant ideology is militaristic, modified with a number of rules of engagement and an overriding sense of the importance of life wherever it is found. Exploration and discovery marks another ideology shaping the behavior of the participants and determining how they react to what they encounter. The overall social structure of the film mirrors that of the U.S. Navy. This is seen throughout in the terminology used for different elements (from the ships being operated in space to the various ranks assigned to different crew members). The narrative itself invokes the military ideology--a danger approaches the earth, and a team is sent to discover what it is and eliminate it. This is what focuses the attention of the audience--a problem has been stated, and a solution is being attempted. The various problems encountered along the way delay the solution, but always it is the cavalry that is on the way to save the day.

The iconography is military as well, from the uniforms worn by crew members to the various military designations on the sides of the Enterprise. The ship itself is such an icon of military power. The ships of the Klingons and the Romulans are even more war-like in appearance, but there is no doubt that the Enterprise is also a vessel designed for battle when necessary. The naval image is carried through with the photon torpedoes carried by the Enterprise as one of its primary types of weapon.

There is a fusion of military iconography with visual style in the introduction of the ph...

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Star Trek-The Motion Picture & Militaristic Ideology. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 07:42, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1690076.html