Posted:
08:09:49 on September 11 2001
By: Steve Krutzler
Dept: TrekWeb Features
THE EVOLUTION OF STAR TREK: GENERATIONS - PART II (click for PART I)
An Analysis by Bill Williams, Edited by Steve Krutzler
CONTINUING BREAKDOWN OF SCENES
2:05:00 – 2:05:58 – replay of earlier scenes: crash of Enterprise saucer, Soran firing upon Picard in the rock formation, fades to black (2.0, 3.0)
The replay of scenes was used in the 2.0 work print and the final film, though edits were made to bring the exposition down for the sake of running time. In the 2.0 work print the sequence runs 58 seconds; this would be edited to 35 seconds for the final film.
This sets up the original ending of the film: Kirk and Picard coming together to stop Soran, resulting in Kirk’s death. This is the second of two major scenes to be re-shot for the film prior to its November 1994 release, the other being Picard’s Nexus dream. Here I will refer to the sequence as originally filmed and intended.
2:05:58 – 2:15:05 – Soran encounters and fights Kirk on scaffolding; Picard attempts to disable missile but only succeeds in cloaking the missile; Kirk knocks Soran unconscious and de-cloaks the missile; “The 24th century isn’t so tough”; Soran shoots Kirk in the back with a phaser; missile launch goes awry, sends missile away into the mountains; the Nexus floats by without Soran; Picard shoots and kills Soran; Kirk dies in Picard’s arms (1.0, 2.0)
This sequence as originally envisioned has many controversial aspects alone, but let’s analyze the scene first:
Portions of the fight between Kirk and Soran among the scaffolding survive from the 1.0 and 2.0 work prints into the final film; only 12 seconds of the scene is used in the final version. In the original take the emphasis is on Soran beating back Kirk. Later, Kirk’s ascension up the mountain is reminiscent of his mountain climb atop El Capitan in “Star Trek V”. Soran checking his pocket watch is also reminiscent of another classic science fiction film – Nicholas Meyer’s “Time After Time”, in which H.G. Wells (also portayed by Malcolm McDowell) repeatedly peruses his pocket watch in that film as well. Also, Soran’s appearance in all black attire, with his white crew-cut hairstyle, is echoed in a number of McDowell’s later performances, among them “Tank Girl” and the 1990’s revival of “Fantasy Island”.
In the 1.0 work print, during the scenes where the missile is cloaked, Picard is absent from the scenes unto the point where he informs Kirk of Soran’s control pad. It almost seems as if Picard was cloaked atop the missile instead! An alternate close-up of the clip where Kirk says, “The 24th century isn’t so tough,” was used in one of the 30-second television trailers for the film.
The most controversial aspect comes in Soran shooting Kirk in the back. When test preview audiences viewed the 2.0 work print in August 1994, many people agreed that they did not like the way in which a one-time villain killed Kirk in a cowardly manner by shooting him in the back. At that point the film garnered a 66 percent approval rating by the test audiences mainly on the basis of that scene alone. Another controversial aspect comes in the manner Soran is killed by Picard. This is a rare character misstep for Patrick Stewart as Picard to seemingly shoot an unarmed man down in cold blood. After seven seasons on “The Next Generation” it was morally out of line for Picard to have resorted to such an action. Had Picard and Soran dueled with weapons or in hand-to-hand combat, and it resulted in Soran’s death, that would have been one thing, because both characters would have been on a level playing field. Here, in the 1.0 and 2.0 work prints, Picard has the unfair advantage.
The first few seconds of the scene, as Picard climbs up the mountain, is seen only in the 1.0 work print and replaced with a repeated shot from earlier in the film. The completed visual effects appear in the 2.0 work print, from the computer screen monitor to the cloaking and de-cloaking of the missile, to phaser effects, to the missile launch and explosion in the distant mountains. Part of the temporary musical cue uses a portion of music from John Williams’ score to “JFK”.
The scene would be edited to a running length of 6:30 in the 2.0 work print. Additional moments to the end of the scene would be added to the scene in the 2.0, in which Picard and Kirk share one last conversation together.
Picard: “I’ll try to find a way to contact the Enterprise. You’re going to be all right.”
Kirk: “Did we do it?”
Picard: “Oh, yes. Thank you.”
Kirk: “Least I could do… for a captain of the Enterprise.”
In the 1.0 work print no conversation is seen at all. Kirk’s death in the 1.0 work print is flat, while the second version shows a slightly more ambiguous version of Kirk’s moment of death. Based on the content of the scene it becomes clear that this sequence was clearly not the ending many fans would accept.
2:15:05 – 2:16:18 – Picard buries Kirk atop the mountain and quietly pays his last respects; arrival of shuttlecraft to pick up Picard (1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
An added shot of Picard arising and standing at Kirk’s grave is included in the 2.0 work print and final film, as is the visual effect of the shuttlecraft over the skies. The temporary musical cue used here works better than the final version as scored by Dennis McCarthy. The scene ends with Picard’s narration of a Captain’s Log entry on stardate 48650.1. This voiceover would be used as a bridge between the end of this scene and the scenes of the saucer crash site. Here I will refer to the placement of scenes as would logically occur.
2:16:18 – 2:16:59 – Picard arrives at shuttle landing site and is greeted by Geordi and Worf; “Was there some problem with the Klingons?” (1.0)
The ending scenes to “Generations” were originally designed to give each of the “Next Generation” cast members one more moment on screen. The scenes with Geordi, Worf, and Beverly would be edited from the final film.
2:16:59 – 2:17:06 – shuttle in flight over saucer crash site; rescuing survivors (2.0, 3.0)
Visual effects sequence completed for the 2.0 and 3.0 versions of the film. The Captain’s Log entry is revised from the 2.0 work print to the final version. In the 2.0 work print Picard states that the starship Farragut has arrived to rescue the Enterprise survivors. This would be re-dubbed, “Three Starfleet vessels have arrived in orbit and begun to beam up the Enterprise survivors. Our casualties were light…”
2:17:06 – 2:17:38 – Beverly oversees evacuation of wounded in Sickbay, comments on evacuating 232 patients in under two days (1.0)
This short sequence would be deleted from the film after the 1.0 work print.
2:17:38 – 2:20:58 – clearing the cargo bay; Deanna and Data find Spot; Picard and Riker find the Picard family album; transporting from the ruins of the bridge; fade to black (1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
This last series of scenes with the cast would be used completely in all versions of the film. The final portion of Picard’s Captain’s Log narration is included in the 2.0 and 3.0 over the beginning of the scene in the cargo bay, as Picard states, “…but unfortunately, the Enterprise herself cannot be salvaged.” Visual effects of the transporter beam are incorporated into the scene in the 2.0 and 3.0 versions of the film. Once Picard and Riker transport from the bridge, the scene fades to black in the 2.0 work print; these last few seconds are removed from the final cut of the film. In the 1.0 work print the second usage of temporary music occurs with borrowed end credits music from “Star Trek V”. In the 2.0 work print the main title music from “Star Trek V” is again used, though in edited form.
2:20:58 – 2:25:29 – Starfleet vessels leave Veridian III and head into space; fade to black; end credits and music (3.0)
The visual effects for the final scene of “Star Trek: Generations”, along with the full cast and production crew credits, would be completed for the final assembly of the film.
Once the film was completed and shown to test preview audiences, Rick Berman ordered a re-shoot of two key sequences, Picard’s Nexus dream and the original ending. In mid-September 1994, director David Carson reunited with William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Malcolm McDowell, and 150 members of the production crew to re-shoot the climactic ending at the Valley of Fire in Nevada. Shortly afterwards, re-shoots occurred on Picard’s Nexus dream. The film was then completed and finalized for release, first to a sneak preview screening on November 17, 1994, with a full theatrical release the following day, November 18, 1994.
To account for the two major sequences which were re-shot for “Star Trek: Generations”, I have chosen to comment on their content separately.
2:25:29 – 2:29:07 – Picard’s Nexus dream: Christmas celebration with his family; surprised by his children; Picard’s wife asks him for a cup of Earl Grey tea; seeing Rene; Picard looks at glowing ornaments and realizes, “This can’t be real.” (2.0, 3.0)
A few elements are carried over from the 2.0 work print into the final version – specifically, one shot of Picard pulling back the curtains to look outside, and two visual effects of the glowing Christmas ornaments completed from the 2.0 work print. Aside from these elements, everything else in the first half of the sequence is new and filmed for the final version only. Here I have referred to the first half of the sequence as seen in the final film.
This revised version of the sequence carries more emotional resonance than the original version, as the element of surprise is present, from the moment of the swirling lights and of Picard blindfolded, to the surprise of his children wishing him a merry Christmas. The most important emotional element of the revised scene comes in the presence of Rene, Picard’s nephew. This element carries stronger thematic subtext from earlier moments in the film, as the audience has seen in the grief Picard has borne in dealing with Rene and Robert’s deaths. No such mention of Rene in the Nexus is ever mentioned in the 1.0 and 2.0 work prints. For Picard’s character growth in the film, Rene’s presence in his Nexus dream not only allows Picard to see through the dream to the reality, but also allows him to say goodbye in his own way to his now-deceased nephew.
Once Picard says to himself, “This isn’t right. This can’t be real,” the sequence then returns to footage used in the 1.0 and 2.0 work prints and continues forward as originally seen.
Which of the two versions works better? For story considerations, the sequence in the final film is the better of the two, as it carries more emotional resonance and growth for Picard’s character.
2:29:07 – 2:37:42 – revised ending: Soran encounters Kirk and Picard on the bridgeway, escapes from Kirk and Picard; Kirk and Soran fight on the rocks and on the catwalk; Kirk knocks Soran off the catwalk, and Soran grabs a rope to prevent from falling; Soran uses his control pad to cloak the missile; Kirk and Picard race to seize the control pad, but Soran fires upon Kirk and blasts the walkway apart; the Nexus begins to approach; Picard saves Kirk from falling; Kirk jumps to the other side of the walkway, grabs the remote, and de-cloaks the missile; the walkway breaks apart, and Kirk falls to his death; Picard activates the locking clamps on the missile; the missile explodes and kills Soran; Picard finds Kirk’s body and watches him die (2.0, 3.0)
The essence of this sequence was completely revised for the final film, when it became obvious to Rick Berman that preview audiences were unsatisfied in the manner Kirk died. The original ending presents Kirk as a martyr; the revised ending shows Kirk dying a more heroic death.
The sequence begins with a third alternate angle of Soran approaching the catwalk from a different direction. Judging from the sunlight and the skyline, it is probable that this first clip opening the sequence may have been filmed either in the original filming or early in the September 1994 shooting schedule. Twelve seconds of footage from the original ending in which Kirk and Soran fight on the catwalk are borrowed and used in the new ending, but the emphasis here shifts toward Soran escaping from Kirk and falling. Visual effects of the Nexus ribbon’s approach and computer effects of the missile’s control monitor are completed for the final film. The musical score for this scene is different from the cue as heard on the GNP Crescendo soundtrack.
As Picard finds the wreckage of the walkway and Kirk’s body pinned underneath, we see the sad reality in Picard’s face that Kirk is dying. The final conversation between Picard and Kirk is similar to what is heard in the 2.0 work print:
Kirk: “Did we do it? Did we make a difference?”
Picard: “Oh yes, we made a difference. Thank you.”
Kirk: “Least I could do… for a captain of the Enterprise. It was… fun.
(Kirk smiles at Picard.) “Oh, my.”
The scene then shifts to the ending as seen in the 1.0 and 2.0 work prints of Picard burying Kirk atop the mountain.
Does the revised ending work? Thematically, yes, since the manner in which Kirk dies is more befitting his character – heroic and selfless. When the revised film was screened to preview audiences prior to its release, audiences gave “Generations” a higher approval rating the second time around because of the revised ending. Many fans, however, were and to this day are upset over the fact that Kirk died at the end of “Generations” and have campaigned to this day for Kirk to return to life in a future film. William Shatner, along with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, would resurrect Kirk in a series of post “Generations” novels, thereby bringing Kirk back to action for more adventures in the 24th century.
CONCLUSION
Throughout three varying assemblies of the film, it becomes clear as to what worked and what didn’t work throughout the production of STAR TRE:GENERATIONS. As with any film, portions of the original concepts initially conceived and filmed would never make it to the final released version, while other portions would undergo significant revisions to better satisfy the audience demands. For Hollywood studios, this translates into higher approval percentages for the audiences they are attempting to satisfy. In the case of GENTERATIONS, story concerns won out over artistic concerns, and the end product plays better than the initial concept.
STAR TREK: GENERATIONS premiered in theaters November 17, 1994 with a special sneak preview screening, followed by its theatrical premiere the following night, November 18, 1994. The film would earn $23.1 million in its opening weekend and eventually gross $74 million domestically, thereby breaking even with its $35 million budget. The success of “Generations” would pave the way for the even more successful STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT in 1996, and the marginally successful STAR TREK: INSURRECTION in 1998. As of this writing, pre-production continues on the tenth film in the Star Trek series, currently titled NEMESIS, to be directed by Stuart Baird (“U.S. Marshals”) from a script by John Logan (“Gladiator”).
But to this day, one question has remained unanswered: What has happened to the missing footage from “Generations”? Many speculate that the footage is still housed in the Paramount film vaults. Based on the existence of the first and second work prints of the film, it becomes clear that this footage does indeed exist. Further documentation of the existence of these lost scenes are evident in numerous magazine, book, and trading card releases. These additional photographs lend further support to the existence of these lost scenes.
Like the long-lost scenes of “Superman II” filmed in 1977-78 by Richard Donner, many fans hope that these additional scenes will be unearthed and released for film students and Star Trek fans to enjoy. With the upcoming release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition on DVD, sources at Paramount have expressed interest in revisiting each of the entries in the “Star Trek” film series and expanding each to include additional supplements including deleted scenes. Many fans, including me, are hopeful that STAR TREK: GENERATIONS will receive such a treatment and premiere the lost scenes for the first time for future film fans to enjoy.
For more images from the teaser trailer, check out this page. You can also download the trailers for the film here. Also, you may be able to "find" some of this missing GENERATIONS footage if you search the Internet thoroughly. Several months ago, many of the deleted scenes surfaced online...
All images copyright © Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
