I spent some time over the weekend contemplating some of the nuances of Battlestar Galactica, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with my fellow fans. Part of my thinking was inspired by Jewels’ recent “role models” thread. I’ve also been reading Larson and Thurston’s first Battlestar Galactica novel, which has led me to contemplate the opening storyline of TOS in a much deeper way.
In his recent review of the Kevin Costner film “Open Range”, film critic Roger Ebert had some interesting comments on what differentiates most traditional westerns from more recent action films:
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One of the many ways in which the Western has become old-fashioned is that the characters have values, and act on them. Modern action movies have replaced values with team loyalty; the characters do what they do because they want to win and they want the other side to lose. The underlying text of most classic Westerns is from the Bible: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?" The underlying text of most modern action movies is from Vince Lombardi: "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
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Ebert’s statements struck a chord with me in regards to the difference between TOS and the upcoming mini-series. From the beginning, much about the “re-imagining” has disturbed me. Some of the reasons for my dislike have been readily apparent: the radical alteration of Starbuck, doing away with the original cylons in favor of humanoid androids, the ongoing hostility between Apollo and Adama, and several other prominent features of the script. However, the source of some of my discomfort has not been as easy to identify. I realized that there were some foundational elements of the new production that I was at odds with, but identifying what those elements were has been difficult, until now.
The opening episode of Galactica, “Saga of a Star World”, does an excellent job of setting the stage for an enduring heroic saga. Following the devastating cylon attack, Adama hastily assembles all of the survivors he can locate into an informal fleet, to begin a quest for a lost colony that many believe is mythical. The events that unfold during this initial episode give us some insight into the characters that we will follow for the remainder of the story. We see Adama burdened with the demands of his command, searching for answers to keep his people alive. Apollo confronts Sire Uri over hoarded food needed by others who are starving, and later takes time to give personal attention to the traumatized Boxey. Three pilots risk their lives to reach Carillon in search of much needed fuel. These, and other heroic efforts, are undertaken by characters of noble motives. They are driven by a desire to protect and provide for the helpless and are willing to place the needs of others above their own. They actively oppose evil, represented primarily by the soulless cylons, a race that allowed themselves to become machines, and whose only drive is to dominate the universe.
Although the main characters of Galactica are heroic, they remain quite human. Starbuck, we learn, is quite the womanizer and cannot pass up the chance to gamble. Nonetheless, the noble part of him ultimately guides his decisions and overrides his lesser instincts. Many that are part of the Galactica fleet fall prey to the Ovion deception. Even the dark side of human nature is placed prominently on display. Sire Uri is driven by selfishness and the pursuit of pleasure. The president and the Quorum of Twelve naively trust the cylons, abandoning wisdom and caution. Baltar willingly betrays his own people. Darkness is quite visible in the Galactica story, but it never overwhelms the forces of good, even in instances when, in terms of force and numbers, evil appears to possess the upper hand. This is what I perceive as one of the overriding themes of Galactica: that good, through courage and determined action, will find a way to overcome the opposition of evil forces.
In reading over Moore’s script, I perceived that many of the elements already mentioned were conspicuously absent. The characters, as conceived in the new mini-series, do not seem to merely possess flaws, they are consumed by them. Tigh is a slave to alcoholism. Kara Thrace is so confident in her prowess as a pilot, she disdains military discipline. Apollo hates his father. In TOS, the main characters possess an inner nobility that enables them to surpass their own weaknesses. The characters in the new series don’t appear to possess such a capacity. Yes, they are able to pull together and fight for survival when circumstances dictate that they must, but theirs seems to be purely an organic struggle for self-preservation. It is not an effort centered on protecting the weak, nor is there a strong sense of self-sacrifice. It is a group of survivors thrown together out of necessity.
In my mind, the cylons also represent a vast difference in theme. Unlike in the original Galctica, the cylons are not alien beings, but rather they are androids, created by humans, who ultimately rebel against their creators. Thus, humanity is ultimately the author of its own potential destruction. In contemplating the characters and the new cylons, I found myself reminded of the George Romero film “Day of the Dead”. The hordes of the undead are certainly the focus of the horror, but it is the conflict amongst the characters that ultimately leads them to ruin. In my perception, this is where Moore’s lens is focused: on inner battles and internal sources of destruction.
I cannot say that Moore’s themes are not worthy of exploration. If we shied away from such ideas, we would lack many great works of film and literature. I, for one, often enjoy literary endeavors that explore dark themes. However, when we are considering a television series that has endured itself to fans for twenty-five years, it does not seem wise (at least, in my opinion) to jettison the thematic foundation when producing a remake. When I learned of a new Galactica in production, I immediately imagined a tale of heroism, of hope in the face of incredible odds. When I read about the remake, and got a sense of its cynical overtones, I felt confusion. I couldn’t reconcile my memories of Galactica with what was being described. The two shows were fundamentally different. Certainly, if a continuation had been produced, it would have taken established and new characters into new situations and conflicts, but the central values and themes of the show would have remained intact. Taking the franchise completely outside of the framework in which it was established made it alien to all of us that knew it so well. Please understand, I don’t have a problem with a writer like Moore expositing on themes that he feels drawn to. In fact, I believe that most writer’s philosophies and beliefs are naturally going to manifest themselves in what they produce. It’s just that what is written shouldn’t be called Battlestar Galactica, because it isn’t the heroic saga so many of us cherish. Rightfully, Moore should have created his own unique characters and plot to explore his chosen themes with, not tried to make an incompatible tradition fit his vision.
Although it may seem contrary to all I’ve just written, these ideas did not deepen my dislike for the upcoming mini-series. Quite frankly, my position on the new production is settled: I don’t like it and I don’t intend to put myself through the discomfort of watching it. What I came away from these contemplations with was a deeper appreciation for TOS. Grand stories of heroism remain my favorite tales of all, and I strongly believe that the Galactica story is well worth preserving and continuing. I agree with the sentiments expressed by BST: there isn’t much use in screaming about the mini-series, because at this point, outside of letting loose frustration, there isn’t much that we can practically do to change the production. What we can do is focus on seeing the story that we love brought to life in another medium, such as the proposed film. Practically speaking, we should apply ourselves to efforts in that direction, such as the letter writing campaign proposed by Commander Taggart. And, on these boards and other venues, we should keep talking about the virtues of TOS and educate those that have never been exposed.
Sorry to ramble on so long. Guess my two cents was a bit heavy this time around. :o
Heroism vs. Cynicism
