After many years, looking at the Adam's Speech sequence again. I now think it might have been far more effective, if Spielberg and Williams left the first 5 minutes without music and started the underscoring at the 5 minute point where he starts talking about freedom. Maybe they felt that a man talking for 5 minutes would be boring without any musical backing, but I now think that Hopkin's beautiful delivery of the words could definitely stand alone up to the 5 minute point. Then I think the scoring and the building of the scoring would have been much more effective and less the sense of "wallpapering" for the sequence.
But I've always loved the scene, even the way it originally was handled. It wasn't overbearing at all. It was just there. But again, now I think it would be better if the music started 5 minutes in.
I was happy to see that scene from the old "Star Trek" tv series, but you really need to go back and clarify the point you're trying to make about the Alexander Courage music that wells up as Kirk gets going and, presumably, John Williams' similar overuse of music in an Anthony Hopkins scene in "Amistad." Please sir, we could use some more info!
I think this also makes an interesting comparison with the Hopkins speech.
It may seem like a mean sideswipe at Shatner's style, but I think his self-consciously theatrical line-readings in these scenes benefit more from the music than Hopkins'. The music tells us how to feel: that we're not supposed to laugh, for instance. Hopkins is more naturalistic and (IMHO) more convincing, so in his case the music seems superfluous. Just my opinion, of course.
Incidentally, I think I read that "Omega Glory" was one of the original three scripts considered for the first Star Trek pilot. Can you imagine Jeffrey Hunter playing a scene like this? I think this specific difference is a good aid in imagining how different a show it might have been without Shatner.
Great addition to the thread Sig. Yes, Shatner's delivery and the music really goes well together. Credit must be given to the composer for finding that perfect blend and enhancement. Was Alexander Courage the composer of THE OMEGA GLORY? If so, or whoever it was, just brilliant!
Incidentally, I think I read that "Omega Glory" was one of the original three scripts considered for the first Star Terk pilot. Can you imagine Jeffrey Hunter playing a scene like this? I think this specific difference is a good aid in imagining how different a show it might have been without Shatner.
If The Omega Glory had been the pilot, I doubt anyone would have heard of STAR TREK ever again.
I saw an interview with Jason Alexander once, and he said when he was a kid he was flipping channels and came across this episode ("Return to Tomorrow") right as Shatner was making this speech. He said he didn't even understand what he was watching but that "This was the most exciting thing I'd ever seen!" and decided at that moment he wanted to be an actor!
I saw an interview with Jason Alexander once, and he said when he was a kid he was flipping channels and came across this episode ("Return to Tomorrow") right as Shatner was making this speech. He said he didn't even understand what he was watching but that "This was the most exciting thing I'd ever seen!" and decided at that moment he wanted to be an actor!
To listen to Alexander gush about Shatner is a truly beautiful thing.
I guess the people who bitched are the people that didn't think that there should be appropriate comparisons between Anthony Hopkins in a Spielberg film and William Shatner in an old Star Trek.
I'm not one of the those people. I love that scene.
I think Shatner is (was?) an amazing actor who can get incredibly lazy. Nick Meyer's commentary on Wrath of Khan (that he had to tire Shatner out to get him to start acting and stop being SHATNER) was a revelation. I'd love to see Shatner do one more really serious role before he dies. But I think the rest of his life will be getting paid to be SHATNER.
