David Alexander’s official biography of Gene Roddenberry named the seminal 1956 sci-fi adventureForbidden Planetas “one of [his] inspirations forStar Trek.” LikeStar Trek,Forbidden Planettakes place in the 23rd century. After inventing intergalactic travel, the human race has begun exploring and colonizing foreign worlds. It’s easy to see how the United Planets became the United Federation of Planets, and how the Cruiser C-57D became the Starship Enterprise. The immersive worldbuilding ofForbidden Planetgave Roddenberry the perfect template to explore contemporary social issues in speculative genre stories.
Philip K. Scheuer’sLos Angeles Timesreview ofForbidden Planetacknowledged that the filmmakers had transcended and revolutionized their genre. He wrote thatForbidden Planetwas “more than another science fiction movie, with the emphasis on fiction; it is a genuinely thought-through concept of the future, andthe production MGM has bestowed on itgives new breadth and dimension to that time-worn phrase, ‘out of this world.’” Sci-fi filmmaking was never the same afterForbidden Planetblazed the trail into uncharted galaxies full of mind-bending wastelands and imaginary beasts.
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The production design ofForbidden Planethas all the familiar visual markers of retrofuturistic sci-fi: ray guns, flying saucers, beep-boop sound effects. But it doesn’t just lean on tropes and clichés; it created a few of its own.Forbidden Planetis notable for having a number of firsts for the science fiction genre. It was the first movie to take place entirely on a distant planet far away from Earth; the first movie with a fully electronic musical score, provided by Bebe and Louis Barron; the first movie to feature humans having mastered faster-than-light travel; and one of the first movies togive its robot character a distinctive personality. The lovable Robby the Robot paved the way for R2-D2, WALL-E, and the Transformers.
Two-time Oscar nominee Walter Pidgeon andHoney Weststar Anne Francis lead the cast as the enigmatic Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira, who are somehow immune to the mysterious “planetary force” that wiped out Morbius’ crew and vaporized his ship. A young Leslie Nielsen, back when he was still a straightforward dramatic actor beforeAirplane!turned him into a deadpan comedic actor, appears as Commander John J. Adams, the template for Captain Kirk.Much like Kirk, Adams is a roguish interstellar leader who ignores warnings, plays by his own rules, and maintains grace under fire.
Considering it was made several decades before the invention of CGI, the effects inForbidden Planethold up surprisingly well today. Without computers to rely on, theForbidden Planetteam used practical effects and elaborate set design (consisting of a full-scale mock-up of three-quarters of the starship and a beautifully painted cyclorama surrounding the soundstage with the desolate landscapes of Altair IV) to transport viewers to another world. Long-timeDisney animatorJoshua Meador, loaned out by the Mouse House to MGM, did a phenomenal job of bringing the invisible monster to life. He created the monster by drawing directly onto the film frames and tinted the lines red, and included subtle yet noticeable details like a goatee beard that insinuates a sinister connection to Dr. Morbius. This is indicative of the attention to detail that Roddenberry would carry over intoStar Trek.
Forbidden Planetcould be described as Shakespeare in space. Its narrative is loosely adapted fromThe Tempest. InThe Tempest, Prospero lives on a remote island with his daughter and his servants, and uses sorcery to attack a ship at sea. InForbidden Planet, Dr. Morbius lives on a remote world with his daughter and his robot, and uses his mind to attack a ship in space. TheStar Trekfranchise is full of Shakespearean parallels. The Bard is Kirk’s favorite author.The Original Seriesepisodes “Catspaw” and “The Conscience of the King” borrowed scenesdirectly from Shakespearean plays. Jean-Luc Picard can be seen readingThe Globe Illustrated ShakespearethroughoutThe Next Generation’s run.The Wrath of Khanexplores the same themes asKing Lear. InStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, to check if Spock’s mental faculties are back to normal, Bones quotesHamletto see if he recognizes it.Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Countrytakes its title fromHamlet, and features Klingons who are obsessed with Shakespeare and a villain who quotes him constantly.Star Trekeven offered up its own translation ofThe Tempestwith the season 3 episode “Requiem for Methuselah.” Clearly, Roddenberry responded toForbidden Planet’s blend of sci-fi and Shakespeare.
All in all,Forbidden Planetis one of the greatest spacefaring adventures ever put on the big screen. It didn’t just lay the groundwork; it still stands alongside all the movies and TV shows it inspired. The Barrons’ otherworldly electronic sound design creates an eerie atmosphere for the entire runtime that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, dreading the arrival of the invisible monster.Forbidden Planetis a must-see forStar Trekfans, not only to see the origins and inspiration behind the franchise, but because it’s a perfect example ofwhatStar Trekdid so well: using stories about aliens and outer space to explore human emotions and fears. Apart from some dodgy gender politics involving its only female character,Forbidden Planethas aged like a fine wine. It’s not just a time capsule of a bygone era of science fiction; its gravitas and imagination and capacity to surprise put a lot of modern sci-fi to shame.
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