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| Forbidden Planet (1956) |
| The Story (continued)
Morbius was startled (and displeased) by the appearance of his lovely, doe-eyed 19 year-old daughter Altaira (or "Alta") (Anne Francis), named after the planet, who had been discouraged by her father to attend the hosted luncheon. The barefoot, innocent Eve-like character in the Edenic setting, wearing a flesh-colored miniskirt, had never seen men (other than her father) - and upon seeing three young and eligible male crew members, she was intrigued and marveled:
Morbius excused his daughter's sheltered life, since she had been born and raised in the alien world: "Of course, you must make allowances for my daughter, gentlemen. She's never known any human being except her father." Among the smitten men, Lieutenant Farman acted very solicitiously, friendly and over-helpful toward the beautiful young female, and joined her to get coffee. "Doc" responded and proactively excused the crewmen's behavior: "I hope you'll make allowances too, sir. We young men have been shut up in hyperspace for well over a year now and right from here, the view looks just like heaven." Morbius admitted he must one day take his isolated daughter to Earth: "Yes, I suppose one day I shall be obliged to make the trip to Earth with her for the sake of her natural development." Altaira admitted to Lt. Farman that her father was skeptical of Earthmen, but then noted: "All three of you are such very fine exceptions." Farman tried to play up his own romantic availability and trustworthiness when compared to "Doc" or the Commander (who was noted as being especially suspicious): "I don't feel free to discuss the shortcomings of a fellow officer but - any girl or woman who lets him get her alone, anywhere.....!" But Altaira seemed naively innocent about his own self-interest, flirtations and seductive insinuations: "I'm so glad you don't have any fire in your eyes, Lieutenant." The overprotective and possessive Morbius falsely emphasized how he had given his daughter "liberty" to leave Altair to visit Earth whenever she wanted: "I've explained to them that you have my permission to visit Earth whenever you choose." He had deliberately kept her confined, extended her infantile childhood and not permitted her to fully mature and venture outward in her life. (She was completely unaware of his research into the Krell technology and its mind-boosting device.) She responded, however, that she had never felt lonely or confined with the friends she had there:
With a high-pitched whistle, she summoned her 'friends' outside in the pastoral setting - two fairly-tame deer and then a docile but fierce-looking, growling striped tiger. Morbius assured the crew members that "outside of the range of my daughter's influence, it's still a deadly wild beast."
A Delay in the Ship's Departure: At the end of their time together, Adams was contacted by Chief Quinn back at the spaceship. He activated his viewer to prove to the Chief that they were safe and "under no restraint whatsoever." Morbius persuasively urged the visitors that he hoped they could return to Earth as soon as possible: "If I can be of any help to you in your preparations for the homeward voyage...," but Adams informed him that "circumstances" might keep them there for awhile longer. He needed to remain there longer, especially due to the unexpected news of the fatalities and a required change in future instructions. Morbius clearly was reluctant to leave the planet even temporarily.
Morbius was particularly displeased when Adams explained how the crew would have to cannibalize vitally important parts from the ship, in order to create a powerful transmitter and send a signal back to Earth. The ship's nuclear energy core (along with some of the ship's electronic equipment) would need to be removed and taken outside of the ship, to create a communications relay-signal or transmitter that had enough power to make contact with the base. It would prove to be a monumental feat to signal and to receive responses from the Commander's superiors - at a distance of over 16 light years. It was also problematic that the crew lacked a lead-shielded bunker (dug into the ground, a time-consuming task) that would be required to shield the energy core, in order to protect them from exposure to radiation:
Anxious to expedite their departure, Morbius volunteered the services of Robby, who could synthesize any material. The robot could provide them with the needed 2-inch lead shielding. Morbius didn't consider himself "obliging," but only concerned that they could safely depart the planet - as he gestured to a cemetery in the far distance:
The men were chauffeured back to their spacecraft by Robby's vehicle, as Morbius (with his arm around his daughter's waist) and Altaira watched them leave. The Next Day - At the Spacecraft: The next morning, the crew carefully removed the nuclear energy core from the spacecraft, remarking: "It has to get us home." Using a tractor vehicle and a magnetic hoist-puller, they transported it to a distance away from the ship to avoid interference and contamination. As a practical joke, the Cook was picked up with the magnetic hoist by the crane operator. Accompanied by Altaira riding along with him in the Jeep-like vehicle, Robby arrived at the construction site with the solid-lead shielding in the form of rectangular stacks of large grayish slabs (composed of isotope 217, a theoretical substance that has never existed or been created). He easily carried the slabs with his left arm, and explained that with his superhuman strength, he could lift extremely heavy objects, such as the shielding: "Common lead would have crushed the vehicle, sir. This is my morning's run of isotope 217. The whole thing hardly comes to 10 tons."
Lt. Farman found an opportunity to speak to Altaira by walking away from the saucer with her to find a private place alone. Commander Adams and "Doc" were distracted by Chief, to check on his assembly of the monitor unit for the klystron transmitter. He noted how he had borrowed some of the condensers from the accelerator circuits and some of the solenoids from the gyrostabilizers. Plans were to complete the assembly and transmit communications to the base the next day. Meanwhile, the ship's Cook led Robby aside to ask if the robot knew where to acquire some "real stuff...just for cooking purposes." He produced an almost-empty small bottle of bourbon ("genuine ancient rocket bourbon") from inside his shirt and took a swig. Robby grabbed the bottle, emptied it into his built-in chemical laboratory for analysis, and reported on its contents, and the quantity of potent brew he could reproduce: "Relatively simple alcohol molecules with traces of fusel oil. Would 60 gallons be sufficient?" The Cook was amazed: "I've been from here to there in this galaxy, and I want you to know you're the most understanding soul I ever met up with." Lt. Farman and Altaira - Kissing Lessons: Not far from the saucer's landing area, Lt. Farman was teaching Altaira about how to kiss and its health benefits:
The two were interrupted by high-ranking officer Adams who disguised his jealousy by immediately dismissing Farman - to return to the ship to attend to "a lot of pressing duties." Farman was reprimanded for using his rank to take his "kind of advantages." Adams then turned his agitated rebuke and anger onto Altaira for dressing in an inappropriate, short mini-skirt, and for leading on the 'space wolf' lieutenant:
She took offense at his criticisms of her dress: "I designed them myself. Stop looking at me that way. I don't think I like it." She claimed they were merely getting "a little healthy stimulation from hugging and kissing, that's all," and didn't understand the underlying reason for his flustered hurt when he insulted her for her naively-innocent provocations. He warned her of the hormonal urges of his male, sex-deprived crew, and that it would have 'served her right' if her flirtations ended up in sex. Ultimately, Adams lost patience with her and ordered her away:
Altaira's Romantic Ploy to Entrap Commander Adams: Later that day, Altaira informed her father of her confrontation with the Commander, quoting what he had said to her: ("And then I'll put more guards on the guards"). She was furious (and embarrassed) about Adams' condescending treatment toward her for being romantic with Lt. Farman:
Morbius retreated to his study, while Altaira summoned Robby, who arrived late and gave a humorous excuse:
She had thought up a coy way to sexually entice AND entrap Adams by fulfilling his suggestion of a less revealing dress - she requested that the robot produce one by the next morning -- "Absolutely nothing must show, below, above or through... Eye-proof....It must be the loveliest, softest thing you've ever made for me. And fit in all the right places with lots and lots of star sapphires." To save time, Robby suggested diamonds or emeralds instead, and Altaira agreed, although she specified that they had to be "large enough" - at five, 10, and 15 carats. The First Appearance of an Unseen Presence: It wasn't a coincidence that after Morbius was informed of the sexual tension developing between the sex-starved officers of the spacecraft and his daughter, that there would be retaliation.
That evening, two posted sentry-guards - crew members Strong (James Drury) and Grey (Robert Dix) stood watch outside the spacecraft, and marveled at the planet's two moons. Grey sensed that the ship was entered by an unseen force after he heard the sound of "big breathing." The camera tracked up the craft's exterior staircase, while the electronic score emphasized each footstep of an invisible being. Inexplicably, the inner hatch into the spacecraft opened, and an object was moved within the command center while one of the sleeping crew members in his bunk, Youngerford (Jimmy Thompson), stirred but then went back to sleep. The next morning, furious Commander Adams reported sabotage of vital communications gear (including the klystron transmitter) inside the ship, even though the spacecraft was being guarded: "This ship was entered and valuable government property was sabotaged.... the heavy-duty hatch was raised and latched back....Grey - you heard breathing. And Youngerford, let me see, you were asleep in your bunk and you think you had a dream." The three crew members involved were punished by being deprived of space pay and privileges. Quinn assured the Commander that most of the damaged equipment could be repaired: "Half of this gear we can replace out of stores, and the rest we can patch up one way or another. Except this special klystron frequency modulator. Now, with every facility of the ship, I think I might be able to rebuild it. But frankly, the book says no. It came packed in liquid boron in a suspended gravity." Before leaving to question and confront Morbius about the incident, Adams put Lt. Farman in command, and ordered the establishment of a protective perimeter of pylons around the ship, with "Class-A alert." Adams set off with "Doc" Ostrow in the ship's tractor-vehicle for Morbius' home. Commander Adams and Altaira - Romantic Feelings: Inside Morbius' home, while Robby was arranging flowers, a mischievous and pesky 'monkey' pet was attempting to steal fruit from a bowl, and was stung or zapped by Robby's laser ray for being disobedient. When Adams and "Doc" arrived at Morbius' home, Robby informed them that Morbius was busy in his study and not to be disturbed until his door opened. While waiting inside, Adams caught a quick glance of Altaira swimming outside in a pool - appearing to be nude. When she urged him to join her, he responded: "Didn't bring my bathing suit," and she asked innocently:
She deliberately teased him into thinking she was naked. Adams became flustered and unsettled, and averted his gaze when she emerged from the water. It was revealed that she was not nude, but wearing a nearly-nude, flesh-colored suit. While seductively drying off behind a bush, she told him that she was planning to surprise him by putting on her new dress: "Well, don't worry, you're not gonna have to look at me anymore from now on. You'll see..." Altaira was still smarting over his rude treatment of her: "I sure didn't expect to see you today after the way you spoke to me yesterday." After he apologized ("I was sort of bothered"), she stepped out and revealed her new long, non-transparent dress - inspired by his criticisms of her short, infantile mini-skirt:
She continued to be inviting, flirtatious and encouraging when he called her beautiful: "Why don't you kiss me like everybody else does?" and played up her assets, including theoretical biology: "I have had poetry, mathematics, logic, physics, geology and bi- ology?" Intrigued and irresistibly attracted to each other, he stepped forward and they embraced and passionately kissed. Suddenly and without warning, Altaira's pet tiger appeared and growled at them. Altaira assured Adams: "He's my friend," but the fierce animal jumped toward both of them. Adams shot and disintegrated the beast in mid-air with his blaster-gun, and she was truly astonished and mystified that her pet animal had turned against her: "But he didn't recognize me. He would have killed me. Why?"
When Adams rejoined "Doc" Ostrow in Morbius' home, the philologist still hadn't emerged. Adams hinted to "Doc" that there was a new complication - he had begun a relationship with Altaira: "Something new has been added." Morbius' Tale of the Krell and a Tour of Their Technological Wonders: They entered his study door to find that Morbius was absent. The windowless room featured a curved desk, a backdrop of the universe, a chalkboard with calculations, and a large globe of the constellations. Adams suspected that Morbius was "up to something." At that moment, Morbius entered behind them through a hidden, triangular-shaped doorway and saw them inspecting a sheet of paper on his desk with hieroglyphic writings. He indirectly confronted them with outrage, and accused them of being thieves:
Adams notified Morbius of the damage to their transmitting equipment: "Last night our klystron monitor was sabotaged," and Morbius concluded that he was a suspect: "And you suspect me?" Morbius felt that it was time to explain to them his great discoveries of the Krell and their miraculous achievements and technology. He began a long explanation about how the planet of Altair IV had been inhabited by a highly-advanced race of beings known as the Krell. They had explored Earth millions of years ago and brought back Earth's animals, such as the tiger, to their world there:
He then explained how the entire race was apparently wiped out in a single night some 200,000 years earlier by a mysterious catastrophic force, when they were on the verge of some crowning achievement or great break-through. The vast advancements of their once great race 2,000 centuries earlier, including highly-sophisticated machinery far beyond anything yet discovered in the 23rd century, were left behind after their disappearance, but functioning only deep beneath the surface of the planet:
When asked about their physical appearance, Morbius continued his account, surmising that there was a hint of their shape in the triangular doorways:
He played a recording for the two officers of their strange, dissonant and haunting music, recorded by Krell musicians a half-million years ago. He then conducted them on an extended tour to view "other remaining artifacts" and wonders of the Krell culture and race. As he led them, he encouraged Adams to shoot his blaster at one of the Krell metal doorways - the blast was completely ineffective, not even molten or warm, as he extolled the remarkable substance: "The molecules are many times more densely interlocked than in earthly steel. Yet it drinks up energy like a sponge." Morbius manipulated some door controls that opened up a secret doorway to a corridor that brought them into one of the Krell laboratories. Much of the equipment looked familiar - "though designed for non-human technicians." He activated a viewing screen that displayed much of the Krell's accumulated scientific knowledge, similar to a "library":
Their advanced technological and sophisticated civilization from 2,000 centuries earlier had been the subject of Morbius' research for the past 20 years, and he had devoted his life to recovering their lost knowledge for mankind. He had inadvertently tapped into their technological knowledge in the early days of his research and after piecing things together, he had expanded his intelligence (as a simple philologist) through their Krell resources - enabling him to build Robby the robot:
When asked by "Doc" Ostrow, Morbius showed off one of the Krell's mechanical wonders - an I.Q. measuring device known as a "plastic educator" that was powered by the electromagnetic waves of the brain. He also called the three-pronged, cranium head-set device a plaything for visualizing images.
The Krell had developed the instrument to convert their very thoughts formed in the mind into physical forms. He demonstrated the visualization power by displaying from his own mind a three-dimensional holographic image - and in a semi-perverse way, he selected for visualization his own daughter Altaira:
"Doc" marveled that the device was a magical and miraculous scientific invention: "Aladdin's lamp in a physics laboratory." When both "Doc" and Adams took the Krell IQ test, their results registered lower than expected scores. Morbius described his own first effort to use the machine when he barely survived the intense mental stimulation. [Note: He also briefly mentioned, in a foreshadowing, how Bellerophon's captain tried the machine and was instantly killed.]:
Morbius further described one of the Krell's final projects before their annihilation. The Krell's last invention was designed as a major improvement over their simple 'matter replicator' - the kind that was built into Robby:
The objective of this new invention for the highly-evolved Krell was to bypass the step of providing and feeding a sample of actual matter into a machine for analysis and replication. Now, they could imagine anything deep in their subconscious mind - and they could instantly give form, energy and substance to it. They could also transport themselves to any place on the planet - to be freed of the physical limitations of their bodies.
Commander Adams questioned why none of the ancient equipment in the laboratory showed signs of aging or wear. Morbius gave a simple explanation: "Young man, these devices, self-serviced, self-maintained, have stood exactly as you see them for 2,000 centuries." Adams asked a follow-up question: "What was the power source?" Morbius answered cryptically by showing off a large series of power measurement gauges, each registering ten times the previous one:
"Doc" realized the tremendous potential of exponential power increases:
A shuttle car ride took the group deeper into the underground to view more Krell wonders - beginning with the vast and intricate Krell ventilation system. Morbius prepared his visitors for what they would see - a giant vent system of shafts that led to the core of the planet. Their tiny figures walked out onto a platform of one shaft, engulfed and swallowed up by the immense Krell machinery surrounding them on all sides. He described how the system (buried far underground) was cubic in shape - it measured 20 miles per side. There were a total of 400 deep cubic shafts (with "78 hundred levels" in each cube), for a total of 8,000 cubic miles:
The ventilation shafts serviced a vast, self-repairing machine, powered by untold amounts of energy derived from the planet's core. He offhandedly mentioned what had happened 16 years earlier - there was a reaction to an event that had happened in the past (possibly the destruction of the Bellerophon?). There was also a slight reaction when their United Planets cruiser approached and registered a disturbance on the environment's instruments:
He also showed off a section of one of the thermonuclear power units (one of a total of 9,200 thermonuclear reactors), still functioning. Two screens were illuminated - a visual representation of the planet's "harnessed power":
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Morbius' Teenaged Daughter Altaira: