orlds drive to better ones self is looked at, even arguing what would be the best way to do so.The humans in both of these films are represented and defined by a complex culture of rules, regulation, hierarchy, and history. The whole Star Trek franchise is composed of Naval style rankings and procedures. History is strongly intertwined with its story line, which can be observed when Cap. Picard tours his ship just like Cap. Nelson did on the H.M.S Victory before the Battle of Trafalgar. In Species, hierarchy is obviously displayed in the group that is hunting the alien/human Sil down. Prof. Fitch, who created Sil, carries the most authority within the group. He even exemplifies regulation and procedure when he refuses to let two of his group to leave a locked lab while an alien was running loose throughout the room. The aliens, then, are defined by their lack of hierarchy and history, and this is where the anxieties, and challenges to humanity are illustrated.
An emphasis to better understand these challenges and anxieties is the historical context of the times in which these movies were filmed and released. The Best of Both Worlds episode was filmed and released in 1990, when the internet’s landscape was changing dramatically and familiarizing itself to the general public and work force. As Thomas Friedman put it, this was the “flattening of the world”. Where anybody from anywhere could start a business and gain information. The world went from a vertical power hierarchy to a more horizontal one, and to express the fear of a complete horizontal hierarchy was the Borg.
The second historical context in which to understand Species is the Human Genome Project, which began in 1990. The goal of this project was to map the 20,000- 25,000 genes of human DNA.(2) It was then theorized that with this map human genes could be cloned or mani
pulated. However, Species was not the first movie to deal with this anxiety. Jurassic Park, which was release a year prior to the filming, dealt with the same genetic issues of manipulation and gender. Both movies combined the DNA of different species to create/recreate a specie, and both made the new specie(s) female. So not only did this play on the fears of genetic manipulation, but gender anxieties as well.Gender anxieties also exist in the dilemma with the Borg in The Best of Both Worlds. But rather than a mother superior anxiety as in Species, The Borg threaten gender altogether rendering it an androgynous threat for the Borg spread like a computer virus. And, it is this virus like spread, which represents a pure drive in the human character. Both the Federation and the Borg aim to expand their knowledge and range of themselves. The Borg drive themselves/themself through force, assimilating other races into their collective. They lack any culture or dialectic thinking, which not only enable them to be extremely effective, but also represent a drive in today’s people regarding IT technologies, Globalization, and Materialism. In1990 when globalization was starting to go full speed ahead, many people and cultures where left behind, even sometimes with cultures disappearing. The Federation, however, see’s itself going forward by furthering their understanding, rather than how many star systems are under their belts. The Borg reflect the pure materialist inside the human character, and challenges the human definition of how we better ourselves.
The challenge posed to Human definition in Species is what chemical makeup makes up which parts of the individual. Sil was composed of both human and alien DNA. The movie leads on the viewer that it is the alien DNA in which makes this creature hostile, and it is the human DNA which gives the creature her stunning blonde bombshell covering. But, towards the end this is questioned in the scene where Preston and Laura question whether it was the al
ien DNA or human that made her so hostile. Evidence of the Human DNA being the culprit behind the creature’s hostility is it’s monstrous feminine anxiety that it portrays. The monstrous feminine (illustrated by Barbra Creed) holds elements of Freudian psychology such as the primal scene, which is shown in the nightmares of Sil that consist of two alien creatures copulating. This is also highlighted that even though Sil becomes fully grown she is still regarded as a child by the m-path Dan, and it is the child, according to Freud, where this primal scene emanates from.The reproduction anxiety also plays the part in the humanization of Sil. The force of her drive to reproduce is reflected both in the outside world of television and billboards, but also in her sexual fantasies as well. There is a quick fantasy scene in the hotel where Sil fantasies about Preston. The fantasy Sil has exhibits human tendencies of lust. But, the hostility and style further highlights the reproduction anxiety. This is shown in the hot tub scene where she scares the potential mate by proclaiming she wants a baby. When his fear shows and tries to escape she strangles him with a tentacle that comes from her breast, which also demonstrates the fear of the smothering mother.
It is interesting to see how this similitude with the alien other has developed into exploring our darker natures. As we see the continuing globalization, and homogenization of our cultures while sexual taboos become more accepted. The reflection of the alien other in our culture as well as others will further reflect complex multiple side of the human character.
Bibliography/notes
(1) Telotte, J.P. “Postmodernism.” Science Fiction Film. Genres in American Cinema. Ed. Barry Keith Grant.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 55-59. (CR 82-84)
(2) "The Human Genome Project". Wikipedia. 3/20/09
Creed, Barbara. “Alien and the Monstrous-Feminine.” Alien Zone: Cultural Theory and Contemporary
Science Fiction Cinema. Ed. Annette Kuhn. London and New York: Verso Press, 1990. 128-141. (CR 128-134)
Witwer, Julia. “The Best of Both Worlds: On Star Trek’s Borg.” Prosthetic Territories: Politics and Hypertechnologies. Ed. Gabriel Brahm and Mark Driscoll. Boulder: Westview Press, 1995. 270-279. (CR 310-314)
