Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Clothing

One of the coolest things about The Voyage Home is that the crew of Enterprise is decked out in civilian garb. While we love Starfleet uniforms as much as the next futurist, this switch gives us new insight into the long-running characters of the series.

Let's take a look at a few of their outfits:

• Unlike most, Kirk chooses to remain in his Starfleet uniform. This represents how his identity is completely wrapped up in his role as a Starfleet officer.
• Spock wears a traditional Vulcan robe. This symbolizes how he has leaned toward his Vulcan heritage since coming back to life in the previous film. In addition, the robe's white color represents his current state of innocence.
• McCoy sports a very casual '70s outfit. This is a reflection of McCoy's unpretentious nature, as well as his tendency to look outside of his job for personal fulfillment.

These duds might not be as beautifully formfitting as your typical Star Trek uniform, but they help us better understand characters we've known for decades.

Speech and Dialogue

In case you miss the ears and eyebrows, you can always tell if someone is a Vulcan by the way they talk.

For example, check out this nugget of dialogue from Spock:

SPOCK: In that event, the probabilities are that our mission would fail.

KIRK: Our mission? Spock, you're talking about the end of every life on Earth. [...] Haven't you got any goddamned feelings about that?

Spock uses rigid language, relying exclusively on logic rather than emotion. This makes him seem cold and unsympathetic, though our impressions do change over the course of the film.

This next quote is Kirk's explanation of Spock's strange behavior to Gillian. Check it out:

KIRK: Him? He's harmless. Back in the '60s, he was part of the free speech movement at Berkeley. I think he had a little too much LDS.

You might as well rename the guy Admiral James T. Smoothtalker. While the "LDS" joke is legitimately hilarious, this exchange highlights Kirk's impressive ability to communicate with and relate to others. He might not always get his drug terminology right, but he always knows how to get on your good side.

Actions

The crew members of Enterprise are defined by their actions in high-pressure situations.

For instance, Spock proves his loyalty to the crew over the course of the film. When the movie begins, he's detached from his emotions and struggles to understand crazy concepts like friendship. In the end, however, he reaffirms his bond with the crew by pushing for Chekov's rescue when he's in critical condition at the hospital.

In a similar way, Kirk once again proves why he's the face that runs the place. Whether he's convincing Gillian to donate her whales to the cause, fighting off police officers to aid Chekov's escape, or boldly leading Enterprise in a one-sided fight against a few whale hunters, Kirk is brash and bold but always committed to doing the right thing.