3. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock - The Death Of David Marcus
This entire movie is rife with heartbreaking moments, though there are two that share equal and unforgettable status. The first is the death of David Marcus Kirks only son. Sent as part of a scientific expedition to study the Genesis planet, David Marcus and Lieutenant Saavik find themselves with the newly regenerated Spock prisoners of a rogue Klingon commander seeking to add the Genesis to the arsenal of the Klingon Empire. In a fit of self-sacrifice, Marcus jumps one of his Klingon captors as they plan to execute him or his companions. In doing so, he is fatally stabbed while Captain Kirk is listening on an open channel. There is a poignant on-screen silence that lasts almost ten seconds. Finally, it is broken by Kirks stumbling, sob-filled exclamation: Youve killed my son. You Klingon bast*rd, youve killed my son. When originally shown in the theatre, the audience became part of that silence as everyone held their breath. At that moment, they shared Kirks loss as if it were their very own. When an entire film audience can collectively experience such a heartbreaking moment, hold their breath and even shed tears that is the measure of a truly heartbreaking cinematic moment that will truly remain unforgettable.
John Kirk is a Teacher-Librarian and currently a History/English Teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
But mostly, John teaches Geek.
Comics, Sci-Fi (Notably Star Trek), Fantasy and Role-Playing and table-top games all make up part of John’s repertoire, There is a whole generation of nerds-in-embryo who rely on him to make sense of it all, to teach that with great power comes great responsibility, that the force will be with us always and that a towel IS the most useful thing to have in one’s possession.
When John isn’t in the classroom, he can be found in his basement writing comic reviews for www.popmythology.com and features for Roddenberry Entertainment's www.1701news.com.
