Who was the real man behind Spock and what does Spock means to his Fans?
For the Love of Spock is a documentary that explores the early start of Leonard Nimoy in the acting business and how he became the most iconic figure in science fiction. The documentary is presented by his son Adam.
The documentary contains interviews with the star, his family, his colleagues, and some of his fans (actors).
In addition, it portrays the values of the star and his relationship with fans. Many have identified themselves at one point in their lives as Spock: an outsider who choose rather than blending in to be himself and nothing else.
The work of Leonard Nimoy
It’s amazing to see how much work was put into the character of Spock by Leonard: his imagination, the complications he faced, and how the character and the actor evolved over the years.
One of the popular creations is the Vulcan salute created by Leonard Nimoy. In the documentary Leonard explains the famous Vulcan salute which represents the Hebrew letter Shin , which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for El Shaddai, meaning “Almighty (God)”. Further he mentions that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue, where he saw the blessing performed and was impressed by it.
In addition to acting he also directed “The Search for Spock (1984)” and “The Voyage Home (1986)”. He also worked on the screenplay of “The Undiscovered Country (1991)”.
In the documentary you will see interviews with a few members of the original cast and the current cast. And you will also see interviews with the people that were inspired by the character of Spock.
The hope of Star Trek
Sadly enough we are still at the place of intolerance with each other. Compared to those years in which the series and the films took place, one would have thought at that time that humankind in the future (like the 21st century) would be more accepting & progressive.
In a sense Star Trek provided a view of what the future could be. But clearly we are not there yet. So many lives are being lost daily because of intolerance of race, religion & beliefs. Hopefully one day we will see the countries working together like the crew of the enterprise for the greater good.
Conclusion
The relevance of the character of Spock will continue for many years. The concept of all races working together is beautiful concept that should stay alive and hopefully one day become a reality. Ending this piece with the significant Vulcan salute:
Do you agree? What did Spock or Star Trek mean to you? Did you see the documentary? Have not seen it yet? Feel free to leave your comments. I would love to hear from you.
Thanks! I love Science fiction and I loved Spock and Nimoy! Now I know quite a bit more about them and will look forward to keeping up on the latest with sci fi!
I too hope for a time of greater tolerance between all peoples!
Lynne
Hi Lynne,
Thanks for stopping by.
Let’s hope for the best and keep moving forward.
I found the connection you made to today’s modern ideals simply fascinating. I remember reading about groundbreaking steps the show took to introduce diversity to such a rigid culture.
It’s a shame to think that that fight continues today, and if the last week was anything to go buy, we need more characters like Spock and more people like Leonard, with great moral values that can be a great example today.
His memory is one that should be preserved.
Thank you for your comments Ryan! And I agree with you completely.
My all time favourite character in the star trek series was Spock. I really loved the film Search for Spock and was so pleased he was ‘reincarnated’. I can remember being tearful when he died from radiation in the previous film, saving the rest of the crew.
Now this wonderful actor has gone and I am very sad. I would dearly love to watch the documentary and hope it comes our way soon. Thanks for the info. Ches
Hi Ches,
Thanks for taking time to read my post. I hope you enjoy the documentary.
Well that explains a lot. my father was a huge trek fan and i liked it enough but never got really in to it i didnt even know for the love of Spock was a thing. i am definitely going to show this to him next time we visit.
Thanks for stopping by Joy! I hope you (and your father) get a chance to see the documentary.
One of my favorite characters in the Star Trek series. Spock will live on forever in my eyes, and I know a lot of other people who feel the same. Thanks for posting this!
Kathy
Glad you like it Kathy! Thanks for your comments!
I loved the original Star Trek, and Spock was my favourite. I only wish they had made more. The follow up series were good, but not quite the same – in my opinion at least.
I think that Gene Roddenberry had a very idealistic view of the future of humanity, and I hope he was right. It’s probably true to say that we’ve not arrived at the type of culture he envisaged yet, but hopefully we still have time.
I agree with you Jim. Thanks for your comments.