First Contact Never Reveals the Back of Locutus

Jonathan Frakes’ 1996 film “Star Trek: First Contact” was a continuation of the popular 1990 “The Best of Both Worlds” episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” In these episodes, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is assimilated into the Borg collective, becoming Locutus. With machinery implanted into his body, Picard is forced to serve as the spokesperson for the Borg. Luckily, Picard is eventually rescued, but he faces several encounters with the Borg to fully recover from his trauma.

In “First Contact,” Picard confronts the Borg once more, but this time his rage reaches unprecedented levels. The once composed captain transforms into a furious avenger, destroying everything in his path and expressing his anger loudly. This dramatic change in Picard’s character contrasts sharply with the more measured and scientific tone of the original TV series.

The film includes flashbacks where Picard envisions himself again covered in Borg machinery as Locutus. These flashbacks show his face with Borg appliances, including a laser light over his right eye. In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Todd Masters, the film’s supervising Borg designer, revealed that the Locutus suit used in “First Contact” was hastily put together due to budget constraints. As a result, the suit didn’t fully close at the back.

During “The Best of Both Worlds,” the Borg were depicted as biomechanical entities influenced by H.R. Giger’s art. The costumes for the Borg were made with limited resources, including parts from board games, and while they looked decent, they were not suitable for a big-screen production.

In creating the Borg for “First Contact,” Masters aimed for a more elaborate design. The Borg machinery became sleeker, and facial appliances were enhanced with more glow. The design also gave the Borg a more organic, veiny look, making them appear more animalistic.

However, these improvements came at a high cost. Masters admits that he continued enhancing the designs until budget constraints forced him to stop. The original plan to use the TV version of the Locutus suit was rejected by Masters who highlighted the differences in production standards between TV and film. Despite agreeing to create a new suit, budget limitations required further improvisation.

Masters initially showcased the outdated TV suit by putting it on Patrick Stewart’s stand-in to convince producers that a new suit was necessary. Though successful in his argument, he still faced budget limitations. Ultimately, his team created a new Locutus suit using parts from other Borg costumes. The resulting suit didn’t close at the back, which is why Locutus is never shown from behind in the film.

It’s important to note that Locutus only appears briefly in “First Contact,” making the makeshift suit sufficient for the movie’s needs. One flashback involves a medium close-up of Stewart turning his head toward the camera, and another shows the Borg Queen approaching him in a tight close-up. There was no need for a fully detailed costume.

The final product, created under tight constraints, serves as a tribute to cinematic ingenuity. Despite the challenges, the scenes featuring Locutus are effective and contribute to the film’s gripping narrative.