I'm also turned off, just because in my experience academics make a brave noise but tend to miss most of the Star Wars ethos and get the stuff just slightly wrong. I always have the sneaking suspicion (as I do with nearly all pop-cultural analyses from academics) that they're not nearly familiar enough with the subject matter to be making the kinds of points they want to make.
It's like they base their critiques on vague memories of seeing the movie a long time ago and think that's sufficient (even though they would never try that with, say, Mozart or Hemingway). I remember Walter Cronkite on the (excellent) documentary from the SW DVD release, loving Star Wars but then saying in the next breath that what he liked was the way that the movie emphasized "the future" and "space exploration."
Wait, where’s this toy WWII plane that transforms into an X-wing? What’s that, there isn’t one? Ripoff.
I’m with Jordan here. The environmental message of Star Wars? Makes me roll my eyes.
For my money, it’s the grit. Star Wars’s immediate predecessor was 2001, and to imagine yourself in that world you’d be a trained astronaut. The hero of Star Wars is a teenager with a garage full of junk and a fast car that probably barely runs but goes real fast when it does. And he doesn’t get along with his father figure. Add some wheels to the car and that describes a huge portion of the 1977 fan base.
That’s not all of it, natch, but I think that’s the keystone.
May 01, 2007 12:36 PM
[Image] Star Wars has Captivated generations of movie goers! Now, a new special from The History Channel seeks to understand why the emotional impact of the Star Wars Saga remains as relevant as ever. The two-hour special, STAR WARS: THE LEGACY REVEALED, is a World Premiere on The History Channel on Monday, May 28 at 9pm ET/PT.
Through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics – all of whom weigh in on the enduring appeal of George Lucas’s creations – the special demonstrates that Star Wars isn’t just a high-action adventure in space. It’s a remarkably complex and sophisticated story about power, politics, sin, spirituality and redemption—almost Shakespearean in its power, humor, presentation and influence.
The special makes the argument that Star Wars’ intensely compelling stories—borrowed from diverse traditions, from Greek mythology and American westerns to the Bible and even Vaudeville—compel us to explore some of the biggest questions of our time. STAR WARS: THE LEGACY REVEALED explores that view through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics, who all weigh in on the creations of George Lucas. The special shows how seldom a movie can make us laugh and think about our role in the universe—which may be why it has stood the test of time.
"The enduring appeal of Star Wars," says Tom Brokaw, "is that it’s this vastly entertaining piece of cinema that also leaves you … with the idea that there are some real issues out there that we ought to be thinking about—good and evil, and right and wrong, and heroism. Generations of people a long time from now will be enthralled by it, just as we are enthralled by the story of Robin Hood or King Arthur’s Court or any of the Shakespearean tales."
The special unites a diverse group of high-profile Star Wars fans, from filmmakers to politicians to journalists. Their comments punctuate the still jaw-dropping footage from all six episodes of the Star Wars Saga.
"The idea of the underdog who’s on the right side defeating the overdog who’s on the wrong side is a deeply American mythology," says former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who climbed a high political fence to agree with current Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the movies’ impact. Says Pelosi: "The legacy of George Lucas fits very comfortably among the classics of all time, whether ancient or modern. "
Adds Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson: "You don’t even have to ask, ‘Will it stand the test of time?’ It has and it will."
This action-adventure film with lighthearted moments and touching purity, demands that we focus on current fundamental themes, including environmentalism, racism and the temptations of power and greed. As author Carl Silvio notes, at times the movies seem prophetic: "In Revenge of the Sith, when we hear Anakin say, ‘You’re either with me or against me,’ it’s almost impossible not to hear that quote and think of another very famous quote," a point the special underscores with a clip of President George W. Bush’s November 2001 news-conference quote: "You are either with us or you are against us in the fight against terror."
The dichotomies of good vs. evil and mechanism vs. humanity is apparent throughout the movies, which carry themes of politics and power. In the Star Wars universe, dictators are ruthless yet charismatic, and while some politicians are well-meaning, as Princess Leia Organa demonstrates, leaders are born from courage and conviction, not from gender.
With regard to other kinds of power, C-3PO and R2-D2 demonstrate that machines can be beneficial, while the feared Death Star shows us their danger. The Ewoks, instrumental in the eventual defeat of the Empire, remind us that natural, environmental solutions have as much as (or more) power than man-made ones. That the movies are fun only gives their central questions and observations more credence
How long will that endure? "A hundred years from now," says Joan Breton Connelly, an associate professor of fine arts at New York University, "someone will be sitting here discussing the impact of Star Wars and they will be seeing different things in it than we are seeing today, just as today we have classes in the university on Homer."
Filmmaker Kevin Smith: "It is bad guys versus good guys and everyone wants to see that story. That story will never grow tired, never grow old."
"Star Wars The Legacy Revealed"
3 Comments -
Sounds like a boring endurance test. I don't think I could sit through 2 hrs of famous people talking about why Star Wars is great.
On the other hand, I could watch Secret Asian Man from "A Galaxy Far, Far Away" all day and night.
May 01, 2007 8:14 AM
I'm also turned off, just because in my experience academics make a brave noise but tend to miss most of the Star Wars ethos and get the stuff just slightly wrong. I always have the sneaking suspicion (as I do with nearly all pop-cultural analyses from academics) that they're not nearly familiar enough with the subject matter to be making the kinds of points they want to make.
It's like they base their critiques on vague memories of seeing the movie a long time ago and think that's sufficient (even though they would never try that with, say, Mozart or Hemingway). I remember Walter Cronkite on the (excellent) documentary from the SW DVD release, loving Star Wars but then saying in the next breath that what he liked was the way that the movie emphasized "the future" and "space exploration."
May 01, 2007 8:59 AM
Wait, where’s this toy WWII plane that transforms into an X-wing? What’s that, there isn’t one? Ripoff.
I’m with Jordan here. The environmental message of Star Wars? Makes me roll my eyes.
For my money, it’s the grit. Star Wars’s immediate predecessor was 2001, and to imagine yourself in that world you’d be a trained astronaut. The hero of Star Wars is a teenager with a garage full of junk and a fast car that probably barely runs but goes real fast when it does. And he doesn’t get along with his father figure. Add some wheels to the car and that describes a huge portion of the 1977 fan base.
That’s not all of it, natch, but I think that’s the keystone.
May 01, 2007 12:36 PM