StarWars: more than just a movie?

Tycho23 · Post by **Tycho23** » Fri May 20, 2005 9:01 am

Many people are freaking out about the new StarWars movie that came out this week and I realized something.

Alot of people see the fight of the calm and rational good force against the fanatic and passionate dark force as an increadibly excellent analogy to the moral dillemass we face in today's world... Some people actualy see the trillogy over and over agian, just to soak in and study the philosophy presented...

I'm having trouble seeing how this is so, it's just a fun action movie, not an entire philosophy.

Then again, that's what they said about the Matrix...

Post by **otseng** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:45 am

I think it can be seen as both - as a science fiction adventure and as a philosophical movie. I think that's part of the power and popularity of Star Wars. And I think that's also why movies like Matrix and Lord of the Rings are big hits. On the surface, they are action films, but they also explore deeper issues (what is truth? lure of power, etc).

Corvus · Post by **Corvus** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:21 pm

otseng wrote:I think it can be seen as both - as a science fiction adventure and as a philosophical movie. I think that's part of the power and popularity of Star Wars. And I think that's also why movies like Matrix and Lord of the Rings are big hits. On the surface, they are action films, but they also explore deeper issues (what is truth? lure of power, etc).

I think one can say this about every film if we look hard enough, even if they are incredibly shallow. Films like Star Wars, LOTR and Kingdom of Heaven follow a mythic story structure that usually means certain themes and situatiions will always be dealt with, like the importance of being good, fighting evil, confronting fears, overcoming obstacles, friendship, atonement, duty, etc - though these are rarely actually explored in any depth. Still, it's a successful formula and one duplicated in almost every fantasy genre book in existence.

The biggest attraction of the Star Wars movies is the world-building. It fulfils our escapism needs by providing a complete universe to explore. And anyone who wishes to explore it is ready to be exploited by gross merchandising.

(As a sidenote, one of the most popular stories of all time also follows the same mythic story structure first described by Joseph Campbell. It's about some carpenter that rises from obscurity to become the saviour of mankind or something.)

AlAyeti · Post by **AlAyeti** » Sat May 21, 2005 11:31 am

Didn't Jesus have a Jedi Knight with him in the Garden of Gethsemene? And wasn't Judas surrounded by Sith warriors?

Someone got their ear cut off by someone else?

No?

Star Wars. It's just a movie.

MagusYanam · Post by **MagusYanam** » Sat May 21, 2005 1:45 pm

I haven't yet seen Episode III, but I plan on doing so this weekend. Even so, I have to say that Star Wars (at its best) is more than just a series of movies. My favourite of the movies, The Empire Strikes Back, ends up getting extremely metaphysical, i.e. when Luke confronts Vader in the cave and he turns out to be a reflection of the darkness within himself.

It was then that the universe truly expanded. There is incorporated an element of Eastern philosophy in Jedi: though the dark side is what they battle and attempt to overcome, they have to realise that it is also a part of them with which they must be reconciled.

Again, it's the difference between truth in a literal sense and Truth in a broader sense. Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Luke and Leia don't have to be real people for us to be able to identify with them, and there is meaning in the movies beyond mere entertainment (except Episodes I and II - which were only entertaining in a shallow sense and didn't have much by way of deeper meaning). I hope Episode III will prove an improvement.

Tycho23 · Post by **Tycho23** » Sat May 21, 2005 10:22 pm

Don't hate me for saying this, but...

I guess you can sort of relate the deacent movies out there that have morall dillemas and lessons about life in them to the parables in the bible. You can look at them and think 'what the crap does seeds being cast on firtle and infirtle soil have to do with my life'.

you just have to look deeper...

foshizzle · Post by **foshizzle** » Sun May 22, 2005 1:28 am

AlAyeti wrote:Didn't Jesus have a Jedi Knight with him in the Garden of Gethsemene? And wasn't Judas surrounded by Sith warriors?

Someone got their ear cut off by someone else?

No?

Star Wars. It's just a movie.

If the original question was, "Should Star Wars replace the Passion of the Christ as a popular movie about Christ's last days?" then your response would serve a tad bit more purpose.

Dilettante · Post by **Dilettante** » Mon May 23, 2005 4:41 am

I'm not a Star Wars fan, and I don't follow the sequels. But I can see how someone could easily build a religion on its simplistic mythology. Perhaps Corvus can correct me, but I've heard that some people in Australia have already done just that... and started a religion based on the Star Wars series. If that is true, it would join Scientology in taking the leap from Science-Fiction to religion.

Corvus · Post by **Corvus** » Mon May 23, 2005 5:59 am

Dilettante wrote:I'm not a Star Wars fan, and I don't follow the sequels. But I can see how someone could easily build a religion on its simplistic mythology. Perhaps Corvus can correct me, but I've heard that some people in Australia have already done just that... and started a religion based on the Star Wars series.

Not exactly. If I remember correctly, when the census was being conducted the intention was to have as many people declare their religion as being "Jedi" simply for the thrill of seeing "Jedi" recognised as an actual religion or, better yet, a national religion.

edit: typo

Dilettante · Post by **Dilettante** » Mon May 23, 2005 6:22 am

Corvus wrote:
Dilettante wrote:I'm not a Star Wars fan, and I don't follow the sequels. But I can see how someone could easily build a religion on its simplistic mythology. Perhaps Corvus can correct me, but I've heard that some people in Australia have already done just that... and started a religion based on the Star Wars series.
Not exactly. If I remember correctly, when the census was being conducted the intention was to have as many people declare their religion as being "Jedi" simply for the thrill of seeing "Jedi" recognised as an actual religion or, better, yet, a national religion.

Thanks for the correction! What a relief! I only got to read the headline, so I didn't know what the intention was. I'm happy to see that people down under have a good sense of humor!