4/2/2023 0 Comments Makemkv force awakens![]() In terms of narrative structure, the three Star Wars films are deftly crafted. Not so with Star Wars, which still has its original freshness. After reading and watching so many stories that were influenced by Tolkien's work, it's almost impossible to experience The Lord of the Rings as having the same power as when it first came out. Think of The Lord of the Rings, in contrast: the original novel was utterly ground-breaking when it was published in the 1950s, but its influence was too profound for its own good. That continuing uniqueness is one reason why the three original Star Wars films retain their storytelling power. What's perhaps most interesting about this blend of fantasy and science fiction is that it still remains essentially unique while many films and television shows were immediately inspired by the science-fictional elements and the sweeping story arc, the fundamental concept of blending the two genres still remains largely the province of Star Wars. And let's not forget Darth Vader, who embodies all that is dark and frightening about human nature: a dark side that Luke (like us) cannot simply destroy, but must come to terms with. But as with Luke, George Lucas wisely gave Leia a modern touch to make her more than just an archetype: she's no passive sit-in-a-tower princess, but a true leader of her people. ![]() You might think it's odd for the Republic to be represented by a princess, but in fairy tale and myth, royal blood and essential goodness go hand in hand. The enemy is the Empire, with its chilling ranks of armored, faceless Stormtroopers the good guys are the rebels fighting for freedom. ![]() Shrewdly, though, Lucas made Skywalker very much a functioning part of his universe: while the audience may be amazed at things like droids, hovercraft, and weird aliens, Luke takes them as a matter of course, because they're part of his normal surroundings.Įverything about the epic Star Wars saga has its roots in myth and fable. As the most naive of the characters, he shares our wonder and amazement as he discovers the world beyond his limited horizons. Luke Skywalker is the hero, but he's an Everyman kind of hero: a farm boy who discovers that he is the heir to an amazing legacy, and who is catapulted unprepared into a story of galactic proportions. It's that mythological base that makes the story arc of Star Wars work so well, particularly with younger viewers. And it's deliberately so: George Lucas drew on basic elements of mythology to craft his tale, drawing insights and inspiration from Joseph Campbell, who had explored the nature of the mythological hero figure in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Star Wars is not really "science fiction" in anything other than its superficial trappings it is really a fairy tale. What was so ground-breaking about Star Wars? First and foremost, I'd argue that it's a phenomenally successful blending of science fiction and fantasy, something that hadn't been done before and, in truth, has not really been done since. But Star Wars took an astonishing leap forward: there really was nothing even remotely like it. For fantasy, there were the stop-motion animated spectacles of Ray Harryhausen. There were action sci-fi serials like Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, and television shows like Star Trek or Doctor Who. Sure, there had been science fiction films before, even great ones like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Planet of the Apes, both in 1968. There was nothing like Star Wars when the first installment hit the screens in 1977. If there were ever a situation with unsupportable hype, this is it. So I got the chance to review the Star Wars Trilogy, quite possibly the most eagerly anticipated DVD release in the history of the format, and the darling of my generation. Tout a trilogy of films as the greatest moviegoing experience of a generation, and I'll say "Let me judge that for myself." And as a reviewer, I'm never afraid to "call it like I see it," even if that means taking the opposite position to every other viewer and reviewer out there. ![]() Show me a trailer a million times and I'll probably just stay away from the theater. Praise a movie to the skies, and I'll look at it twice as skeptically.
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