The late Joseph Campbell once stated that George Lucas was the best student he ever had. I am not exactly certain what Campbell meant by that comment but after seeing the Revenge of the Sith and reflecting a bit on the entire Star Wars saga I have my own suspicions. I have now seen the Revenge of the Sith twice and after the first showing I found myself a bit numb by the sheer magnitude of the special effects and the rapid action sequences that permeate the film but now that I have seen the film again and have spent some time in reflection I have gained a new and greater respect for what I believe Lucas has accomplished. Personally I don’t think Lucas gets enough credit for the incredibly unique and creative modern day myth that he has brought to life on the big screen. Star Wars is a fascinating story that operates on multiple levels. On one level it appears as a simple good verses evil story but this simplistic modern day moral approach IMO is shattered as the story unfolds in the Revenge of the Sith and we are exposed to the motives and personal anguish of young Anakin Skywalker. While the film is wildly entertaining with the sights and sounds of lightsabers clashing, space ships soaring through space, and the strange sights and sounds of creatures, robots, and otherworldly beings who inhabit the numerous galaxies of the universe the story also contains serious moral, political, and religious subplots. Personally I find the story fascinating and irresistible and while I may not find myself emotionally drawn to any of the characters I do find myself emotionally drawn to the story. Maybe it’s the power of the force???
Unfortunately, I think a fair amount of what Lucas has accomplished gets lost or is under appreciated because of his widespread use of special effects and the often hokey dialogue and humor which is frequently mentioned in the vast majority of the movie critic reviews of the Star War films. But critics beware…Lucas is the bard of our time who also just happens to possess the technological skills to appeal to the hungry masses who just can’t seem to get enough of this ongoing space saga. Of course, big isn’t always better nor does appealing to the masses mean much in the end of the day. But, in the case of George Lucas I do believe he has made a connection with the people of the our time because he has in fact created story worth hearing over and over again and the creativity and synthesis of the old world with our technological society has struck a cord with the masses in a way that will be remembered long after all his critics are dead and gone. We salute you Mr. Lucas because you have used your creativity and the gifts God has given you to stir our imaginations and entertain us like few people ever have and for that we are forever grateful and I suspect your work will be remembered for a long, long, time in our galaxy…
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2 comments:
I'm glad to read your comments on the Star Wars movie. I think that these big mega-epic movies do require additional time to settle in before their full impact and cultural resonance can be known and adequately appreciated. When we first see a film of this sort, we have to resolve our feelings about the hype, the spectacle and our own expectations of what we thought the movie would be like.
I've recently begun re-examining The Matrix in this way, especially since I went ahead and got the extended Ultimate Matrix box set (10 DVDs in all!)
But back to ROTS, I blogged on it the day I saw it, but what gets me is how much the film stuck in my mind in the days following. The scene of Darth Vader laying there on the rocks, groaning in fury after his legs were cut off, just haunts me. I don't know why, really. It's not like I have any kind of fear or preoccupation with meeting such a fate, and I can't completely relate to the kind of intensity of rage that the scene depicts, but it's one of the more powerful and long-lasting moments I've had in a movie theater in some time. (The last one that comes to mind to stick with me like that is more humorous - the scene in "Sideways" where the guy drives his friend's car straight into the tree on his way home. I just laugh, even now, every time I think about it!)
Have you revisited the orignal Star Wars trilogy since seeing Ep. 3? We watched some of the first movie (on full-screen VHS, blah, but still, it's the best I have at this point) and I find myself a lot more interested in Darth Vader as a character now and I look forward to getting through that whole series again, more informed by the back story than ever before.
Dave wrote:
But back to ROTS, I blogged on it the day I saw it, but what gets me is how much the film stuck in my mind in the days following.
Bilbo: I had a similar experience "before" I saw the film. I found myself thinking,reading stories on the internet, talking to my students, and running around acting crazy about the whole Star Wars fan fare for a couple of weeks before the film hit the theatres. Not sure why. I was a big fan back in the 70's but really don't qualify as Star Wars fanatic.
Dave:
The scene of Darth Vader laying there on the rocks, groaning in fury after his legs were cut off, just haunts me. I don't know why, really. It's not like I have any kind of fear or preoccupation with meeting such a fate, and I can't completely relate to the kind of intensity of rage that the scene depicts, but it's one of the more powerful and long-lasting moments I've had in a movie theater in some time.
Bilbo: I found myself drawn to the Darth Vader character for some reason. Perhaps it's the flawed humanity he represents in the film that I find appealing...or...the ongoing inner personal struggles...or the moral ambiguity...not sure...Obi One represents the "ideal" but I suspect deep down in our subconcious we all know we are more like Darth Vader, in some ways, than we would like to admit.
Dave:
Have you revisited the orignal Star Wars trilogy since seeing Ep. 3?
Bilbo: I watched the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi before I saw the Revenge of the Sith. Kind of campy but did enjoy all the scenes with Vader, Luke, and the Emperor. Found myself fastforwarding through alot of the Ewok stuff....Loved the two and a half hour documentary of the history of Star Wars that comes with the recent special DVD edition.
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