Star Wars

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

Perhaps this is a topic for a Star Wars site, but a) I don't know any, b) I'm not that sad, and c) Mr. L. would probably take it down, such is his protection of his little baby.

So much has been said about the cultural impact of this series of films. Its contribution to cinema is beyond doubt: the score made the general public aware-perhaps for the first time since the mid-sixties-of an large, effective orchestral score, and the invention, in 1976, of motion control made cinematic dreams a reality. Peel away the (very pretty) layers of skin, however, and what have you got? A modern-day fairytale, perhaps, or a indictment of consumerist society (let's not forget the central irony of the entire series:it takes $420,000,000 to say that possessions are not important)? So just what is it about Star Wars that keeps bringing people back to it, time after time? Is it any good? Is there a place for films such as Star Wars now? What makes it a global phenomenon? Is its success directly attributable to the end of the Vietnam war, and the doldrums that the USA had gotten itself into? Did it really save Hollywood, and the 70s, or is it all clever wise-after-the-event hype? Does the world need Star Wars now? Would the world have been better off without it then? Does anyone care? WHAT MAKES IT SO DAMN POPULAR?! C'mon, folks; get scribbling.

[John Crichton 4]

[Datameister 2,041]

Could you repeat the question?

[Taikomochi 1,136]

I have often wondered about this myself. Star Wars isn't anything special in the plot department. The plot takes more from archetypal stories than Avatar does, and yet I never heard people insult Star Wars on this aspect. I mean, it's a good film, but I'm not sure why it became a classic, except perhaps through its sequels.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I'll get back to you when I've finished this Galactic Conquest session in Battlefront.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

I'll get back to you when I've finished this Galactic Conquest session in Battlefront.

The what what what, in what?!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Star Wars was one of the first mainstream studio films (that I'm aware of) of its kind to use such a different set of archetypes together, and draw from a wide range of cultural touchstones, such as fairytales, samurai stories, westerns, war films, sci fi, and it used these in a fresh way together with a brilliant character-driven script. The creativity and technology involved, together with some great performances (including the breakout Ford), and obviously Williams' music, created a modern myth for a new age. It's also bloody good escapism.

In answer to the questions, yes there is a place for this kind of film, I'm not sure the world would be better off without it or not, I'm sure it saved Hollywood's money men, but it wasn't half as responsible for the crash as much as Biskind thinks.

[Henry B 50]

A modern-day fairytale, perhaps, or a indictment of consumerist society (let's not forget the central irony of the entire series:it takes $420,000,000 to say that possessions are not important)?

This isn't really what Star Wars says... at all.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

A modern-day fairytale, perhaps, or a indictment of consumerist society (let's not forget the central irony of the entire series:it takes $420,000,000 to say that possessions are not important)?

This isn't really what Star Wars says... at all.

In that case, Henry, what are its central themes?

[Henry B 50]

A modern-day fairytale, perhaps, or a indictment of consumerist society (let's not forget the central irony of the entire series:it takes $420,000,000 to say that possessions are not important)?

This isn't really what Star Wars says... at all.

In that case, Henry, what are its central themes?

You can read plenty of better analyses of this can what I could provide. But why did you hone in on consumerism as the central theme?

[Hlao-roo 389]

The Force refers to capitalism.

[DracStarFan 0]

Good God! I wouldn't be the same person if Star Wars had never been made. For one, my love of Classical music wouldn't have been embedded in my musical/creative brain as much, or as early. And, remember what Peter Jackson said when he finally won an Oscar for the LOTR trilogy: "If there wasn't a Star Wars, there never would have been a Lord of the Rings...Hollywood would never have invested in "Fantasy", if Star Wars hadn't been the phenomenon it is." Also, many creative, indie directors site Lucas and Spielberg as inspirational touchstones. Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Tim Burton, J.J. Abrams, Ron Howard, all took risks because of the Sci-Fi movies of the mid/late 1970s. Hello, does anyone believe that the Harry Potter phenomenon has no correlation to Star Wars? Your question can be extended to this: Was Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey really a film of importance? Yes, because that film inspired Lucas and Spielberg, and, as well, John Carpenter and Ridley Scott, to make Science Fiction movies w/ non-traditional Sci-Fi scores. Lucas and Spielberg were taking Kubrick's ideas and refashioning them to augment their two epic films. Classical music completely changed the tone and aura of both Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Let me sum it up this way: A lot of audiophiles are wondering what J.J. Abrams' Super 8 score will sound like. As well, what the heck the film is like/about. In all likelihood, Michael Giacchino (seemingly now, Abrams' answer to Spielberg's Williams) will be composing the score, though, who here/anywhere isn't intrigued to know if John Williams has even been considered? Since the movie is an homage to the Sci Fi/Spooky movies of the 1970s and '80s (primarily Spielberg's, though, you know there will have to be Star Wars references, as well as Jaws, Alien ones (I'd bet my life that the events of Devil's Tower 1977 are weaved in the plot somewhere), too...it takes place in 1979, for Goodness' sake), and Williams really attained his "god-like status" with his scores of the '70s-'80s (Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters, Superman, Jaws 2, The Fury, Dracula, Empire, Raiders, ET), so, it wouldn't be crazy to ask Maestro Williams to make himself a man in his mid-forties, again, and picture himself working on a third Sci-Fi movie in the 1970s. I have to think that since the overall style of the film is meant to be "Spielberg-esque", shouldn't the score, as well, be "Williams-esque"? Or, will Giacchino have the duty of doing kind of what Kevin Kiner has done (rather successfully)for Lucas' The Clone Wars film and series: A score in the frame and tradition of John Williams' oeuvre. Honestly, who wouldn't LOVE a brand new Sci-Fi/Monster movie score by Williams?! However, the man is 78 years old, I believe; and is already at work on Spielberg's other two films due next Xmas (Woo-Hoo!), so that may just be asking too much of a revered, "semi-retired" Grandfather/Husband. I keep thinking, how radically COOL would it be if the score was a collaboration between Giacchino and Williams? Woah, the possibilities! That sprung up in my mind when I read that they were collaborating on the Star Tours ride for Disney.

I'll end it this way: We wouldn't be talking about new Williams scores in 2010/11 and beyond, if, in large part, the Star Wars universe never existed. Even to this day, some aesthetes in the Classical music world are annoyed by the new audience Williams' style, proliferation, and success from the 1970s, brought to that rather elitist group.

Anybody else agree?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

The Force refers to capitalism.

Or he's referring to Han charging an arm and a leg for Luke and Ben to hitch a ride on the Falcon. Or Leia telling Han "If money is all that you love, then that's what you will receive". Economists and cultural theorists have been dissecting these films because of these lines for decades.

[A24 4,330]

From roaming the internet I've discovered that Star Wars doesn't do so well anymore with the latest generation but that's to be expected (hey, it's an antique ride). There are not too many 10-year-olds watching The Wizard Of Oz these days either, right?

Alex

[Jacob 0]

As a kid, Star Wars was the peak of all that was fun, exciting, and awesome.

The toys and movies were simply the best (I even include Phantom Menace in that as I was still young enough to enjoy it just as much as the originals).

And it goes beyond the appeal of just the lightsabers and spaceships and childhood nostalgia. The themes and concepts strike a deep chord with me; the classic good versus evil dichotomy.

Freedom versus tyranny, light versus darkness, not only as played out on the galactic battleground but in the private struggles of the individual against temptation and weakness as well.

There's something very inspiring about it all.

I think that's part of why I enjoy the prequels as much as I do, despite all their cinematic shortcomings.

And then we have the music, which carries and embodies so much of this perhaps better than any other single aspect.

I owe my love of music in large measure to Star Wars, my favorite body of music (with a nod to Revenge of the Sith in particular for being the spark that ignited it).

For all these reasons I loved Star Wars growing up and will always carry a special place for it, I think.

[Quintus 5,399]

It's funny, I didn't get into Star Wars till my teens. I went through my whole childhood without being interested in those movies; much preferring Superman and Indiana Jones instead. Whilst the OT are iconic movies; I don't think their cultural influence is as big as it's sometimes made out to be. Y'know, there's an awful lot of people out there who couldn't give a crap about Star Wars and its music.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Y'know, there's an awful lot of people out there who couldn't give a crap about Star Wars and its music.

Yet indirectly they have been exposed to the changed Hollywood that it caused.

I mean, it's a good film, but I'm not sure why it became a classic, except perhaps through its sequels.

Obviously you were not there in 77, when EVERYTHING was Star Wars.

People nowadays forget that this film made more money then anything that had been their before, and the merchandising was use.

The global succes of Star Wars caused the sequels, not the other way around, as you so preposterously suggest!