I am a teacher. It's what I do. Before that, I was an English major. So it's suffice to say I like to think. And I like to think a lot about literature and music. It's easy to trace this line of enjoyment in over-analyzing (my students' words, not mine) stories and tunes back to the original 1977 Star Wars film.
Long before Blu-Ray, DVD, and even VHS, there was only two ways to see a movie. See it in a theater or on television. The problem was trying to catch it whenever it was available. Past seeing a movie in a first or second run, the only way you could see it again is through a revival or film society. Catching a movie on television was the equivalent of catching your favorite animal not sleeping at the zoo. Then came cable television. Then, hopefully, it was only a matter of time before your favorite movie showed up on cable movie channels. Thus was the experience for so many of us growing up, waiting to see the original Star Wars (ANH aka Episode IV) on TV.
I went a good three years between seeing Star Wars in the theater (circa 1978 - it played many months in the theater - remember those days?) The next time I saw it was post-Empire Strikes Back when it ran in the theaters again (circa 1981). All the years between viewings, playing with the toys, memorizing the trading cards, reading the books (including the proverbial record/book read-along), listening to the John Williams soundtrack, and drawing countless interpretations created a movie in my head that couldn't be matched.
Then Star Wars premiered on HBO in February 1982, I saw a movie I did not recognize.The movie I videotaped and watched endlessly was not the movie I remembered seeing in 1978. Where was the scene where I thought R2-D2 walked through a wall? Where was the scene with Biggs (there were pictures of this scene in my Scholastic Book version)? It just felt...different. It seemed shorter, not as grandiose... I was convinced I was seeing an edited version. HBO shafted us! It was years before I realized my imagination took what I saw in 1978 and ran with it.
The whole concept, themes and characters and Star Wars Universe led to questions that pointed me back to the movies. The re-watching, the questions, the waiting for answers between movies (remember that?) was just as much fun as the films themselves. I wanted to recapture that feeling long after the OT ended its run. So I turned to music. The Who, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Joe Walsh, Santana, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young... All these artists took me down the same Rabbit Hole of Analysis that Star Wars did. What does that song mean? Why did he write those lyrics? Is Joe Walsh aware that his Barnstorm resembles a concept album? Then...there was FILM. I started to understand what makes a classic/great film. Sitting through Apocalypse Now and Woodstock for the first time made me appreciate Heart of Darkness and the music of Pink Floyd. Some would say classic literature, baseball and Pink Floyd are all acquired tastes. But I learned it's the journey. You can't take the short cuts [ahem! Spark Notes] or you'll miss the beauty of the ride.
Then along came college and hardcore theory analysis. I took classes that questioned gender, reality and society. Just like music, the literature always had something to relate to. It's there if you think about it and can see it. Like using the force. Questioning and critical thinking opened doors to all kinds of ideas, concepts and possibilities. Suddenly, analyzing Jean Luc Godard and Ingmar Bergman wasn't such a stretch in my adult life. I've learned to appreciate the eye, thought and choices of the artist.
And, yet, I see those "kid-friendly", "marketing heavy" movies about good vs evil, Skywalkers, Wookiees and droids and I'm still thinking about them. The best part? Just like with literature, music, art and film, as you grow older you can read, listen and view with different eyes. Different themes are emphasized the longer you stick around. You care about different things and understand more than you used to. It's a joy to experience!
And so I have to thank George Lucas, for all of it. That one film rippled my imagination to all kinds of wonderful places and ideas.
Thanks again, George.
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