The reason I like Star Wars goes beyond my own personal connection with the original 3 films. Yes, I grew up on action figures, books and trading cards...My mother made me a Han solo vest and a Vader cape...blah blah blah.
However, as a teacher, I like what Star Wars DOES and SAYS. All six seven films (yes, I said all seven) get me thinking about a lot of things: mythology,politics,storytelling, social commentary, fate, faith and on and on. Rather than getting quote up in the debates about what all seven films do or don't do. I'd much rather focus on what's actually in the films rather than what they lack. And I like what they have to say...
Recently, I came upon a an online post that included this video about Star Wars as "poetry." It demonstrates quite a few ways that the six films echo each other in thematic and visual ways. It includes one of the examples I use in my Cinema Studies class. Once I was able to obtain a DVD copy of ROTS I commenced to breaking down what I thought I'd seen in the theaters. I saw something pretty amazing.
It's very clear, and seems clearly intentional, that the scene where Palpatine begs Anakin to save him from Mace Windu mirrors ROTJ when Luke begs Vader...er, Anakin to save him from Palpatine. This is where you have to give George Lucas some credit. Someone took the time to make sure those two scenes are painstakingly matched. From Anakin/Darth Vader being caught in the middle, to Mace/Palpatine's "angry face", to Palpatine/Luke's incessant begging from floor, to both times he chooses the person to his right and get rids of the person to his left. [Please, don't make any political jokes with that.] That. Shows. THOUGHT. Things like that give you something to think about...And there's a ton of that in Star Wars.
Here's another story...
Confession: I, too, was a little disappointed with Episode I. However, when it was first released, I felt I had some perspective on it. I wasn't ready to throw all my memories away because it was some terrible movie that didn't match my pre-conceived notions. Truth be told, I had no idea what to expect. But my housemates did. And they were mad, peeeeeeeved. As we rode home in the dark, they complained about everything. They pointed out the major goof when Qui-Gon died he didn't disappear like Obi-Wan and Yoda did. Somebody obviously hadn't done their OT homework. OK, maybe there were some legit gripes...Maybe there were some un-Star Wars-like things. Like that two on one fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul. That seemed a little un-jedi-like. That didn't seem like a fair fight. [But later viewings of ANH told me this wasn't unusual.] And there was too much Jar-Jar...Waaaaay too much. I understood this film had to be a little light-hearted and marketed (?) to kids, but suddenly an interesting ground battle broke out into a Keystone Cops routine. [Aside: My hope was Jar-Jar was going to redeem himself in the next couple films. I think he did...did I miss it?] So I tried to talk some sense into my disgruntled housemates. I told them this episode had to be a fairy tale in order for it to go where it logically would go in Episode III. They ignored me and, in hindsight, probably made a lot of Jar-Jar and podracing-is-just-selling-video-game jokes. [who didn't?]
Flash forward to the VHS comes out. I buy it and never watch it. As much as I still believed the tone of TPM was purposeful, I had no desire to watch it. It just wasn't my thing. Then one of my best friends made me watch it with him. He's ten years my junior and was barely out of his teens at that time. Young padawan had much to learn about REAL Star Wars. Or saw I thought. We watched the film and he started pointing out things I would never have noticed. The most striking, and subtle, was Anakin's reaction to when the Jedi Council shoots down the idea of Anakin becoming a jedi, and Mace moves on to "new business." Anakin squints. Oooo, he's mad. YES, that poor little Jake Lord who everyone swears is the worst kid-actor of all time just did something that was well-directed. At first I thought I was seeing things. But as each successive episode came out, it became more and more clear Anakin and Mace just don't like each other. Like, haaaaaaaate each other. Go back and watch every scene in the Prequels where they interact. Watch the eyes [I see your eyes - sorry, couldn't resist] and body language (TPM: "No, he will not be trained", ROTS: "Take a seat, Master Skywalker". It's very clear. Then along comes Anakin in Episode III, trying to do the right thing. He tells Mace the truth about Palpatine. Mace tells him to stay out of it and says "fear" is clouding his judgement. And then there's the payoff...The callback, from all the way back to The Squint, Mace says, "If what you told me is true, you will have gained my trust." Whaaaaaat? Gained his trust to confront Palpatine together? Gained his trust that Anakin should be a master?Gained his trust that Anakin is the Chosen One? All of the above? Is this a multiple-choice quiz?...Or is it that Mace never trusted him in the first place? I'm taking what GL is giving me and I like it.
To Be Continued...
Originally Written: 9/23/15
It's very clear, and seems clearly intentional, that the scene where Palpatine begs Anakin to save him from Mace Windu mirrors ROTJ when Luke begs Vader...er, Anakin to save him from Palpatine. This is where you have to give George Lucas some credit. Someone took the time to make sure those two scenes are painstakingly matched. From Anakin/Darth Vader being caught in the middle, to Mace/Palpatine's "angry face", to Palpatine/Luke's incessant begging from floor, to both times he chooses the person to his right and get rids of the person to his left. [Please, don't make any political jokes with that.] That. Shows. THOUGHT. Things like that give you something to think about...And there's a ton of that in Star Wars.
Here's another story...
Confession: I, too, was a little disappointed with Episode I. However, when it was first released, I felt I had some perspective on it. I wasn't ready to throw all my memories away because it was some terrible movie that didn't match my pre-conceived notions. Truth be told, I had no idea what to expect. But my housemates did. And they were mad, peeeeeeeved. As we rode home in the dark, they complained about everything. They pointed out the major goof when Qui-Gon died he didn't disappear like Obi-Wan and Yoda did. Somebody obviously hadn't done their OT homework. OK, maybe there were some legit gripes...Maybe there were some un-Star Wars-like things. Like that two on one fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul. That seemed a little un-jedi-like. That didn't seem like a fair fight. [But later viewings of ANH told me this wasn't unusual.] And there was too much Jar-Jar...Waaaaay too much. I understood this film had to be a little light-hearted and marketed (?) to kids, but suddenly an interesting ground battle broke out into a Keystone Cops routine. [Aside: My hope was Jar-Jar was going to redeem himself in the next couple films. I think he did...did I miss it?] So I tried to talk some sense into my disgruntled housemates. I told them this episode had to be a fairy tale in order for it to go where it logically would go in Episode III. They ignored me and, in hindsight, probably made a lot of Jar-Jar and podracing-is-just-selling-video-game jokes. [who didn't?]
Flash forward to the VHS comes out. I buy it and never watch it. As much as I still believed the tone of TPM was purposeful, I had no desire to watch it. It just wasn't my thing. Then one of my best friends made me watch it with him. He's ten years my junior and was barely out of his teens at that time. Young padawan had much to learn about REAL Star Wars. Or saw I thought. We watched the film and he started pointing out things I would never have noticed. The most striking, and subtle, was Anakin's reaction to when the Jedi Council shoots down the idea of Anakin becoming a jedi, and Mace moves on to "new business." Anakin squints. Oooo, he's mad. YES, that poor little Jake Lord who everyone swears is the worst kid-actor of all time just did something that was well-directed. At first I thought I was seeing things. But as each successive episode came out, it became more and more clear Anakin and Mace just don't like each other. Like, haaaaaaaate each other. Go back and watch every scene in the Prequels where they interact. Watch the eyes [I see your eyes - sorry, couldn't resist] and body language (TPM: "No, he will not be trained", ROTS: "Take a seat, Master Skywalker". It's very clear. Then along comes Anakin in Episode III, trying to do the right thing. He tells Mace the truth about Palpatine. Mace tells him to stay out of it and says "fear" is clouding his judgement. And then there's the payoff...The callback, from all the way back to The Squint, Mace says, "If what you told me is true, you will have gained my trust." Whaaaaaat? Gained his trust to confront Palpatine together? Gained his trust that Anakin should be a master?Gained his trust that Anakin is the Chosen One? All of the above? Is this a multiple-choice quiz?...Or is it that Mace never trusted him in the first place? I'm taking what GL is giving me and I like it.
To Be Continued...
Originally Written: 9/23/15
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