| | Well, call me biased, re STAR WARS.
I still remember the 'iconic' impact A New Hope made on me when I 1st saw it (with a 7yr-old e-v-e-n) when it came out.
I can't even say anything bad about Jar-Jar. In a wierd way, he sorta 'fits' in the whole...story. (Sorry people; like the saying used to go: "He was so bad, he was good".) He was so obnoxious (even Qui-Gon stuck a fork in Jar's tongue), he was, well, a cute nuisance. Ok: overly-'cute.'
For better or worse, re the various characters' presentations in the whole story (esp Ep I->III) I think, (as I thought before Ep I) that this 6-movie story is a great product of what Lucas...ostensibly...wanted (J. Campbell's associations nwst): a contemporary Morality-Play of epic proportions for today's generations. As far as I'm concerned, George did it. I've used it as such with my 11yr-old. (I've used many movies with him that way: Spartacus, Gladiator, Negotiator, Matrix, Troy, TombRaider, I.Jones, Ben-Hur, G.I. Jane, "James Bond," "Bruce Lee," and we're working on "Shakespeare"...finally.) --- Needless to say, we 'discuss' each.
Sorry, I tend to tangentialize. Anyhoo, yes, for us poor 'Randites', SW seems to lack a bit without our Rorschachianly 'filling in' rationales for acceptance of it as 'worthwhile.' NTL, lemme give it a try... :)
"THE FORCE" :: I forget the name, but Lucas (in The Phantom Menace) seems to have given it's basis in a bona-fide physically-organic phenomenon re something cellular or organically-nuclear, hinting at Vitalism of some sort while seemingly keeping the idea 'mystical'-sounding. Ergo, as I gather, some have more of it than others. Sorta like 'talents' some prodigies or Olympic-caliber athletes have beyond what the rest of us have in starting out our lives with. --- Many SW 'purists' didn't like the idea of 'physicalising' it's basis, after The Phantom Menace came out.
THE ADVICE--"Trust your Feelings" :: Consider the situations such was given in, and, for those not familiar with martial arts, think about what you have cinematically seen re the latter: Seagal, Li, Chan, (and, the still best, Lee) were clearly presented in street-fight situations where you don't think about your next movement. No time. You're prepared, or you're not (as Yoda would say, EST-wise: "You do, or you do not; there is no 'try' [or...time-to-think]") --- I've had a couple yrs exp in Tae-Kwon-Do (wish I had more in others) and have no problem with this idea. You hesitate for time to think...you get clobbered. You have practiced/experienced enough to succeed with your skills, or you have not. --- This is not to say that you do not 'focus.' Strictly speaking, after you learn moves (and I mean LEARN them), you also learn to 'peripheralize' your...focus; or, you don't; and you learn to 'automatize' (feeling-wise) your reactions, or you don't. --- Anyhoo, 'feelings,' in this context, means more than hedonistic-orientations methinks.
THE ADVICE (2) :: I can't quote from Ep-III re Yoda, but he definitely gave bad advice...for the time's moment...to Anakin; something along some Zen-sounding lines of "Embrace loss; it is part of life" (or some such when Anakin was worried about Padme later dying.) In a sense, I can agree with the advice...generally. But, definitely Bad-Timing for such (and I thought Yoda was wise!)
THE JEDI :: Altruists? Or Selfish (a la Batman's view of HIS need to get rid of societal-vermin)? I lean towards the latter motivations of them, their view of ascetism as necessary for such a crusading...'focus'...nwst. (Need it be pointed out that Anakin's betrayal of this latter added, after his earlier rage-filled massacre, to his betrayal of them all?)
THE POLITICS :: Far be it for me to give a solid analysis of Lucas' view of the political situation giving rise to Palpatine's finding an opening for his own empire-forming-goals, but Lucas DID view the galactic "Congress" as consisting of representatives in a Republic (Federation?), and not a mere 'Democracy'. I have to give him credit for that, story-wise, especially given that 'politics' was not his orientation (or forte, methinks) here, but merely a situational excuse (plot-wise, if that's the way to put it) for the rest of his hero/heroine's shenanigans.--- Indeed, maybe he put a line or two in the last movie re Bush's "You're with us, or you're against us." But, like, suppose there was no 9/11: it therefore doesn't 'fit?' It does. Lucas' whole 1st trilogy is about the likes of Hitler's coming to power; who can miss that? That some see such applying to Bush, well, c'est la vie. My only problem there is: why don't they see it as also applying to Clinton (or any present Rep/Sen. of ours) as well? They're both/all Politicians 1st, and Partisans (a very far) second. (Unfortunate that 'statesman' no longer applies nowadays...except for Blair) --- Sorry; I tangentialize again.
THE WORST LINE :: "Only Sith deal in absolutes." --- Sigh: no argument. dumb, Dumb, DUMB...but then, Lucas has become known for not being...well,...great... in scripting. Over all, a LOT of lines in the last movie could have been better formed in their given scenes (I have to add, some of the acting as well........and I'm a 'fan.')
THE BEST LINE ::
May The Force Be With You
J-D
PS: Science-Fiction='Socialism-Propaganda?' Somebody never read Heinlein. Or Clarke. Or Asimov. Or Saberhagen. Or Anthony. Or Bear. Or...
PPS: I grant that the SW saga is not "Science-Fiction" but is really more of a mythic-oriented "Fantasy" with SF 'trappings.' --- The whole subject of what is SFiction vs. SFantasy is itself a debated topic in...'SF'...circles. (and, as Harlan Ellison points out, "SciFi" is a whole 'nother thing.) Categorization can be a bitch, man.
:D
|
|