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Post 20

Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 9:01pmSanction this postReply
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To each his own... I grew up with this stuff, so it a special place in my heart and I understand it.  If I had never seen it and was suddenly presented with "revenge of the Sith" I would probably say it was absurd :)  It is certainly not on the level of Tolkien or any of the other great Sci Fi, but it is great cinema.

 - Jason


Post 21

Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 9:42pmSanction this postReply
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The complaints about science fiction depicting "socialist" philosophy's are interesting. Imagine living on a "starship". You are billions of miles from any planet, carrying your own air and water and food on a ship with hundreds of other people. If some "individualist" decides he doesn't want to go along with the "group" what's he gonna do? Get out and walk? If he makes trouble and endangers the ship, he gets spaced. This is truly a "spaceship earth" situation. I'm suggesting that "the nature of man", and the rights of individuals would undergo a bit of a philosophical transformation if man truly lived in space, completely dependant of the machines built for this purpose. And the people who chose to be there would be highly trained and under strong contracts and there would be a culture of community with very strong rules for the survival of the ship. That line of thinking is how I rationalize the apparent "socialism" in these stories and continue to enjoy them.

Post 22

Monday, May 30, 2005 - 1:12pmSanction this postReply
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First of all, Joe - great article (I only just saw Episode III and didn't want to risk spoiling it by reading this sooner). I generally tend to agree though that it is best not to view Star Wars and the like too closely through Objectivists lenses. In a sense though I think that from an O'ist perspective this can be viewed as a sort of tragedy - the Council's bad choices in their behaviour toward Anakin opens Anakin to Darth Sidious' influence; and Anakin's own bad choices in how he deals with the Council end up destroying all that Anakin valued.

Concerning Palpatine's transformation into his true form, I may be wrong but was he not shown briefly in his true form in at least one of the other "prequel" movies? (i.e. Episode I and/or II.) This would suggest that he is indeed using the force to disguise himself and the strain of the fight forces his transformation. This raises the question of why he does not subsequently resume his disguised form. Perhaps he thinks it a waste of energy now that he has a plausible explanation for the apparent disfigurement?

MH

(Edited by Matthew Humphreys on 5/30, 1:19pm)


Post 23

Friday, July 29, 2005 - 7:59amSanction this postReply
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   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


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