failure of technology

gl has always went on about technology advancing through the saga ,droids,clonetroopers,vader.etc
so is there a reason why the ewoks defeated the empire, is the story trying to tell us not to rely on technology

 

The idea of the corruption of technology is all over the Saga. The Ewoks embody this to some degree but they are a guide really.
They are the rabbit guiding Alice down the rabbit hole, the 'magical' woodland creature that takes the hero(s) to their destination/adventure.

 

I don't really see technology advancing through the series. The level of technological advancement we see in ROTJ is no different than TPM. There are no obvious markers of growth or change. If anything, we see a technological regression in the OT, although that can be attributed, at least in part, to the cruder filmmaking methods of the time. In the OT, there is no advancement, only the utilisation of existing technologies at a much grander scale: a blaster is essentially the same as the Death Star's superlaser, only a thousand times enlarged.

That having been said, I do think Star Wars has a love/hate with technology. The defeat of the Imperial garrison on Endor by the comparatively primitive Ewoks doesn't nessecarily mean we shouldn't rely on techology, but it's part of a greater theme of the unbridled progression of science and it's destructive power. Star Wars shows us a world where technology gives humanity access to the wonders of the galaxy, while at the same time we see the Death Star snuffing out billions of lives. Lucas sees a duality in our relatioship with science and technology, and it's expressed in his films in different ways.

 

The regression of technology can easily be explained by the rise of the Empire. A political and military coup causes chaos and an economic recession. Economics tank, then all production becomes a matter of necessity and speed. You're not going to be making the walkers in AOTC in twice the time it takes for the AT-ATs. Their joints are much more complex. The Empire needed tech that would be able to be mass-produced QUICKLY, so they could efficiently get them out on the field without expending too much money, labor, and especially, time.

 

is the story trying to tell us not to rely on technology


That was actually Lucas' intent with the trench run in ANH. Red Leader had fired his torpedoes using his targeting computer and failed to destroy the Death Star.


Luke, on his run, turned off his computer and at the last moment his only other available mechanical assistance, Artoo, is taken away. At the very end it is Luke by himself having to trust his instincts and the Force to guide him.

As Lucas himself said, for a movie that advanced moviemaking technology and depicted a highly technological culture, the theme of the movie was decidedly anti-technological.

 

One theme Lucas has in the saga is what I call the "Vietnam Principle" The under-developed, less technological society defeats the technological one.

We see it in TPM, Gungans with their strange technology are able to defeat the grand robotic armies of the Federation.

We see it again in ROTJ. The little Ewoks are capable of defeating the Storm Troopers and the Empire itself.

We also see it in the Rebellion. The Rebels have inferior weapons, ships and technology. Yet they take down the entire empire.

Lucas was very influenced by the Vietnam war.

-Seldon

 

Actually the underlining principle throughout the entire saga, is "AGAINST INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS" wouldn't you, for eg:
C3PO: You do no that the odds of surviving an asteroid field, is 750 to 1. (Ep. 5, TESB.)