force ghosts and holograms

Arthur C. Clarke once stated that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

This quote got me to thinking about the similarites (in terms of visual presentation) of force ghosts and holograms in the Star Wars saga. In both cases, force ghosts and holograms, the image is blue and translucent. I don't think this similarity is merely a coincidence. What do you guys think? Is there a deeper meaning that can be inferred from the visual similarity of force ghosts and holograms?

 

explain a little more...im interested...im just not sure where you are trying to go with this

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think force ghosts and holograms might look the same for a specific thematic reason. Although both the heroes and the villians in the Star Wars saga frequently take advantage of technology, it seems that Lucas has portrayed the villains as OVERLY RELIANT on technology. In A New Hope, Luke destroys the "technological terror" that is the Death Star by switching off his targeting computer and using the force to guide his shot. In Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks use rocks and logs to help the Rebels defeat the well armed Stormtroopers. There are more examples, of course, and this point about the Empire's use of technology has been noted by many others. Bascially, my point is that the force ghost/hologram dichotomy is another example of the this same theme. Both force ghosts and holograms can be considered communication mediums. One is enabled by technology (holograms) and the other is enabled by (super)natural means - unity with the force (force ghosts). Interestingly, it is the hologram technology which allows Sidious to launch his decisive attack against the Jedi in Revenge of the Sith (Order 66 - communicated to the Clone Troopers via hologram). However, it is the force ghost communication which ultimately allows Luke to fulfill his quest, and destroy the Empire, in the Original Trilogy - Ben telling him to "use the force" to destroy the Death Star, Ben appearing as a ghost and telling him to seek Yoda, Ben appearing in Return of the Jedi and giving Luke his final pep talk before he confronts Vader for a second time.

Does anybody think this makes sense?

 

Interesting.

 

Maybe the reason for this parallel is that being able to speak accross the galaxy is as close to living without a body as the Sith are going to get? It could also be saying that if the Sith can't get/find a way to make things happen, they will make them happen, rather than listening to the Force and letting it take control.

On a more literal side, perhaps it's just to mirror that the people are talking to others from far away to give advice. (I just realized that as veiwers of the Saga, we are nearly always on the apprentice's side. We see the holograms/force ghosts giving advice, instead of our charachters helping the holograms.)

 

Jedi_872, I like what you said about the holograms and the force ghosts always seeming to give "advice." I especially like how you pointed out that we as the viewers always seem to be on the recieving end of the advice. I also think it's interesting that the "advice" that the saga imparts to viewers can be divided along the same lines as the "advice" that the holograms and force ghosts impart.

What I mean is this:

1. The "advice" that the holograms give are orders. Basically, the holograms say "Do this" or "Do that." This can be equated to a literal interpretation of the saga. Basically, the heroes and villians "Do this" or "Do that." In this interpretation, the Star Wars saga merely represents a story in which specific characters do specific things.

2. On the other hand, the "advice" that the force ghosts give actually represent the aggregate knowledge of the Jedi, who have become One with the Force. As we know, Obi-Wan tells Vader that "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." I interpret this as signifying that in death, Obi-Wan is somehow able to merge all of his knowledge with Luke. Likewise, when Yoda dies, his knowledge merges with Luke as well. This is how Luke is able to defeat Vader and the Emperor; he represents the combined knowledge and power of Qui Gon, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and himself. He succeeds by his own efforts, and the efforts of his teachers. I compare this to the way that knowledge is transmitted through culture. In other words, the knowledge of the dead (such as Homer, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and others) can be transmitted to us through culture, despite the deaths of the specific authors. Of course, as Joseph Cambell (and many others) have pointed out, the Star Wars saga is a modern day mythology cycle that transmits anew the cultural knowledge and codes that have been passed on for centuries. In this interpetation, the Star Wars movies are like the force ghosts, replicating and passing on the lessons and knowledge of those who have lived before us.

 

I like your idea, it is so obvious but I never tried to find any signifiance. Also, did you realize that in rots we see a lot of jedi via hologram,maybe it shows that they are on the bad side, confused, they forgot theirs values.

 

I think that perhaps the Holograms were created by people attempting to mirror the force ghost effect. For those non-force users who couldnt see force ghosts, they had their own kind of non-force ghost which eventually evolved to a superior mode of communication to comlinks.

 

You don't have anything here.