Psychologists, history and out of the box thinkers: Lend me your eyes.

I've been doing some reading and thinking (Always a dangerous thing. ) and I was wondering about the Nazi/Empire parallels...
Obviously, Lucas was influenced by real world history like WW2 when crafting the SW films... the big "gimme's" are stormtroopers,
the Imperial Navy officer's similarity to the Nazi uniforms and Palpatine's rise to power through charismatic speeches/manipulations...

One thing struck me as odd... Anakin was thought to have been conceived by the Midichlorians (or if they phrase bugs you, The Force) and he doesn't share many features at all with his mother, Shmi Skywalker.
He's tall, blonde haired, blue eyes with sharp striking features... funny, but why does the Force (or rather Lucas), have it's/his hero or "Chosen One", look like the perfect example of the "master race"?

It's even more ironic that he goes on to become power obsessed, bent on continuing a family line of power, and a would be successor to a dictator! Even Vader's costume has simlarities to a Nazi look, mixed with the Japanese Samurai influence (still a WW2 enemy).

Do you think these parallels are ironic, planned to teach a lesson or just subconscious?

I'm not a psychologist or a historian, but I have a general knowledge of these topics. I'd like to read your thoughts and opinions, if you can add more parallels or "fun facts", that would be great!

I'm hoping this thread will be entertaining and educational for those that want to get past the lightsaber battles and rivalries of movie fanbases...

Enjoy!

 

There's also loose Roman Empire parallels. My history is pretty rusty, but here goes. . .

A Senate gives emergency powers to a man (Palpatine/Augustus) to defeat a group of separatists led by a traitor (Brutus/Dooku). That man goes on to become Emperor.

Augustus was a military leader, analogous to Palpatine being a Sith and having an army created for him.

Also, at about that time, there was a virgin birth of a chosen one whose influence would eventually change the Roman Empire (albeit in different ways than Anakin).

 

True. but the person chosen to play Anakin didn't necessarily have to be like Hayden Christiansen with blonde hair and blue eyes. In my opinion, Hayden's hair isn't really blonde.. but now im digressing.

 

"He's tall, blonde haired, blue eyes with sharp striking features... funny, but why does the Force (or rather Lucas), have it's/his hero or "Chosen One", look like the perfect example of the "master race"?"

I think that neither Jake Lloyd nor Hayden Christensen look Scandinavian. If I recall correctly, Hitler envisioned the 'master race' to look like Scandinavian people, with bright blond hair and deep blue eyes. Christensen and especially Lloyd both do not fit Hitler's 'master race' concept very well, imo.


"I've been doing some reading and thinking...about the Nazi/Empire parallels."

While the Nazis certainly influenced Lucas's designs for the Empire, I believe that the Empire was culled from the history of many different governments/militaries, as well as: the arms race, imperialism, dictatorships, rebellions, etc.



-Just my 2 cents.

<edits: syntax and spelling>

 

Well, Hayden Christensen looks pretty Scandinavian--put him in a Viking helmet, and he'll look right at home. Pernilla August doesn't look Scandinavian either... but... well...

(And actually, they do have some features in common. There's a strong similarity in facial structure.)

I think that what mitigates against it is simply that casting Anakin was a retro-cast (so was casting Padme). Their children had already been cast. An older version of Anakin had been cast. Older Anakin had blue eyes, like Mark Hamill's, and therefore they went with Anakin being the blond/blue-eyed parent. He resembles Luke.

Now, the question of why Luke had to be the blue-eyed wonder-boy has been raised before, but I tend to think it has more to do with the sun-planet imagery than with any racial concerns. The blond hair reflects the sunlight, the eyes, the sky. Luke is introduced in this environment and represents it. (Also, remember, it was the '70s, and the blonde beach bum hadn't gone out of style as the poster boy quite yet. ) Anakin also represents it, though his "light" is cut off behind the deathmask he's forced into.

 

Oh, no, it's not letting me edit!

I wanted to waffle a little bit. I only think the resemblance to Luke is superficial, in the coloring. The deeper resemblance (facial structure, attitude, etc) is with Leia. The opposite is true of Padme, who looks like Leia in her coloring and hairstyles, but whose facial structure and body type are much more like Luke.

 

I hate it when the edit button is busted. Wait hold on, hate leads to...

Uh oh, I just remembered something. When Anakin is good (a padawan/jedi), he has some 'master race' features, and has the voice of a caucasian. When Anakin is Vader, he is dressed in a menacing black outfit, and has the voice of a man with African descent (James Earl Jones). Suddenly I'm reminded of the opening scene of Chasing Amy.

 

Ookay, maybe he's not a "perfect" example...

Why does everyone have to so technical!

The point being, Anakin could have had darker hair and features in order to look like his mother.
Shmi was to have had a "virgin birth", while it's interesting that her son doesn't share very many of her features, why would or wouldn't he? There's no genetic data on what a true virgin birth would yield.
This leads me to concluded that the Midichlorians or the Force had a good sense of individuality since "their" traits overrode her.

For the record, I think G.L. should have pulled a switch, let Anakin have darker features and hair, let Padme have the lighter colored hair with brown eyes.
A lot of non SW fans thought Anakin was a young Luke when TPM came out... I ran into a lot of them!
At least, THAT would have been avoided.

I think it is still interesting that the "face" of the man the Emperor relied on to do his dirty work has some parallels to Hitler's ideas.

 

But blonde hair is connected to the sun, and therefore feeds into the "son of the suns" motif.

And people who thought Anakin was young Luke weren't paying enough attention.

 

The "Son of the Sons" mention is interesting...

Anakin says that he and his mother had been on Tatooine since he had been three, he thinks.
I'm guessing that Luke won't be born on Tatooine, sooo, isn't the "Son of the Suns" kinda silly... I guess "Raised by the Suns" isn't as catchy.

I guess we'll never know where Anakin was actually born... we might not even know where L&L were born!

EDIT: Well, at the time of TPM, I had an Anakin figure on my desk at work, mostly I heard: "It's little Luke!"
I got sick of explaining that it was a PREQUEL... "It's EPISODE ONE, ONE!! ONE COMES BEFORE THE OTHERS, THEY ARE 4,5, & 6!!!"

 

There's also the possible British Empire angle.
If I remember right the Brits Army was once called the Imperial army an then ofcourse you have the Irish 'rebels', etc.

From a Psychologist's point of view there aint much you can say. Vader is tall because it gives an illusion of authority and strength and has a booming voice for the same reason. I am somewhat of a novice in the field though and a heavy Freudian which makes me a little sick .

 

Yay! I killed another thread.