the planets of the saga

what are your views on what the different planets of the saga represent about the story?

why were planets chosen for a particular part of the story?

here are some of my views:

A New Hope:

Tatooine: serves as a desolate, isolated, dangerous place that tells us the droids are in danger and shows us that luke is growing up far from the centre of important events that are happening in the galaxy.

Yavin 4: a remote planet for the rebels to be able to hide away on. temple ruins show us there may be some mythical, historiacl reason for the rebels to be there

The Empire Strikes Back:

Hoth: ice planet shows us the rebels are desperate to hide from the empire if they need to choose such an inhospitible planet. good location for the danger that befalls luke & han at the start of the film

Dagobah: high concentration of wildlife-we get the sense the planet is strong in the force. however the darkness conveys a danger so we are not sure what luke is in for the first time we see the planet

Bespin: beautiful cloud city represents a heavenly place but the part of the city the duel takes place in has been said by lucas to represent hell. Perfect setting for the first duel between luke and vader as the story gets so much darker during it.

Return of the jedi:

Endor: simply a setting to show a primitive culture that could overthrow a technological army. Wildlife but much less dark & threatening than dagobah.


any thoughts on these before i post any comments on prequel planets???

I'm putting your comments in bold and then will add to them, if I can.


Tatooine: serves as a desolate, isolated, dangerous place that tells us the droids are in danger and shows us that luke is growing up far from the centre of important events that are happening in the galaxy.

It is a backwards planet, seemingly unimportant yet it produces such important characters as Anakin and Luke. In junk heaps, great tresures were found, one which almost destroyed the galaxy, and the other which saved it.

Yavin 4: a remote planet for the rebels to be able to hide away on. temple ruins show us there may be some mythical, historiacl reason for the rebels to be there

Jungles have a lot of connotations. Dark, miserable characters in themselves (Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad for example.) This is really a last attempt at survival. The rebels have been chased to over grown and uninhabited worlds of extreme weather conditions. They have to deal with adverse conditions as well as the empire.

Hoth: ice planet shows us the rebels are desperate to hide from the empire if they need to choose such an inhospitible planet. good location for the danger that befalls luke & han at the start of the film

Most of my comments on Yavin can apply here. In addition the rebels are in a state of status. Like frozen water, they are trapped for a little while. They are trying to stay alive and re-build for a new assault on the Empire. Again harsh conditions, it seems like nothing can survive the on the planet, yet the rebels are able to adapt which is an interesting character note.

Dagobah: high concentration of wildlife-we get the sense the planet is strong in the force. however the darkness conveys a danger so we are not sure what luke is in for the first time we see the planet

A sense of life, an earthy feel of dirt and muck and rapidly growing plants. Species thrive in swamps and there is no reason to think the same isn't true for Dagobah. It is also overgrown and out of control (much like the galaxy.) Yoda is forced to live here which illustrate the times in which they live.

Bespin: beautiful cloud city represents a heavenly place but the part of the city the duel takes place in has been said by lucas to represent hell. Perfect setting for the first duel between luke and vader as the story gets so much darker during it.

Agreed, much like Kamino there is a contrast between harsh reality and surreal setting. A contrast between good and evil.

Endor: simply a setting to show a primitive culture that could overthrow a technological army. Wildlife but much less dark & threatening than dagobah.

Nationalism, the ablity of a small and seemingly weak society to overthrow a strong invasion army. The ewoks are as strong as the trees in which they reside.

Naboo:
A symbol of a more elegant time, a classical civilization which is a champion of artistic development, peaceful life, and a simple way of life. While being technological, it seems as if it isn't. Everything is beautiful and surreal. It is a comment on the people, the way of life and the character of Padme. It is the epitome of a more civilized age (before the dark times, before the empire.)

Coruscant:
Political manipulations are as old as the buildings themselves. The fog can often shroud the realities, as does the pollution smog in the skies.
It is busy, filled with diversity, danger and life to the full extent. A representation of the galaxy, a political nucleus, a center of activity.

Kamino:
Much like Bespin there is a dramatic contrast. On the outside it seems like a hellish setting, an underworld. The violent storms, the powerful crashing waves the pouring rains. Yet on the inside there are smooth white walls, peaceful sounds, a pacific quiet. It is tranquil. Yet in this area of tranquility there are dangers being produced. Life is grown, manufactured and sent away. People are mass produced on assembly lines, there is a differing definition of what life is and it's importance

thanx alot for the comments

some really good analysis in there

i believe ep3 will have the largest number of planets yet seen in a star wars film so lets hope there are lots more interesting & diverse settings!

I'm sure they will be. Judging from the trailer images, I can only speculate that there are quite a few planets thrown in there.

-Seldon

I always liked tattooine the most. Probably becase i grew up in the desert.

Kamino...probably its complete opposite i thought was very interestng in AOTC. IT was a planet that was just carpeted in rain. Kinda like a shroud about what is really going on .

dkt