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Why is this saga so succesfull in today's society

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by QuiGon06, May 21, 2005.

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  1. QuiGon06

    QuiGon06 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    May 16, 2005
    Hey everyone, i know this isnt exactly focused on ROTS but I am doin an I-search project for my english class and i need to answer this question: Why is the Star Wars saga so sucessfull in today's society? It'd be great if you guys could give your input on this subject because i need the help...thanks!
     
  2. DarthSapient

    DarthSapient Jedi Youngling star 10

    Registered:
    Jun 26, 2001
    Moving to Saga
     
  3. Jager

    Jager Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 22, 2005
    In my opinion, because we live in a society that craves adventure...but even moreso lives grounded in values. Lucas can make all the 'Sith deal in absolutes' lines that he wants, but let's be honest...the saga is all about 'good guys versus bad guys'...as in the seriels he so admired. That good v. bad is an accessible idea to us, and we admire the characters who play out that struggle.

    Even when GL got a bit more sophisticated with his themes in the PT, the good v. evil context was always there. We understand the idea, and we respond to the heroes who fight the good fight with a certain emotion just as we do with the villains...who inspire a different emotion.

     
  4. Darth-Seldon

    Darth-Seldon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 17, 2003
    It is a modern day myth.

    This is the same story as all of the old and classic stories. Of the classical mythology, Beowulf, the Bible, Arthur's legend.

    Lucas took all the motifs and themes and placed it into a new tapestry. This story compels humanity and always have.

    There is so much to it, between effects, story, writing, it inspires generations.

    Nothing else is like it.

    -Seldon
     
  5. Indy3

    Indy3 Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    May 5, 2001
    Since its a very troubled time these days with War and violence rampant with the terrorists.

    Fantasy films are clear cut, good vs evil.

    We can relate to the characters under there hard times, we can see the enemy as they do.

    LOTR and SW has done well at the box offices and with critics because of their timings.

    Films like these inspire hope in humanity, that there is still good in our world under hard times.

    LOTR was released near 9/11.

    Star Wars was released around Vietnam.

    Thats why the Spiderman has done well because people need a hero.
     
  6. MarshmallowJedi

    MarshmallowJedi Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    May 16, 2005
    First of all, SW is successful because it is just a good story. If you look at all of these movies coming out, only a few tend to develop what non-SW fans call a "cult following." The "Matrix" series had a brief moment in the spotlight, but it soon died. But Star Wars has been loved by millions for almost thirty years because it's something universal. It can mean something to anyone alive today, not just twenty first century Americans. It's transcended culture and reached all of humanity.

    Darth Seldon called SW "a modern-day myth," and I agree. We don't have the great epics or faith anymore in our postmodern society, and we desperately want to believe in something. The Greeks and Romans and Vikings all had really complicated mythologies and believed in Zeus and Odin and Venus, and it grounded them. But our postmodern society says, "There's nothing out there, we're all a biological accident, and we're all going to die." So when Lucas comes around with The Force, and this amazing and complex universe that we can still relate to, we're drawn to it.

    Moral relativism, the idea that everything is acceptable and should be tolerated, is creeping into an ever more politically-correct society. So I think it is refreshing for us to see absolutes -- the Dark Side is Evil, and the Light Side is good, and people can make choices that can take them either way.

    In the original trilogy, we follow Luke as he finds himself, faces the Dark Side, and ultimately triumphs and restores good to the universe. In the prequels, we see his father make the exact opposite decision, and it tears us up inside because to us, Darth Vader and Obi-wan and Yoda represent something far more than actors and muppets on a screen. They are our heroes, the ones that we almost revere. I am not old enough to remember any of the original movies coming out, but growing up, they still meant a great deal to me. Like true classics, they reach beyond a simple story and touch something inside of us. (In fact, in one of the English textbooks at my school, there is an excerpt from SW comparing it to Homer's "The Oddyssey".) SW has become part of our mythology, in a way. That is why Star Wars is still so influential and successful.
     
  7. QuiGon06

    QuiGon06 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    May 16, 2005
    Hey guys thanks a lot ...you have a been a huge help so far, tell your friends abotu this post too so i can get some more. Your guys rule man
     
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