The Modern Mythology of Star Wars
The Modern Mythology of Star Wars
Once upon a time there was a cranky independent filmmaker who was struggling in the film industry. His first film had failed, and his second film although a success had been hacked and re-edited by studio executives. As he thought about the tumultuous times he lived in and the sense of negativity in the world. He sat down and penned a story of heroics, morals, and wonder. A story that he would never dream would revolutionize the film industry, and would go on to be the most successful film series in all history. The film is Star Wars, and the cranky independent film director, George Lucas; a man who scorned corporations and big studios to only one day make a film so amazing that he became a corporation, and owned a big studio.
Star Wars is a large sprawling space opera following the adventures of wizards, princesses, pirates, farm boys, and villains and heroes across a giant universe full of adventure to be had. It touches on themes so basic and so universal that the film is a large success internationally and not just in America. Lucas’s first inspiration to write the movie was the desire to make a children’s film, something fast and exciting for kids to get into. He thought of the serials he watched as a kid. He wanted to recreate that sense of wonder and adventure for a generation of kids he thought were lacking in fantasy and imagination.
No one can argue his success each Star Wars movie has set records in the way of revenue. All together Lucas has made billions on the Star Wars franchise so much he has been able to self-fund all the films except the first two he made. What is arguable is the standing that George Lucas should have as a modern mythologist. Some would call him revolutionary others just a glitzier popcorn filmmaker capitalizing on mythology. But I stand to argue that George Lucas not only is a great modern myth writer, but he also is responsible for the birth of a powerful modern mythos that is revolutionary in comparison to past myths.
Elements of Mythology1
A famous researcher of mythology Joseph Campbell wrote a book called “A Hero with a Thousand Faces.” Campbell’s research showed him that of all the mythology of the world there was common elements to them all that defined them as myths. Story elements, characters, events, etc. Lucas studied Campbell’s work thoroughly and knew that if Star Wars was going to be successful then it had to cover the same elements that made all myths great. And cover them he did.
“Campbell was impressed that Lucas had so diligently presented this large mystery in a way that was so accessible to large numbers of people,” Young said. 2 What is required of a myth? Well story wise there are many common events to all myths.
I. The Departure
Most myths start with a call to adventure you introduced to your main characters in their normal day to day life and something comes along and sends them on a path of adventure. In some other myths like Lord of the Rings, Bilbo is given a ring, in the film the Matrix “follow the white rabbit”, and finally in Star Wars Luke and Obi-wan receive a message on a small droid from a Princess calling for help.
This call is commonly met with some resistance; there is inner turmoil present in our hero. At first he must refuse this call to help. Why should he run off and risk his life? He is happy and secure where he is. Luke uses his responsibilities on the farm as an excuse not to go. But when Luke’s aunt and uncle are murdered by the Empire it is more than enough motivation to go.
Every hero meets up with some kind of supernatural aid. The supernatural aspect of Star Wars is supplied by the idea of the force. Star Wars would just be another Buck Rogers sci-fi adventure if it weren’t for the spiritual aspect of the force. Early on in our story Luke is rescued from the Sand People by a force user a Jedi. The Jedi is Obi-wan Kenobi and he represents the supernatural aid in the story, our “wizard”.
Every hero at this point must cross the first threshold, that first step to the other side, a first in a many in a long journey. Star Wars taking place in a galaxy where intergalactic travel is commonplace the first crossing of the threshold in Star Wars is when Luke embarks on a trip leaving his home planet. Other heroes simply rode on horse back out of town; Star Wars does it in a slightly more epic way.
A popular element in mythology is the belly of the whale. Think of Pinocchio where they are trapped inside the belly of the angry whale. Star Wars also has a scene in it that is similar to that of the belly of the whale when the main heroes infiltrate the Death Star they become trapped inside a giant trash compactor that slowly starts to crush them, though in the end they are able to escape with aid from the robots.
II. The Initiation
Heroes of all myth according to Campbell then follow a trail of initiation where they will change from being the wide-eyed innocent into a hero worthy of great lore. The first step in initiation is the road of trials. This is where our hero would be tested and trained. For Star Wars it takes place when Luke does his light saber practice on the Millennium Falcon.
The next step is meeting the goddess. Eventually your hero has got to find the woman he is protecting/rescuing and possibly eventually falling in love with. In Star Wars Luke meets the princess when he rescues her from the Death Star. Although at some points in the Star Wars saga it seems like Luke and Leia will end up together in the end we learn they are brother and sister, this didn’t sit well with some people. But is reported by Lucas to have been the plan all along, even thought they kiss in The Empire Strikes Back.
One of the major elements in a mythological drama arises when our hero is tempted by evil. At some point he will be almost lead astray from the path of the good. In Star Wars the force has two opposing sides, the light or good side, and the dark side or evil side. Luke is warned by Yoda that as a young Jedi learner he will be tempted by the dark side. And Luke does make mistakes by letting his emotions get the best of him.
The next step in the heroes journey is the central element to the Star Wars saga, atonement with the father. Star Wars is on the whole is a story of a son trying to redemn his father. Luke finds out in the fifth film that Darth Vader is his father, who was once a Jedi and fell to the dark side. Luke is then told by his mentor Yoda that he has to destroy Vader to complete his training, Luke refuses. In the end he does destroy Vader but he saves his father, by proving to him he still had good in him.
Mythology Revolutionized
When George Lucas completes his two trilogies this summer he will have finally ended the greatest modern myth ever created. Not only has it been the most widespread myth known but it also revolutionary in its form.
Feder also noted Luke's shift toward pacifism, which is different from past mythological heroes. Yoda and Obi-Wan teach Luke to use the Force for knowledge and defense, and the young Jedi knight tosses away his weapon during the climactic battle with Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi.
“That's a pretty radical idea,” she said. “We're used to the hero fighting; slaying the dragon or killing the monster. That's what we find most familiar. This idea of triumphing by not fighting, of being passive, of letting this power work through you, is a very Zen type of idea.”3
It is in this change of ideals from the classic myth archetype that Lucas has introduced a new out look on the myth. Lucas’s spiritual warriors in the Star Wars saga are the Jedi Knights. Many have debated their origins back to either samuri or English knights they seem to be a combination of many different ideas. The Jedi Knights are pessimists and it is an important ideal for Lucas that they only use force when required, only draw a weapon at the last moment.
To me this places Star Wars above previous myths in a way as Lucas shows you can be a hero with out being violent a perfect lesson to children. First thing they teach you in karate, never use this to attack only in defense. Not only kids are learning to avoid the dark side, trust themselves, and help others, but they are learning a path of non-violence is the best for resolving issues, I think that’s a powerful lesson.
Conclusively George Lucas has made himself the first mass-media mythologist. When Episode III Revenge of the Sith is released this May more people will line up to see it than any previous mythologist could hope would ever hear their story. The amount of people who are drawn to this modern day myth is a testament to the validity of both Star Wars being a great modern myth and to George Lucas being a great mythologist.
Works Cited
http://www.echostation.com/features/usatoday.htm
http://www.folkstory.com/articles/petersburg.html
http://www.jitterbug.com/origins/myth.html
http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/mattingly.html
Vande Berg, Wenner, Gronbeck. Critical Approaches to Televsion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004
Once upon a time there was a cranky independent filmmaker who was struggling in the film industry. His first film had failed, and his second film although a success had been hacked and re-edited by studio executives. As he thought about the tumultuous times he lived in and the sense of negativity in the world. He sat down and penned a story of heroics, morals, and wonder. A story that he would never dream would revolutionize the film industry, and would go on to be the most successful film series in all history. The film is Star Wars, and the cranky independent film director, George Lucas; a man who scorned corporations and big studios to only one day make a film so amazing that he became a corporation, and owned a big studio.
Star Wars is a large sprawling space opera following the adventures of wizards, princesses, pirates, farm boys, and villains and heroes across a giant universe full of adventure to be had. It touches on themes so basic and so universal that the film is a large success internationally and not just in America. Lucas’s first inspiration to write the movie was the desire to make a children’s film, something fast and exciting for kids to get into. He thought of the serials he watched as a kid. He wanted to recreate that sense of wonder and adventure for a generation of kids he thought were lacking in fantasy and imagination.
No one can argue his success each Star Wars movie has set records in the way of revenue. All together Lucas has made billions on the Star Wars franchise so much he has been able to self-fund all the films except the first two he made. What is arguable is the standing that George Lucas should have as a modern mythologist. Some would call him revolutionary others just a glitzier popcorn filmmaker capitalizing on mythology. But I stand to argue that George Lucas not only is a great modern myth writer, but he also is responsible for the birth of a powerful modern mythos that is revolutionary in comparison to past myths.
Elements of Mythology1
A famous researcher of mythology Joseph Campbell wrote a book called “A Hero with a Thousand Faces.” Campbell’s research showed him that of all the mythology of the world there was common elements to them all that defined them as myths. Story elements, characters, events, etc. Lucas studied Campbell’s work thoroughly and knew that if Star Wars was going to be successful then it had to cover the same elements that made all myths great. And cover them he did.
“Campbell was impressed that Lucas had so diligently presented this large mystery in a way that was so accessible to large numbers of people,” Young said. 2 What is required of a myth? Well story wise there are many common events to all myths.
I. The Departure
Most myths start with a call to adventure you introduced to your main characters in their normal day to day life and something comes along and sends them on a path of adventure. In some other myths like Lord of the Rings, Bilbo is given a ring, in the film the Matrix “follow the white rabbit”, and finally in Star Wars Luke and Obi-wan receive a message on a small droid from a Princess calling for help.
This call is commonly met with some resistance; there is inner turmoil present in our hero. At first he must refuse this call to help. Why should he run off and risk his life? He is happy and secure where he is. Luke uses his responsibilities on the farm as an excuse not to go. But when Luke’s aunt and uncle are murdered by the Empire it is more than enough motivation to go.
Every hero meets up with some kind of supernatural aid. The supernatural aspect of Star Wars is supplied by the idea of the force. Star Wars would just be another Buck Rogers sci-fi adventure if it weren’t for the spiritual aspect of the force. Early on in our story Luke is rescued from the Sand People by a force user a Jedi. The Jedi is Obi-wan Kenobi and he represents the supernatural aid in the story, our “wizard”.
Every hero at this point must cross the first threshold, that first step to the other side, a first in a many in a long journey. Star Wars taking place in a galaxy where intergalactic travel is commonplace the first crossing of the threshold in Star Wars is when Luke embarks on a trip leaving his home planet. Other heroes simply rode on horse back out of town; Star Wars does it in a slightly more epic way.
A popular element in mythology is the belly of the whale. Think of Pinocchio where they are trapped inside the belly of the angry whale. Star Wars also has a scene in it that is similar to that of the belly of the whale when the main heroes infiltrate the Death Star they become trapped inside a giant trash compactor that slowly starts to crush them, though in the end they are able to escape with aid from the robots.
II. The Initiation
Heroes of all myth according to Campbell then follow a trail of initiation where they will change from being the wide-eyed innocent into a hero worthy of great lore. The first step in initiation is the road of trials. This is where our hero would be tested and trained. For Star Wars it takes place when Luke does his light saber practice on the Millennium Falcon.
The next step is meeting the goddess. Eventually your hero has got to find the woman he is protecting/rescuing and possibly eventually falling in love with. In Star Wars Luke meets the princess when he rescues her from the Death Star. Although at some points in the Star Wars saga it seems like Luke and Leia will end up together in the end we learn they are brother and sister, this didn’t sit well with some people. But is reported by Lucas to have been the plan all along, even thought they kiss in The Empire Strikes Back.
One of the major elements in a mythological drama arises when our hero is tempted by evil. At some point he will be almost lead astray from the path of the good. In Star Wars the force has two opposing sides, the light or good side, and the dark side or evil side. Luke is warned by Yoda that as a young Jedi learner he will be tempted by the dark side. And Luke does make mistakes by letting his emotions get the best of him.
The next step in the heroes journey is the central element to the Star Wars saga, atonement with the father. Star Wars is on the whole is a story of a son trying to redemn his father. Luke finds out in the fifth film that Darth Vader is his father, who was once a Jedi and fell to the dark side. Luke is then told by his mentor Yoda that he has to destroy Vader to complete his training, Luke refuses. In the end he does destroy Vader but he saves his father, by proving to him he still had good in him.
Mythology Revolutionized
When George Lucas completes his two trilogies this summer he will have finally ended the greatest modern myth ever created. Not only has it been the most widespread myth known but it also revolutionary in its form.
Feder also noted Luke's shift toward pacifism, which is different from past mythological heroes. Yoda and Obi-Wan teach Luke to use the Force for knowledge and defense, and the young Jedi knight tosses away his weapon during the climactic battle with Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi.
“That's a pretty radical idea,” she said. “We're used to the hero fighting; slaying the dragon or killing the monster. That's what we find most familiar. This idea of triumphing by not fighting, of being passive, of letting this power work through you, is a very Zen type of idea.”3
It is in this change of ideals from the classic myth archetype that Lucas has introduced a new out look on the myth. Lucas’s spiritual warriors in the Star Wars saga are the Jedi Knights. Many have debated their origins back to either samuri or English knights they seem to be a combination of many different ideas. The Jedi Knights are pessimists and it is an important ideal for Lucas that they only use force when required, only draw a weapon at the last moment.
To me this places Star Wars above previous myths in a way as Lucas shows you can be a hero with out being violent a perfect lesson to children. First thing they teach you in karate, never use this to attack only in defense. Not only kids are learning to avoid the dark side, trust themselves, and help others, but they are learning a path of non-violence is the best for resolving issues, I think that’s a powerful lesson.
Conclusively George Lucas has made himself the first mass-media mythologist. When Episode III Revenge of the Sith is released this May more people will line up to see it than any previous mythologist could hope would ever hear their story. The amount of people who are drawn to this modern day myth is a testament to the validity of both Star Wars being a great modern myth and to George Lucas being a great mythologist.
Works Cited
http://www.echostation.com/features/usatoday.htm
http://www.folkstory.com/articles/petersburg.html
http://www.jitterbug.com/origins/myth.html
http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/mattingly.html
Vande Berg, Wenner, Gronbeck. Critical Approaches to Televsion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004
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