And Lucas didn't even try to disguise the name of the Neimodian Senator from Episode 1, Lott Dodd, named after Senators Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut).
Separated At Birth?
Posted on 05/16/2005 2:07:19 AM PDT by Savage_Nation
CANNES — The last episode of the seminal sci-fi saga "Star Wars" screened at the Cannes film festival Sunday, completing a six-part series that remains a major part of popular culture — and delivering a galactic jab to U.S. President George W Bush.
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" was seen ahead of a celebrity-laden evening screening to be attended by its creator and director, George Lucas, and its cast, including Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen.
Reaction at advance screenings was effusive, with festival-goers, critics and journalists at Cannes applauding at the moment the infamous Darth Vader came into being.
But there were also murmurs at the parallels being drawn between Bush's administration and the birth of the space opera's evil Empire.
Baddies' dialogue about bloodshed and despicable acts being needed to bring "peace and stability" to the movie's universe, mainly through a fabricated war, set the scene.
And then came the zinger, with the protagonist, Anakin Skywalker, saying just before becoming Darth Vader: "You are either with me — or you are my enemy."
To the Cannes audience, often sympathetic to anti-Bush messages in cinema as last year's triumph here of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" attested, that immediately recalled Bush's 2001 ultimatum, "You're either with us or against us in the fight against terror."
Lucas, speaking to reporters, emphasised that the original "Star Wars" was written at the end of the Vietnam war, when Richard Nixon was U.S. president, but that the issue being explored was still very much alive today.
"The issue was, how does a democracy turn itself into a dictatorship?" he said.
"When I wrote it, Iraq (the U.S.-led war) didn't exist... but the parallels of what we did in Vietnam and Iraq are unbelievable."
He acknowledged an uncomfortable feeling that the United States was in danger of losing its democratic ideals, like in the movie.
"I didn't think it was going to get this close. I hope this doesn't come true in our country."
Although he didn't mention Bush by name, Lucas took what sounded like another dig while explaining the transformation of the once-good Anakin Skywalker to the very bad Darth Vader.
"Most bad people think they're good people," he said.
The political message, though, was for the most part subsumed by the action and heroics the series — set "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" — is known for.
And for fans hungry for a last look at "Star Wars" elevated above the disappointing two other films that preceded "Sith," it was satisfying closure.
"Whatever one thought of the previous two installments, this dynamic picture irons out most of the problems, and emerges as the best in the overall series since 'The Empire Strikes Back,'" the Hollywood trade magazine Variety said.
The buzz meant the movie was the hottest ticket at Cannes this year. It also signalled the end of a cinematic era for a generation of filmgoers.
"Revenge of the Sith" is the last of three prequels to the landmark trilogy that burst onto the screens in 1977, 1980 and 1983.
It is in fact the middle episode of the epic story arc, explaining the events that led young Luke Skywalker to battle Darth Vader in order to save Princess Leia, before going on to vanquish the Empire.
Its success could be measured in the claps and smiles in the theatre, which were light years away from the tepid response engendered by the first two prequels, released in 1999 and 2002, widely panned for their boring exposition and wooden dialogue. (Wire reports)
It tends to be black and white when we are fighting both islamofascists, their supporters and our political left. Western european governments (our supposed "allies") selling and arming our enemies only proves the "with us or against us" mentality.
Lucas has directly, and unambiguously, denied the account presented in this article. Lucas noted that the screenplay was written before the Iraq military action.
Note that this lazy article didn't even bother to contact Lucas.
Obviously, somebody has way too much time on thier hands.
I think you need to sustain some sort of debilitating head injury to want to join the entertainment industry in the first place.
Do not forget that WE were the ones who initially backed Saddam and Iraq. I also remember that we had Iranian Sailors attending US Navy run Data Systems schools back in the 70's. It seems like we are the pot calling the kettle black when it comes to arming our "enemies." We have supported both Iran and Iraq in the past. Two of the three in the so called "Axis of Evil" It would be laughable if it were not so ludicrous.
Another nail in the Hollywood coffin - another reason to download movies off the internet.
Nope. Bush was talkng about nation states, not civillians, when he said that. The point was that nations that don't fight terrorism are enablers - allowing their backyard to become training camps, not minding their own borders and visa requirements, letting their banks launder money from fake charities - money that will end up in the hands of a man who blows your family to bits.
There is no neutrality in this war. Its like the Swiss pretending their hands are clean as they tally & store the gold ripped from the mouths of slaughtered Jews.
And Lucas didn't even try to disguise the name of the Neimodian Senator from Episode 1, Lott Dodd, named after Senators Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut).
Separated At Birth?
Excellent and wise advice. Thank you.
Yeah, and Ultra-Left Wing Liberals think they are mainstream moderates!
We also supported Stalin in WW2...
In the ME, US policy was to keep both evils fighting each other to a stalemate, rather than see one of them sweep across the arab world.
And you should avoid using words like simplistic. You don't have the first clue about foreign policy.
At the end of Jedi, didn't the emperor demand obedience from Luke. "Join us or die!" Then Vader ended up drubbing the emperor and saving Luke. How is the same statement twenty five years late in a new movie attributed to Bush and his Imperial notions. Its a movie, folks. Nothing more. Go and be entertained. Read into it what you want. We know the spinmiesters do. It isn't that big a deal.
Either voluntarily, or by prefrontal lobotomization!
I missed the part where we routed the Viet Cong in two weeks, established an interim constitution, which established a constitutional republic, captured Ho Chi Minh, turned over sovereignty, whereupon they held free elections to choose their own leaders.
I also missed the part where we built schools, roads, sewer systems, water supplies, stocked libraries, brought fresh water and food to the formerly-starved, trained a new North Vietnamese police force tasked with, among other things, killing and capturing the recalcitrant communist terrorists...
This is where I ask the liberal idiot, who suggested Iraq was just like Vietnam, to tell me what the two have in common, and where I'm usually met by silence.
My sentiments exactly. I'm also banning any food brand items with Star Wars imagery on it.
Unless noted before, the script for this was started years ago - like in the 70's. This just comes from liberal blog groups that see "hate Bush" in every little thing in life.
Sometimes a movie is just a movie and the review of one should never be considered breaking news no matter how tinfoiled the interpretation.
Didn't Ayn Rand already answer this question?
The answer is LIBERALISM.
Its mandatory to drink the Kool-aide if one wants to be invited to the right parties, because in Hollywood, the cocktail circuit will make or break you.
Thats whats so sickening - these people don't regurgitate this BS out of some set of principles, they do so merely because they want to be popular
" HAN SOLO: Bring 'em on! I'd prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around."
Wow! I remember that line! Here it's all been about Bush since I was a teenager. This is eerie./(sarcasm off)
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