Posted on 05/21/2005 1:10:25 AM PDT by drew
Jewish World Review May 20, 2005 / 11 Iyar, 5765
W. is the dark side of new ‘Star Wars’
By James P. Pinkerton
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The politics of the "Star Wars" movies have twisted around for the past three decades, but now, in the final episode, director-creator George Lucas has made a bid for critical acclaim — even if it costs him commercial success.
But that's OK. Lucas, now in his seventh decade, has his billions. What he needs now is absolution for past Jewish World Review May 20, 2005 / 11 Iyar, 5765
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
I just saw it and I think this theory is all wet.
I do think the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Council are very good analogies for deliberative bodies like the UN which talk and talk and talk while not actually accomplishing anything.
This is actually a pretty good scenario however Bush is not a good representative of Sidious or however spelled. You must remember no one Suspects Sidious until it is too late...and there Enemys of the Republic...Thus meaning no one would know until it is too late...Hence a Liberal leader...of the country Take away guns and now your all enemys of the "republic". Just my spin on it.
I guess the Jedi are akin to Vigilante, Arm bearing citezins that keep watch over the Republic ....well For my scenario anyway. After war is made upon them and they are gone the rest fall like a house of cards on the San andreas.
Vigilant....Amazing what a simple E can do
Oh, fer cryin' out loud!!!
All this political crapola! I'm going to see the movie because I WANT TO, and I don't give a bloody rip about who the ticket money goes to! It's pure escapist fare to me!
AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
First of all, Pinkerton and the rest of the conservative wingnuts are absolutely out of their minds. There is no way that any sane person watching this movie could interpret it as anti Bush. All they do by repeating this nonsense is convince the broad middle of the country that they are indeed wack jobs.
Second of all, its a good movie (though not great) and it does a decent job of tying up the Star Wars saga.
One line in particular--"Only a Sith believe in absolutes"--was insulting to those of us who believe that there are absolute truths.
I don`t go see movies made by a guy who has blatantly ripped off Star Trek for the past 25 plus years.
I saw the movie and it's magnificent. Yeah, I'll admit the "with me or against me" line was an all-too-obvious sop to the Michael Moore crowd but that was really the only blatantly contemporary blip in the script. The more general theme of our hero's impatience with the inefficiencies of the threatened Republic and his receptivity to the smooth persuasiveness of Palpatine/Sidious who at first seems the heart and soul of a dedicated public servant who only wants what's best for the galaxy as well as his vulnerability to a man who comes across as a father-figure more substantial than Obi-wan are far more universal.
The theme of men selling their freedom for the promise of order at a desperate juncture is one of the overarching plots and any number of history's villans could be drawn on: Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, V.I. Lenin, Adolf Hitler most of all. All those tyrants who thought they knew what was best for everyone and who sabotaged democracy from within.
The Othello theme also figures strongly. Anakin does everything in the name of his love for Padme, yet in the end, in a jealous rage, he does her in.
The indecisiveness of the Jedi Council and the sentimentality of Obi-wan figure heavily in the story. Anakin's going bad was the result of everyone's fatally relaxing their rules: taking on Anakin in the first place in spite of his character flaws, placing him in Obi-wan's charge (a man too inexperienced to play master), failing to kick him out of the order as he breaks one rule after another, all because of his amazing talent and this "chosen one" prophecy.
Frankly, I cannot hold that one line against poor old George Lucas. After all these years of being looked down on by the artsy-fartsy crowd (Sci-fi and action-adventure get no respect) the Cannes/Sundance aristocracy are hoisting him onto their shoulders. Hey, Spielberg had to make "The Color Purple", "Empire of the Sun", AND "Schindler's List" before he could use the "auteurs only" drinking fountain. In today's supercharged political atmosphere, all George had to do was toss in one ambiguous line.
After this, there is just no way in hell that the Star Wars epic is ending here. #'s seven through nine will be made by hook-or-by-crook. Maybe (hopefully) Lucas won't direct them himself but SOMEONE will. This is just too good (and profitable) a franchise to let go of. Besides, this installment is just too terribly sad and dark to allow it to be the final note. We americans won't stand for such an unhappy ending.
No. They're an official body and work for the Senate. Think of them as UN Peacekeepers. And they're just as crap at it for the Galaxy as the UN is for our world.
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
Great article that. I had not remembered a lot of those details. You know, it's never actually spelled out that it was Count Dooku who paid the Kaminoans to create the Clone Army, but I guess he was the only one with the fortune to have done so. I could never see how the Kaminoans could do such big business if they were so secretive.
It always got me that the Jedi could have simply left Anakin's mother to her fate like that. Then again, when then-Queen Amidala's ship was stranded on Tatooine I and many others have always wondered why she didn't simply "pull out her interstellar ATM card and make a withdrawl".
I saw the movie too ,but the with us against us, was a bit obvious.
Her money was in Republic credits. Apparently that currency isn't worth much outside the Republic. Sort of like say, an IOU from the UN.
Regards, Ivan
Movies in this genre are best when they stick to pure entertainment that give us a sense of escapism without making political statements based on current affairs. Adhere to entertainment Lucas, we get enough politics in real life.
I haven't seen a star wars movie either, except for bits and pieces on TV. Thesre was no way i would have gone to see this one either, even before Lucas's political motive was exposed.
Why is it these old billionare ecentrics become so detached from reality? I guess they have only one thing left to aquire, and that is to be a mighty ruler of the world. They develop God complexes.
In the end, he will wither up and die, just like everyone else. All his billions will be useless to him, and won't buy him a seat at the table in God's kingdom.
LIke I said, the political themes were timeless (save for that one line). If Lucas is going to the Bad Place it will be for turning the first two prequels into two-hour toy commercials.
> One line in particular--"Only a Sith believe in absolutes"--was insulting to those of us who believe that there are absolute truths.
Also kind of dumb, since the whole "good side" and "bad side" of the force is the core of Jedi thinking anyway-- pretty absolutist. All of the dialogue was goofy, in the theater I saw it people actually laughed at times at the stupidity of some of the script. It was painful to see good actors trying to make that tripe sound like stuff people would say. Harrison Ford (back in the day) used to balk at ridiculous Lucas-written lines and refuse to say them-- boy do I miss HIM.
The political take on this is pretty silly if you ask me. These movies are pure eye candy and typical adventure serial in space opera clothing, if Lucas (or anyone else) thinks he's producing something deep he's delusional. All-in-all the movie was okay, but as usual it was not up to the first two made. Not even close.
It all started to be stupid when Lucas trotted in the galactic teddy bears--- eccch
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