Star Wars on Trial Read Free Page A

very likely himself to have been aware) that the passage can also be translated as "The Force that can be forced is not the Eternal Force."
    Star Wars is about Big Questions.
    That's why we bother.
    This is why it's worth your time to bother, too:
    Because when you get to Truth, you don't get (pace Regis Philbin) any final answers. You can't measure it, and you can't trust a jury of your peers to decide the question.
    Only you can decide what it means, because in the end, what it means ... is what it means to you.

    THE COURTROOM

    DROID JUDGE: Welcome, ladies, gentlemen, clones, droids and other sentient organisms. You all know why we are here. A series of charges have been made against the multimedia empire known as Star Wars. These charges are as follows:
CHARGE #1: The Politics of Star Wars Are Anti-Democratic and Elitist.
CHARGE #2: While Claiming Mythic Significance, Star Wars Portrays No Admirable Religious or Ethical Beliefs.
CHARGE #3: Star Wars Novels Are Poor Substitutes for Real Science Fiction and Are Driving Real SF off the Shelves.
CHARGE #4: Science Fiction Filmmaking Has Been Reduced by Star Wars to Poorly Written Special Effects Extravaganzas.
CHARGE #5: Star Wars Has Dumbed Down the Perception of Science Fiction in the Popular Imagination.
CHARGE #6: Star Wars Pretends to Be Science Fiction, but Is Really Fantasy.
CHARGE #7: Women in Star Wars Are Portrayed as Fundamentally Weak.
CHARGE #8: The Plot Holes and Logical Gaps in Star Wars Make It Ill-Suited for an Intelligent Viewer.
    (Noise in the courtroom grows as the charges are read.)
    DROID JUDGE: (hammering his gavel) Quiet down, quiet down. I intend to run this courtroom in a fair and disciplined fashion, and that means no outbursts from the gallery. Yes, I'm looking at you, Wookiees. Now, to begin, counselors will make their opening statements.

     

 



T CANNOT BE SAID often enough. We are here to have fun, tossing ideas around, pretending that they matter. Nobody, on either side of the coming argument, contends that the fate of Western civilization will hang upon a literary analysis of the epical and epochal Star Wars series! A series that deserves respect at many levels, if only for the marvelous artists it has employed and the raw pleasure that it has given hundreds of millions.
    In fact, though some people may find it surprising, let me make clear that I never interfere when my children request-or demand!-the next Star Wars merchandising gambit. A Lego Death Star or Darth Vader mask? Another Obi-Wan Happy Meal? I only grit my teeth a little over the merchandising cash flow going to an empire that (in my opinion) could have been a lot more meaningful, a lot more helpful in making a better world. Certainly, my protective instincts don't get all fired up, eager to shield vulnerable young minds from inimical memes!
    Why not?
    Because what youngsters-and millions of others-mostly see in movies like these are the simple surfaces. The top layer of lavish, goofy, earnestly preachy and even somewhat noble-minded fun. Out numbered heroes bravely taking on the odds. Going with your feelings, tossing logic aside and blasting away! It is the innocent spirit of the first movie (A New Hope) that seems to have spread and captured the hearts of millions of people, young and old.

    If you ask them about the "moral messages" of Star Wars, most people tend to recall that-
    • Mean people suck.
    • It's good to be brave.
    • Mean people get yucky-looking.
    • Defend your friends.
    • Watch out for mean people playing tricks and telling lies.
    • Don't let nasty old mean guys goad you into losing your temper.
    Hmm. Well, there may be some problems at this level. In fact, entirely on their own, my kids are starting to glance with skepticism at the details in even these simple lessons (e.g., "If something happens to my looks, will I turn into a bad person?").
    Still, for the most part, children can take all this in without much harm to their values, or souls.