30 Years Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Thirty years ago... unbelievable.
Star Wars has become so much a part of my culture and world that I barely remember a time it wasn't around. It caught my attention from the first moment and has followed me down the years, continuing its influence even now. The first award I ever won at a s/f convention art show was a painting based on the Star Wars theme:
The Peace at Arisia
and that was only in January of this year!
Episodes IV, V and VI (original versions) really showed what movie power was. The story and characters -- the yearning of Luke Skywalker, the charming amorality of Han Solo, the feistiness of Leia, the dark awesomeness of Darth Vader, the horrifying revleations that (SPOILER) Vader was Luke Skywalker's father, the romance between Han and ... Chewey ... er, Luke... ohm everyone! It was every action/adventure/love story you'd ever heard all rolled up into one and served with extra delicious, special effects goodness!
I remember taking my younger brothers, sister and cousin to see Empire Strikes Back and how enthralled we were, thrilled and scared of the giant walkers and the huge escape sequences, how we loved Yoda and R2D2 and even C3P0 in spite of his annoying nervousness, how we screeched when Luke lost his hand and let himself fall through the airshaft to escape the seductive power of the Dark Side. How we immediately understood The Dark Side and its attractiveness. And how we couldn't wait for Return of the Jedi.
The franchise started to get a bit silly in Return, but we still loved it. The disgusting bloaty evilness of Jabba the Hutt, Leia in her harem girl outfit choking the life out of that intergalactic Don Coreleone... the creepy, icky, hair raising horror of the Mighty Sarlac, the wonderful, witty banter between Luke and Han, and Han and Chewey and Han and ... well, everybody! (Luke: I was born here, you know. Han: You're gonna die here, ya know.") Even those little Hamsters...er, Ewoks. Come on! Ewoks are feisty and cute.
I watched those movies over, and over, and over and I still have the original VHS tapes my brother (who went with me to those movies when he was just a little boy and owned every single Star Wars figure and toy) gave me for Christmas one year.
And the movies still have a huge cultural effect. There isn't a science fiction convention or gathering you can go to that doesn't have songs, discussions, costumes... something... devoted to Star Wars. Here are a few examples from the last few conventions:
Obi-Shawn Kenobi at WorldCon 2006
CP3O, R2D2 and friend at WorldCon 2006 Robot Display
Sand People Family at WorldCon 2006 at the Costume Display
Young Anakin Skywalker at Arisia 2007
Princess Leia at Arisia 2007
I know that the new movies Episodes I, II and III are a huge disappointment, and that SW has now become "child friendly" and innocuous (I mean, really, Darth Vader as a Mr. Potato Head? That's just wrong!) and rather silly.
But there's something about it, in spite of everything that Lucas has managed to do to dumb it down, and despite his notorious litigiousness and his possessiveness of anything the fans try to do with the story. 30 years on the memory of that original thrill, that awe at the power of myth and movies, makes me forgive him everything. Unless he decides to do Star Wars VII, VIII and IX -- then we'll see about an appropriate punishment.
The movie theatre where I saw it first is gone. The brothers, sisters, cousins that I took to see it as young children are grown up and have children of their own. I've done theatre and travelled, and lived a lot of things that have nothing to do with Star Wars. They say the past is another country and that Star Wars was in a galaxy far, far away, but some part of me still resides there and, hopefully, always will.
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Comments
Star Wars is a big part of my life, also. Its such an inspiring moving in so many ways!
Hope all is well
-Paul
Posted by: Paul James | May 28, 2007 1:33 PM