Motion Pictures have always had a strong influence in today’s culture, but maybe none as prevalent as Star Wars. Originating with Episode 4 A New Hope, the series boomed from 1977 to 2005 with yet another addition coming in 2015. The strongest of the series was the original trilogy episodes 4, 5, and 6, all generally released in the 1980s. As one of the strongest film francaises still today, it’s impact within the 1980s was only the tip of the iceberg. Children and adults alike still anticipate the new edition of this seemingly endless journey. If any singular film series still holds prevalence in its future decades it is Star Wars: Original Trilogy.
Far off in a distant galaxy an infamous story would begin, A New Hope. This episode is the one that began it all and lead to one of the most influential sagas of all time. Opening with the beautiful rebel leader Princess Leia, her ship undergoes direct attack from the known and feared villain, Darth Vader. He orders his troops to look about for important documents, meanwhile Leia says her famous message into R2-D2, a droid unit “Hel...
In society today, we are conditioned to believe certain sets of ideals. We use these ideals to interact and get along with the other people we surround ourselves with. These ideals are often the societal norms that form common ground amongst individuals. However, living life based off these basic and unchanging beliefs is not beneficial to humanity, nor does it make life any easier to live. In fact, holding on to the most accepted beliefs holds back society as a whole. Judith Halberstam, in her essay “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation” challenges these societal norms through the analysis of animated movies and, in doing so, carves a path for a new way of thinking.
When watching the film, Star Wars, it is impossible not to be aware of the technology that is represented in the film, partly because it is so much more advanced than our own is now, but also because we can imagine how we might someday acquire such technology. The central theme in Star Wars is good versus evil, clearly demonstrated by the technology in the film. While the Rebels (the good guys) use technology primarily to fight for freedom and quality of life for all, the Empire (the bad guys) use technology to develop weapons of destruction and war in an attempt to rule the galaxy. In addition to these two opposing sides, there is another group that doesn’t use technology for war. This group gets technology as it filters down from the other two groups at war. Consequently, in the film technology is used for good, for bad, and for everyday use. This mirrors our own society in many ways, and therefore, Star Wars is a great artifact to study to get a better understanding of our own technological advancements. In this report, we focus specifically on how the Empire, the Rebels, and the Non-Warring people of the film acquired, developed, and used technology and how that relates to our society today.
The first idea I will be looking at is that Star Wars is a type of
George Lucas's devotion to timeless storytelling and cutting-edge innovation has resulted in some of the most successful and beloved films of all time.
Imagine flying through a ice covered planet or zooming through the sand plains of tattoine or battling against the dark side next to Luke Skywalker well sounds amazing right? These are the things that make the Star Wars universe so fascinating in the upcoming paragraphs about how Star Wars has elements of story, that make Star Wars so popular. Star Wars is a cultural institution of immense proportions. Its impact on Hollywood alone has been incalculable. It’s impossible to imagine Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., The Matrix, or The Lord of the Rings without Star Wars. Yes because all these movies have been impacted from Star Wars they all transfer you to a different era from you fighting off Nazis to walking into mordor.
The third and final prequel to George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy Revenge of the Sith is the midpoint of the Star Wars saga. It is the climax of the Star Wars prequels and leads magnificently and flawlessly into the completion of the original trilogy. The original trilogy led up to a happy ending complete with fireworks and scenes of different planets celebrating. The prequels tell a similar hero's journey, but instead of an affirming story about believing in oneself, it is a dire warning about the dangers of arrogance and greed. We are reminded of human valves fear, hatred, greed, pride and "a failure to listen" which lead to the Dark Side. Compassion, love, and non-violence are the real way to peace and justice. I believe this form of storytelling captures the audience which makes the story memorable to the fans and in my opinion this was a successful combination. The following paragraphs will approach the narrative, similarities by comparing the original trilogy with the new trilogy and analysing the key elements of mise en scene used in particular scenes in the film. By doing this, I will discover how the position, colour and framing expresses the message George Lucas wants the viewers to absorb and remember.
begins as Princess Leia is held hostage by the Galactic empire in order to crush
His work in modern media was revolutionary. Moreover, he broadened communication and made it easier to learn about new cultures. Disney’s movies play a vital role in children’s development and their productivity when they enter the “real world”.
The movie has everything old fans loved about the originals: action, humor, and just the right amount of cheesiness. In a movie review for Variety, Justin Chang writes, “Reinvigorating the franchise with a welcome surge of energy, warmth and excitement after the misbegotten cycle of prequels released between 1999 and 2005, incoming writer-director J.J. Abrams seems to have had the original three films firmly in mind when he embarked on this monumental new undertaking.” The movie isn’t just for long-time fans, though. The Force Awakens invites a new generation of fans to experience the awe of the Star Wars universe with an intriguing storyline full of new characters. Movie critic Steven Rea writes for Philly, “Abrams and his team invoke the original canon with reverence - and with the certainty that first-generation Star Wars geeks will eat it up.” The Force Awakens evokes a sense of nostalgia for older fans, with its parallels to the original movies and returning lovable cast members, but it also opens the door for the younger generation to grow up with the same love for the movies. Seth Abramson writes for The Huffington Post, “It is all well and good to say that the film offers us rip-roaring entertainment and a dollop of nostalgia-laden escapism. . . .” The Force Awakens has surely proved that the Star Wars franchise has stood the test of time, and will continue doing
Any act of conscious communication always true, in varying degrees, two fundamental objectives. One is to inform, instruct and describe, and the other is to entertain or occupy. The products of the mass communication industry made that mandate the particularity that are targeted to a wide receiver, whose acceptance is intended to conquer. The intent of the act is expressed with the term broadcast (spread through mass media), which once meant to sow broadcast the farmland. The cinema, especially the US, is the great communication industry of the twentieth century. Although in recent decades seems to have given primacy to television, the information, education and entertainment on Western culture influence is undeniable.
In this article, Jones discusses the marginalization of motion pictures, yet touches on the great aspects of film, and how these aspects can expect to survive in the future. Major topics that Jones addresses are: developments in video narrative through flawless storytelling, the use of digital tools for film restoration and preservation, and an audience shift from film to digital. These points detail the love and appreciation that goes into filmmaking, and how the narratives, despite having changed formats throughout the years, have been able to survive and appear to be timeless. Jones also further discusses the idea of using audiovisual material to create narratives appealing. He details how the stylistic approach of a film, and the techniques like cinematography and editing, can enhance and provide for a greater narrative. In summary, the sum of the parts of a film are what make the entire experience, which not only makes for a great film, but for a lasting story as
Kapell, A.M.and Lawrence, J.S (2006). Finding the force of the Star wars franchise: fans, merchandise, & critics. New York: Lang.
Star Wars as Church History Koenrad Kuiper, writing in the Journal of Popular Culture in the mid 1980s suggests that "[the] Star Wars trilogy creates and recreates imperial myths which serve to sustain imperial culture" (77). He goes on to contend that the Empire of George Lucas’s long ago and far away world recreate these myths for us now as, essentially, a form of social control. Since Kuiper was writing, however, we have been graced with the first in the Star Wars series, The Phantom Menace. The Phantom Menace has opened to tepid reviews and the expected box-office success.
It is a common mis-conception that films are merely entertainment, and serve no other purpose than to provide for the viewer a two-hour escape from reality. This is a serious under-estimation of the power, purpose, and potential of film, because film, upon reflection, revea...
of influence in both the characters and gender roles of people in our society. The films have brought about the shaping of morals, behaviors and characters of not only children, but also adults in todays society, through engaging them in a constant series of unthinking consumption. In addition, most of the films in Disney bring out many different gender roles and people who grew up watching them have been influenced greatly by the content in the films (Blum 13). This paper will involve the various roles played by the characters in the films and how their roles have influenced the society at large.