Star Wars
A Triumph of the Will

I just saw "Star Wars" again. It's big fun. But don't take the kids just yet.

You know by now that George Lucas' stock for this stew was Joseph Campbell puree, which photon torpedoed into the collective unconscious by drawing on cultural archetypes and recycling every old story we've ever loved.

However, Lucas also played (accidentally, let's presume) on some reactionary prejudices which surely resonate at least as intensely.
 

Chewbacca, however, is a perfect sidekick. Ignore the hair, and here's a stereotypical "good" black -- frighteningly large and strong, prone to violence, and not too bright; but loyal, subordinate, and happy to do the heavy lifting. When blond-haired, blue-eyed Luke gets the idea to rescue Leia by pretending to escort a prisoner, it's only natural that the cuffs belong on the big guy.

Notably, none of the various latex-headed mutants display any redeeming qualities, usually jabbering strangely and toiling in unimportant poverty. Great -- Lucas even stereotypes the Third World.

What's the stereotype of gay men? Let's see: effete, low in self-esteem, afraid of a physical fight, duplicitous out of self-interest, obsessive over their companions, and conscious of appearances. C3PO exactly. Try not to laugh when the droids fool the Storm Troopers by hiding in a closet.
In the climactic Death Star assault, when the Rebellion needs every pilot they can find, the only job for a girl is to sit home and hope one of the P.O.s will save them all. C3PO stays behind, too; we already know why [he] can't be a pilot.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan and Darth literally cockfight over who's the master, slapping long hard cylinders held with both hands. Puh-leeze.

Han -- a career criminal -- kills Greedo unnecessarily (although the 2.0 version has been altered so that the bounty hunter fires first). And Han chickens out of the final dogfight, showing up only to sucker-punch one peon bad guy after everyone with any real cajones has already exploded in a fiery ball of Industrial Light and Magic. If Han shows up a few minutes earlier, Luke's old friend with the mustache--his only link to the past, now that his adoptive parents are dead--doesn't have to die horribly.
This is a hero?
OK, so a constitutional monarchy? Not if we can trust our own eyes: the Princess considers herself entitled to command Luke and Han, simply by birthright; Obi-Wan's occult powers allow him to gleefully command "weak minds" against their own will -- a manifestly fascist goal; the rebel alliance salutes Luke and Han with a faceless, boot-clicking military phalanx every bit as robotic as the Empire; etc.

Lucas' vision is unrelentingly royalist. Carrie Fisher even tries a dinner-theatre British accent in quieter scenes, dropping it when the action picks up. (At least now we know where Kevin Costner learned his accent for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.)

More tellingly, Luke's destiny is to become a Jedi, just like his father. So greatness is genetic. That's a truly dangerous idea. I seem to recall a few million people dying the last time people bought that one.

Bottom line? Aside from constant sexual and race stereotypes, political amorality, and authoritarian faith in the divine right of kings, "Star Wars" is just terrific.


THE SCOOP
(C)1997 Bob Harris
TheScoop@earthlink.net

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