Anakin Pic from Episode VI

[Desdichado]

Finally! Someone who sees the movies as a myth and not a history!

Personally, I see them as movies, not as mythology or history.

 

[mojo1701]

Personally, I see them as movies, not as mythology or history.

I mean when you try to enjoy the story. I see it as someone trying to tell a legend (legends which change, not histories).

 

[Desdichado]

I mean when you try to enjoy the story. I see it as someone trying to tell a legend (legends which change, not histories).

But they're not legends. They're movies.

Unless you mean you're talking somewhat about that pretentious B.S. that Lucas is taking these days about equating Star Wars to mythology and Campbellian mythological theories.

It's interesting that in his earlier interviews about the movies, he strangely never mentioned that, instead focusing on his inspiration being old black and white serials like Flash Gordon. Nowadays, though, you can't talk to the man without him saying the words "Campbell" and "mythological" about fourteen times every five minutes.

 

[mojo1701]

But they're not legends. They're movies.

Unless you mean you're talking somewhat about that pretentious B.S. that Lucas is taking these days about equating Star Wars to mythology and Campbellian mythological theories.

It's interesting that in his earlier interviews about the movies, he strangely never mentioned that, instead focusing on his inspiration being old black and white serials like Flash Gordon. Nowadays, though, you can't talk to the man without him saying the words "Campbell" and "mythological" about fourteen times every five minutes.

I meant more as a cultural mythos.

 

[Desdichado]

Lucas tinkering with the movies does not make them into a cultural mythos, though. They're still just the Star Wars movies, and you can pull them off your shelf and see exactly what they have in them; it's not like an oral tradition with regional variants or anything like that. There's no way to make that equation, even with Lucas' constant fiddling.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Yeah, I want Han shooting first. Because as mentioned elsewhere, it help identify who he is and sets a more dramatic growth for the character. I think it says a lot about Lucas that he changed it so they shoot the same time. I believe he heard our loud and constant complaining and decided to make a change, but could no longer stomach Han killing in cold blood so he compromised and had them shoot at the same time. It still does not work, but he still made a change.

 

[Olive]

Lucas tinkering with the movies does not make them into a cultural mythos, though. They're still just the Star Wars movies, and you can pull them off your shelf and see exactly what they have in them; it's not like an oral tradition with regional variants or anything like that. There's no way to make that equation, even with Lucas' constant fiddling.

I think the point is that they fufil part of the role of a modern myth. Modern because no one actually believes that they are true, but they have a mythology and a legacy.

This helps explain why people are so grumpy about Lucas changing these things.

 

[Taelorn76]

Star Wars Changes - Lucasfilm Responds

Here is a link to Dark Horizons article on the new Star Wars.
Star Wars Changes - Lucasfilm Responds

 

[billd91]

After reading the Lucasfilm response to criticisms about changes in the original SW trilogy, I can agree that Lucas is a strong proponent of artists' rights. However, judging from some of the reports of changes (like the meeting between Vader and the Emperor's hologram revealing the Luke-Vader relationship early) just tell me that Lucas is a mediocre artist at best.
I remember one of the great thrills of Empire is the ambiguity about Vader's revelation to Luke. I remember leaving the theater wondering if Vader was telling the truth or blowing smoke, trying to play on Luke's emotions and gullibility, exerting his powerful force skills to try to corrupt a talented but inexperienced novice. Having the meeting with the Emperor blow the tension of that revelation just underlines Lucas's lack of skill for a director with 30+ years of experience.

There's also a time when the artist has to let his work go and stand on its own without multiple revisions 2 decades after the original release.

 

[ledded]

Hey, on the Who-shot-first debacle, just be glad he didnt replace the insinuations about Han having been a Spice runner with him smuggling tribbles or something like that.