The Politics of Star Wars

[AmericanErrorist]

It would seem that one cannot enjoy a good movie today without it becoming entangled in partisan politics. “Million Dollar Baby,” was mutated from story about the relationship between a man and his daughter into strictly a movie about euthanasia. The Drudge Report targeted “Sin City,” as anti-catholic because the main villain was a cannibal priest. Drudge even had the audacity to imply that the creators of “Sin City,” purposely debuted the movie around the time of the Pope’s passing. Of course we all remember the brouhaha caused by Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and how it’s specific purpose was to impact the forthcoming presidential election.

With the release of Lucas’ final Star Wars installment, “Revenge of the Sith,” there have been a bevy of stories drawing parallels from the fantasy world to our own political arena. For example, the New York Times reported that Moveon.org was preparing to spend $150,000 to run advertisements on CNN comparing Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, to Chancellor Palpatine. Apparently changing the rules on filibusters is the same as fabricating a civil war for the sole purpose of creating a galactic empire.

Conservatives are just as bad. Some sites are accusing Lucas of taking potshots at President Bush vis-à-vis the War on Terror when Anakin, on his way to becoming the evil Darth Vader, warns, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy," which is reminiscent of Bush’s post-9/11 ultimatum, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." In addition to that nonsense there’s a site called Pabaah.com that has opted to boycott Lucas and his films because apparently in their eyes Lucas in the next Jane Fonda.

http://www.411mania.com/politics/topics/article.php?news_id=7816

[cprise]

1. " Lucas is the next Jane Fonda"

Well, they have the same nose. But I doubt that Lucas has buns'o'steel.

[Radical Activist]

2. There are similarities.

Conservatives should be asking themselves why a movie about evil men taking over an Republic and turning it into an Empire looks like a shot at Bush.

[nytemare]

3. Exactly!

This story derives from the rise of Hitler and the Roman empire. If the politics are fitting the movie, there is a problem.

[lenidog]

6. We also could say its strikes resonant tone with the rise to power

of Napaoleon III who turned a republic into a empire.

[lenidog]

4. He makes a great point and I wish people would just get off of it

Film like every other form of art is viewed through the experiences that shape us. Everyone views it differently and when they do agree it is usually because something has given them a common experience. Right now we view the movie through the prism of George Bush. Thirty years from now they will view it through the prism of Joe Schmuck the Ragman and another thirty years from they may just think its all crap. All the views are correct and wrong at the same time depending on your point of view. IN the end much as the author stated its escapsit fantasy and from what I a very enjoyable one at that compared to the first two. I just hope to hell that both sides will just shut up about it and let me watch my lightsaber duel between Obi Wan and Anakin in peace.

[nytemare]

5. Interesting statement from Ian McDiarmid (The Emperor)

"But Ian McDiarmid, who plays the evil Chancellor Palpatine, doesn't think that Lucas has a political agenda.

"I was rather amazed to see ('Sith') the other morning and realized what a politically relevant movie this was. ... I think this is a great American movie because it has a strong moral center, and it says things we can't hear enough of at the moment. And they're said indirectly through implication, which is how art works."

In wit, he points to the line, "If you are not with us, then you're my enemy," which Anakin (Hayden Christensen) says to Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). "Once again, an artist has taken a line we know very well and slightly given it a new emphasis," says McDiarmid, noting that similar phrases have been said by tyrants such as former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic."



Notice he mentions that he thought it was politically relevant, and uses tyrantS, plural. I doubt Milosevic is the only example he was referring to.


Here is the link to the whole story.
http://u.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,211~23546~2862353,00.html