It began with a"Simple tale" between "Good vs Evil", Star Wars has transformed became "Space opera" with thousand of morality passage. Passage that came from spiritual, civilization, history, and epic heroic story of those myth ever written around the world. the last point mentioned
is the most common value that inspired this story of galactic wars. each scene and each character are isnpired by the myth.
Star Wars began to be written by George Lucas in the 70' where the world condition including United States were in turmoil. Desperation was spreaded accross the globe where the oil price rose over the top and "Watergate" scandal made President Richard
Nixon signed is resignation. Instantly US and The World are ini hopeless situation. Psycological condition of society became blurred to separate things whether it was right or not.
Star Wars story that came to the middle of society was inspired by various myths. Values that contained on those myths are how to separate beetween right and wrong generally, on the other words "Good vs Evil".
The 1st edition of Star Wars (Episode IV):"a New Hope", told the simple story of the battle in Galaxy between "Good vs Evil". On the following episodes, Star Wars became richer in planted values of philosophy, history,spiritual dan of course myth.
According Dr. Joan Breton Connelly, Fine Art Professor of New York University; "what is so interesting about approaching The Star Wars cycle is very much like an archaeologycal excavation, on the surface everyone can say "Excalibur" when people saw the Light Saber, if you go to deeper level when came to the death star, it may referring to the journey of Oddyseus into The Underworld "
Every myth that was being shown in Star Wars taugh us how human to behave properly, how to conduct others people and of course ourselves, and how to separate "right" and "wrong".
Star Wars filled with a lot of mhytical nuances,
came from relation of the writter George Lucas with the historian from
University of Colombia, Joseph Campbell. He is the one who wrote "The Hero With a Thousand Faces". this book was spreaded accross United States and become the reference
of a lot of Universities in US. this book of course had been red George Lucas. The insight of this book is how the civilizations accross the globe have their own myth stories with the different characters, yet those have the similarity of the value. On his Dr. Campbell said that myth is the metafor of human experiences on their lives". Dr. Jonathan Young, Curator from "Joseph Campbell
Archives" said that Dr. Joseph Campbell himself was inspired by the idea of the Psycholog Carl Jung that said human processed visual experiences where it is go deeper creating fantastic idea that overwhelmed the real experiences. that the myth is all about.
George Lucas who implementedthose things to the visual art of Star Wars really practiced the theories from Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung properly. It had been proven with much thing of story proportion that deeply influenced by the myth.
 |
| "Hero With a Thousand Faces" |
1. Heroic Journeys
On each beginning of Star Wars
trilogy, either Episode IV, V, VI
(1977-1983), or those prequel Episode I, II, III (1999-2005) , told the story of transtitioning process of common people like Luke Skywalker, or the slave like Anakin
Skywalker. those two men were transformed became heroes, even the two of them did not expect becoming "Heroes" in Galaxy.
 |
| Luke & Anakin Skywalker |
These two men had strugled to rise the good side of themselves and tried to stay away from the dark side of themselves, even later Anakin Skywalker failed to avoid the dark side and choosed it. The journey of Anakin Skywalker ended tragically because of his arrogance, fear, and lust. those characters lead him to the dark side and became Darth Vader.
On the other side, Luke Skywalker's journey ended well where he choosed his good side of him and avoided the dark side unlike his father.
The Journey of Luke as we compared to the mythological story is just similar to he story of Oddysseus's journey which in the very beginning they were not ready to endure such and hard journeys. they did not expect those duties at all. They even had nothing to do to deal with it, yet the faith finally brought them to the heroic journeys. Luke's life completely changed when his lefted home attacked by The Galactic Empire troops causing the death on his aunt and uncle. Luke decided to go and joined Obi-Wan Kenobi to fight. on his journey, Luke faced a lot of unique yet horryfying creatures. It just like the journey of Hercules or any other myths characters when they tried to reach the higher level.
On his journey, Luke saved Princess
Leia, destroyed Death Star's Galactic Empire, and saved his friends from Jabba The Hutt, All of those event proved the talent of his own even the ultimate test was when he should faced against his own father Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader).
Confrontation between father and son, Luke vs Anakin/ Darth Vader was very much like the confrontations in Greek Myth. The famous story when Zeus should confronted his father Kronus, or when Kronos himself should faced his own father Uranus.
 |
| Zeus Vs Cronos |
2. Mentors
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui
Gon Jinn, and Yoda, all of them are the mentors for the heroes like Anakin or Luke Skywalker, All of the gave the lesson of life. All of the power and wisdom of these two mentors reflected the maturity and years of practice.
 |
| Yoda & Luke Skywalker |
Without Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke would not know his origin. He would not know that he had Jedi ancester (Anakin). Without Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, the boy that one day wold bring the balance of the "force", would not be discovered. without Yoda,Luke will not became a jedi as he reach maturity in very early age. therefore Luke succeded to tear The Galactic Empire down.
Luke succeded to control his own mind to not choosed "Dark Force".
the figure of these three mentors that being told in Star Wars remind us to Gandalf from "The Lord of The Ring". On many stories of myths, mentor that taugh Luke like Yoda,
is unlikely human being, yet unproportional. those things remind us to the figure of
Achilles who learned became a herocreature half man & half horse (Chiron).
 |
| Achilles & Chiron |
3. Astonishing Women
Heroes always being acompanied by woman on every journey of his missions. Women existed either to be rescued, protected, or even helped the protagont to fight against"Dark Force".
Women characters on Star Wars like Leia Organa or Padme Amidala showed bravery and intelligent everyime they faced the antagonist.
 |
| Padme Amidala |
Padme
Amidala showed clever, brave, yet lovely. Thats why Padme was very loved by her Husband Anakin
Skywalker. But, the love feeling from Anakin combined the fear of losses brought Anakin to the "Dark side".
Desperation and regret rose from Padme Amidala when she saw her own love Anakin changed his sideas he choosed "Dark Force". this regret and deperationmore likely to Queen Dido from Carthage when she saw her love Aeneas completely changed and turned from her side.
Every Characteritic owned by Padme Amidala soon came along to her daughter Leia Organa. So, Padme's legacy and dream to keep the peace and democracy continued. Leia looked very strong as a woman. That could be seen on the very first scene on Star Wars. She did not looked hesitated to take a decision.
On Star Wars Episode VI; Return of The Jedi,
revealed that Leia is the twin sister from Luke Skywalker. The twin on Greek Myth could be seen from the characters of Apollo and Artemis, where Apollo was born as a man, meanwhile Artemis was born as a woman. both of these two twin, had the same purpose, broungt the balance to each their world.
 |
| "The Twin" Artemis & Apollo |
4. Followers
Every main Characters always being followed by characters that had a role as followers. As the followers, sometimes they were very helpful, or not helpful at all. Those characters often to commented every act that conducted by the main characters.C3PO and R2-D2 are the sidekicks or followers of the main characters Star Wars, C3PO more often to be the characters that often showed desperate comments on every panic situation without gave any solution, on the other hand, R2-D2 was much more helpful even he is constructed more simple than C3PO. R2-D2 often to gave some help to the main chatacters when faced an emergency situations. Changed or shutted the system of enemy air crafts down are the things that R2-D2 was done in several time.
 |
| C3PO & R2-D2 |
C3PO and R2-D2 were more likely in viewer point of view as the absorb and digest every scene ang gave some comments on it. On Greek Opera, the things that mostly done by the two droids according to Prof. John. C. Lyden (Professor of Religion, Dana
College) was similar to the role conducted by "Greek Chorus", they are several peoples in opera show that have a role to comment every act or scene.
 |
| Greek Chorus |
5. Monsters
Luke or
Anakin Skywalker ocassionally faced against several beasts and of course made these two iconic figure getting stronger and better both phisycally or mentally.
Jabba The Hutt was one of those monster , he is one of the toughest obstacle Luke ever faced. Jabba The Hutt was illustrated as the galactic gangster's godfather. and he is so greedy. Jabba The Hutt once held Luke's friend and his twin Leia. on that scene Leia
was locked up by Jabba The Hutt. She was being forced to be Jabba's concubine.
The scene when Leia was forced to be Jabba's concubine is often to be seen on Greek Myth where a monster or dragon ocassionally kidnap a maid and make her to be their concubine. naga tersebut.
Another scene where the craft Millenium Falcon which driven by Han Solo and Leian, was flying throught the giant hole to avoid the raid of Galactic Empire. they they realized later that the giant hole was the body of giant space worm. many expert often copared that scene to the story of Jonah who was swallowed by a whale.
Every heroic story would be coloring by the fight of protagonist facing the ultimate villain. But sometimes, the ultimate villain is the dark side from the protagonist itselves. on every literaturs, and myths, told that many heroic figures turn himselves into his dark side after being deceived by the demons.
Darth Vader once was Anakin Skywalker represented an heroic figure turned himself into evil figure.
On Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,
Anakin Skywalker was once a slave who was born without father figure. he was liberated by a Jedi named Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon saw the potential from Anakin to become a jedi. A potention which brought him to strengten a balanceof " The Force". Beside a huge potention from Anakin, Master Jedi such as Yoda or Windu saw some weaknesses on Anakin that could bring anakin into darkness. Some weaknesses are Anger,
obsession,Lust, Impation, and fear of losses of someone who loved.
After left his mother to endure a train to become a jedi, Anakin returned to met his mother Shmi Skywalker,
unfortunately his mother was kidnapped by The Sand People. Anakin
succeded to find his mother, but he had no time left to save his mother's life. Anakin were in anger instantly. he slaughtered a whole Sand People, men, women, and children.
 |
| Anakin & Padme |
The Anger now was additioned by fear of losses of someone who loved. after losed his mother, Anakin were afraid to lose his beloved wife Padme Amidala. The fear on Anakin was seized by Darth Sidious, a Sith who had Dark Power. Darth Sidious tempted Anakin to learn the Dark Power.
so, he could save Padme from death and bring his mom back to life. Anakin changed froma young jedi ang became a sith.
Anakin slaughtered almost every jedi on the temple after was being manipulated by Darth
Sidious. An Epic banttle between Anakin and his mentor Obi-Wan ended up as anakin defeated and burned in Planet Mustafar, Anakin later being saved by Darth Sidious and changed became half men half machine. Darth Vader was born. the momentum of battle "Good vs Evil" was started. Anakin who turned himself became Darth Vader established Galactic Empire alongsided Darth Sidious.
 |
| Evolution of Anakin Skywalker |
The story which was endured by Anakin was similar to the art poetry written by John Milton titled "Paradise Lost".
the story told about Lucifer. Lucifer once was the most beloved and the mosr powerful angel in heaven among the rest of angels. But, Lucifer
was obsessed to overwhelm his own creator. Obsession that brought him to the battle among the angel. Lucifer later was exiled and established his own kingdom sendiri in The Underworld.
 |
| Paradise Lost By John Milton |
Star Wars in a whole concept is the visual art that showed an aculturation among myths accross the earth civilization. George
Lucas brougnt those myths to the setting in galaxy far far away. so it could be colaborated elegantly. The result of this myths aculturation made Star Wars became one of the biggest art in modern time, finally Star Wars is considered as "The Most Epic Tale of Our Time".
No comments:
Post a Comment