“Star Wars is fun, it’s exciting, it’s inspirational, and people respond to that. It’s what they want.”
– George Lucas
Escape to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
George Lucas, the creator of the film Star Wars gave the people what they wanted. A simple farm boy reluctantly becomes a hero when he is forced to confront the evil empire and save the princess. Along the way, he discovers that the princess is his twin sister, and the evil man he is pursuing is his father. This is not from the Bible, nor written by Homer or Shakespeare, but represents some of the universal themes in the film Star Wars. What started the phenomenon of the summer blockbuster has become a cultural icon. And, its cultural impact remains as strong and predominant today as it was when it was released over 34 years ago on May 25, 1977. As of 2008, the overall box office revenue generated by the six Star Wars films has totaled over $4.41 billion (Cultural impact of Star Wars). The universal themes found in Star Wars have had a strong cultural impact around the world and continue to create new fans. “The Force”, a 2011 Volkswagen Super Bowl advertisement, which featured a young boy dressed in a Darth Vader costume, captured the attention of the country and was voted best commercial of the event by a CBS poll. With 40 million views on YouTube to date, this proves that the cultural impact of “Star Wars” is just as popular, relevant and significant as ever.
The recipe for Star Wars seems simple enough: take a princess, a knight, an evil wizard, a wise old prophet, put them in outer space with aliens, robots, and a mystical energy called “the force” that is connected by all living things. Next, combine a few film genres, like classic Science fiction, Japanese Samurai films, American Westerns, and War films, and add creator George Lucas’ imagination to form a new and unique cinematic experience. However, not only did Star Wars spawn seven films, it started a merchandising revolution and includes books, graphic novels, video games, costumes, conventions and began a permanent relationship between Hollywood and marketing. When Star Wars was made in 1976 for $8 million, Twentieth Century Fox gave the young director the rights to all of the merchandise, a move studio heads still consider one of the biggest mistakes in film history. Revenues from the sale of items associated with Star Wars are over $9 billion (Coyle). This would be inconceivable today, as films are routinely marketed alongside a plethora of consumer goods; Star Wars started all of this.
The merchandising aspect is not what makes this film significant in American culture. Star Wars remains culturally significant because of its universal themes, and the universal struggle of good and evil, good triumphing over evil. “I think it has mythical basis,” says Andrew Gordon, an English professor at the University of Florida who in 1978 was one of the first to read Star Wars as a modern myth. “(Lucas) has deliberately attempted to tap into the kinds of deep stories that can resonate in a culture, with archetypal characters and conflict of good and evil” (Coyle). After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the world, and especially Americans, needed to feel good about their country and they needed hope. Our highest political office was scandalized when corruption was exposed by Watergate, and our economy was struggling to recover from the Vietnam War. Our 37th President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 and his Vice President, Spiro Agnew resigned the year before. Star Wars was a cultural unifier in these uncertain times and appealed to a broad range of viewers. Its themes of good versus evil, white versus black were just the antidote needed for the post-Vietnam youth who opposed war, opposed nuclear weapons, advocated world peace, were hostile to the authority of government and big business, and started to care about the environment. In many ways, the young Luke Skywalker represented the American youth, who rose from obscurity to fight and slay his father, who, like President Nixon, had succumbed to the dark side. Could Princess Leia represent Lady Liberty? Could the rebellion fighting the empire represent democracy versus communism? We could make solid arguments for both of these assumptions, and both Leia and Lady Liberty definitely share the same outfit.
Star Wars appealed to audiences worldwide, because it gave them hope, and for a few hours whisked them away from the daily television images of war. When it first screened in 1977, The Cold War against the Communist world was ongoing. Civil wars raged in Lebanon, Angola and Ethiopia. There was Arab-Israeli conflict and wars throughout Africa. I agree with Jim Emerson‘s explanation of “Star War’s universal appeal”, when he calls it, “a space adventure for children of all ages”. He states in his blog: “Because it wasn’t really the movie itself that shook the world . . . it was the popular response to the movie, and the motion picture industry’s response to that response. […] To see “Star Wars” in 1977 was to experience a moment in pop culture that seemed universal. This may have been the last such unifying landmark for the boomer generation — with the Beatles at one end and “Star Wars” at the other (Emerson).
Star Wars was and still is a form of escapism, providing a fantasy outlet to a public dealing with an uncertain future. Lucas created an epic space saga, at a time when the typical American’s future was bleak, giving people “A New Hope”, Star Wars Episode IV’s official title, with which to dream. He appealed to America’s need to believe in a bright future, and a positive force for good. The film represented an antidote to war, political corruption, oppression, and the economic recession of the 1970’s. Star Wars gave viewers an experience where they could escape, and many of these people have held on to this dream for the last 34 years. Hence, the annual gathering of fans and the multitude of internet groups that celebrate the power and pleasure the film had for them.
In 2011, the world is still in chaos, and we once again find ourselves in a recession similar to the economic climate in the days of the original Star Wars film. Americans are losing their jobs, their homes and the American middle class is slowly disappearing. War still rages throughout the world and famine and disease make headlines every day. Sometimes we question whether modern technology is just for the rich and famous, and wonder if the poor and suffering will ever get the help they so desperately need. The Star Wars protagonist, Luke Skywalker, is everyman. His success, his triumphs give us all hope that we too shall overcome the daily struggles we all face. As long as there is war and poverty, famine and neglect, there will be a universal appeal for the escapism and the glorious good in Star Wars.
-by Alex Prouhet on August 1, 2011
References:
“Cultural impact of Star Wars.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 4 May 2011. Web.1 August 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_impact_of_Star_Wars>
Coyle, Jack. “Film serial’s impact on pop culture is out of this world” Associated Press, North County Times. 18 May 2005.<http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/movies/article_88296b77-a8ff-57e0-8968-b71de6526755.html>
Emerson, Jim. “How “Star Wars” changed the world (as we knew it).” Jim Emerson’s Scanners::blog, Suntimes.com. 23 May 2007.<http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2007/05/how_star_wars_changed_the_worl.html>
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