Masterpiece in disguise

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 1998)

Some claim that Star Wars is nothing more than a simple morality tale that borrowed from classic mythology with good special effects. Comments have been made about the film that it has a simple story and that the movie has simple characters. While all of these claims may have some validity, to say that the film has no depth is unfair. When one studies how much thought really was put in Lucas' trilogy, they should be amazed. While the film borrows from mythology, Lucas has made sure that each film has a major twist from its ancestors. In the first film for example, Luke goes to rescue a princess, but instead she is the one that ends up saving him. Not only does the story telling have a twist on classic mythology, it has an underlying theme and many sub-themes that no other movie can match. After studying the trilogy, redemption is the theme most often explored. Every major "good" character in the trilogy at one time falls and then redeems himself. The ultimate redemption being Darth Vader who will be the main character in the new trilogy being developed as I type. As for the characters being simple, this seems unfair. They are archtypes. Characters common throughout all cultures. Also, all the major characters have motivation for their actions unlike most good guy/bad guy movies. The bad guys in the films are bad because of human flaws such as the struggle for power and greed. They are not simple bad for bad's sake. Even the main villain of the trilogy becomes very human by the end of the trilogy when he redeems himself. The film doesn't show the bad guys only as something to shoot at, but as human beings that have been lead astray. The two trilogies are ultimately about how a human being can become a monster, and that a monster is still a human being in the end. The Star Wars trilogy has more depth than at first glance. Though it does have spectacular effects, this is only to pull the viewer into the great story-telling.