It's all in the music.

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 1999)

Look, don't get me wrong. I am not a born Star Wars hater. Until very recently, I was a massive Star Wars fan.
I am not a fan any more, nor could I ever be. Star Wars is an addiction that I have thankfully shaken off.
What makes Star Wars such a fanatic subject for people? I'll tell you why. It's all in a carefully crafted system. Note, for instance, the way a Tie Fighter screams on the same note as the music. I'm not sure which note that would be, but I am convinced they are the same. The same goes for Chewbacca's scream and Vader's breathing. They are all carefully made to sound unique, so that people will get an overawed feeling of being in the prescence of an entirely new universal culture. The same goes for visual cues. Note the continued motif of the Hexagon - in the Tie Fighter's wings, in the Star Destroyer's silhouette, in the shape of the Death Star's corridor. This, again makes people feel they are watching a completely unique universe.
Then, of course, there are the cues that are _not_ alien. For instance, the Bantha is clearly meant to be an alien version of a camel. His horns are a massive version of a sheep's horns. Again, look at the clothing of Vader, Kenobi and Leia. All are in some classical style, that makes one feel one is watching something magically significant....when in reality we are picking up visual cues that are reminiscent of something else that tugs on our memory.
One further thing. This is why Star Wars will _never_ look obsolete. SO many people think it is because of some magical artistic RUBBISH. Actually it is because Lucas rose so much above 70's visual aspects, and used shapes, sounds and music from the past. For instance, the use of classical style music was a shrewd maneuver, as it is more timeless than some 70s psychedelic garbage. It makes the appeal far more likely to last.
Finally, the music itself. John Williams is the true genius of the entire shebang. He was the one who made Star Wars rise above the cartoonish crap it was. Whoever saw a cartoon with a truly classical-style score played really loud? If such a cartoon existed, it would undoubtedly make greater impact. And why? Because having old-style music that is timeless (note how much it resembles 19th century patriotic music eg Elgar) makes each event seem more important than it is. How could the scene where Skywalker stares at the suns have as much impact without a somber fanfare that plays whenever he daydreams? It would not.
So there we have it. I would urge all Star Wars fanatics to consider carefully what I say. Why does Star Wars "strike a chord you can't really place"? Why does it look "timeless?" Just consider my points and be more critical of Lucas's cunning ploy.