Religious overtones abound

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2005)

There's no doubt that a large part of the appeal of 'Return of the Jedi' for me was the action-packed scenes and special effects. However, the movie is also a continuation of the classic battle of "good versus evil", with many religious and spiritual themes. Many topics such as greed, temptation, and redemption are debated in this film, and I've read that George Lucas admits that he injected religion into the 'Star Wars' trilogy (see Time magazine, April 26, 1999).
For me the whole idea of the Force is fascinating and I suppose there are various ways in which it can be interpreted -- as God perhaps, or religion itself? Or could it simply be some profound level of meaning beyond our everyday reality; this is the interpretation that makes most sense to me. (Perhaps it could be compared to 'The Matrix'?)
It may be that a Christian can see 'Return of the Jedi' and think he or she saw a Christian film, but it is Eastern religion that has been said to dominate, and I would agree. There are said to be many examples of Buddhist philosophy in the 'Star Wars' films and I look forward to reading a recently-published book on the topic by Matthew Bortolin, called 'The Dharma of Star Wars'.