By Anthony Bromberg
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAff
[email protected]
An “˜A’ on a midterm. The Force. A fake ID working
consistently at the local bars. The Force. UCLA’s basketball
team making the Sweet Sixteen twice in a row with Lavin as head
coach. The Force.
Maybe, that’s a little extreme. Maybe the governing values
of the “Star Wars” universe don’t apply here on
Earth. Or, maybe they do.
As “Attack of the Clones” is released in theaters
across the country on Thursday, audiences everywhere will be
exposed to two very different parts of the modern world: capitalism
and spirituality. Since “A New Hope” came out in 1977,
the “Star Wars” universe has not only represented one
of the best examples of successful American business, but also a
pervasive cultural and even mythological force.
“Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,”
was essentially the cry of a youth without their own story, a myth
to explain their universe. Then George Lucas and the Force stepped
in. “Star Wars” lines, philosophies, and characters
have affected recent generations in countless ways.
“It’s such a huge part of my life that there’s
no way that it doesn’t,” said Mario Olivotto, a third
year biology student.
Olivotto calls himself a “huge” fan. Not only is he
an avid watcher of the “Star Wars” movies, he also owns
“Star Wars” encyclopedias, over 80 books about the
imaginary universe, and usually spends at least an hour a day
talking on www.theforce.net message boards with other fans.
The boards contain multiple threads everyday, many of which deal
with the deeper themes of the movies.
“It’s amazing how much of this stuff goes on
there,” Olivotto said. “The Force, is it real? How can
we apply it? “˜Star Wars’ as a philosophical allegory,
how it applies to the Bible, also just how much it means to
them.”
 Lucasfilm Ltd. Ewan MacGregor and Hayden Christiansen
attempt to wield the force.
According to Kathryn Morgan, a UCLA classics professor, who
teaches a popular course in classical mythology, societies create
mythologies primarily to help deal with issues such as
inter-generational relationships, the importance of individuality,
and the problem of human mortality.
From the earliest Greek myths to current perceptions of the
founding fathers of the United States like George Washington and
his cherry tree to early Hollywood movie stars, cultures adapt
their heroes to the times, according to Professor Robert Gurval,
chair of the classics department. In the 20th century that
fascination turned to space, and science fiction took hold of
society’s consciousness.
Where in ancient societies a hero was defined by his ability to
conquer wild beasts or go on long journeys, today a hero needs to
be intelligent and to reflect the technological aspects of society,
according to Gurval. For his heroes, according to Morgan, George
Lucas drew both on the newfound fascination with space, as well as
sources influenced by classical mythology like Joseph
Campbell’s archetypal manifesto, “The Hero With a
Thousand Faces.” The story of a young hero with a mysterious
past, who gets called to adventure is the classic hero story.
“We’re talking about Darth Vader now and Luke
(Skywalker), of course, and how do we deal with our father,”
Morgan said. “These are the same themes that come up with
Perseus and Jason.”
In the disillusionment and cultural excess of the post Vietnam
War ’70s, the youth of that generation and beyond lacked a
hero or a story that was their own.
“We didn’t have John Wayne, the cowboys dressed in
white,” Olivotto said. “We didn’t grow up with
the cheesy good and evil. But when you see the first couple of
scenes of “˜A New Hope,’ and Vader’s dressed in
black, then Obi Wan dressed in white, it’s there.”
Josh Veltman, a third year political science student, knows why
“Star Wars” has captured the spirit of recent
generations.
“I would say that people our age don’t read as much
classic literature,” Veltman said. “For us, it tends to
be movies, and “Star Wars” is such a dramatic piece
that it goes beyond being a movie.”
For Veltman and Olivotto alike the “Star Wars” films
achieve a unique spiritual quality, because of the inclusion of the
Force, and the Jedi order. The jedi’s philosophical mind set
provides an example for “Star Wars” watchers.
“In my own life, I think about how the dark side teaches
you to use your anger,” Olivotto said. “Maybe, the
jedis teach more of a zen thing, try not to let your emotions get
the best of you.”
Not everyone considers the “Star Wars” universe such
a weighty thing.
“It’s a fairy tale,” said Tim Tangherlini, a
folklorist and professor of Scandinavian and East Asian
studies.
According to Tangherlini, fairy tales of this type are still in
large demand. He compares “Star Wars” to a film like
“Pretty Woman,” which he contends is also based purely
on fairy tales. “In a galaxy far far away…” is the
same thing as “Once upon a time…”
For Morgan, the “Star Wars” phenomenon is not so
simple. She sees the Force as a powerful spiritual outlet without
trappings for a modern society largely alienated from religion. It
is a semi-divine power with the particularly modern emphasis on
choice. Everyone has the power within themselves to go to the light
side or the dark side.
“It wouldn’t be popular if it didn’t give
people something they needed,” Morgan said. “Myths get
passed on because they touch something important.”
As much as they admire the first three movies, none of the
people interviewed for this article held out particular hope for
the prequels contributing anything meaningful to the Force. They
described the prequels as too heavily concentrating on pure
entertainment, action, and more science fiction.
The true power of the Force is not quantifiable or an exact
science, and may not go beyond the realms of high art.
“It helps me to appreciate other things,” Veltman
said. “It may be of the highest entertainment, but I
don’t think people are going to be like, “˜We have the
force, now we’ll have world peace.'”
Whether as a greater spiritual deity or a pop culture buzz word,
the Force does surround us, and does fulfill many of the same uses
as the myths of old. So, maybe it’s still worth a try next
time a professor demands anything. Wave a hand and say, “This
paper has no flaws. These are not the droids you’re looking
for.”