Open Letter to George Lucas

[NeoConIV]

An open letter to George Lucas

Dear Mr Lucas

This might be a good opportunity to thank you for many hours of entertainment that your two "Star Wars" trilogies have provided for me with. I'm not one of the "Star Wars" fanatics, but I've watched the five films so far several times over the years. I most fondly remember watching the first trilogy in the late 1970s and the early 80s at the movies, when I was a boy living in the then communist Poland. Your space saga of Luke Skywalker and his fight against Darth Vader, the Empire and the Dark Side has proved as big a hit on the other side of the Iron Curtin as it did in the West.

You might be aware that all of us who saw the "Star Wars" trilogy throughout the communist world saw it as an entertaining, yet still nonetheless powerful commentary on the current world events. We simply couldn't escape the conclusion that the militaristic and freedom-crushing Empire with its legions of stormtroopers is a futuristic version of the Soviet Empire, which had conquered and enslaved hundreds of millions of people like myself. For us, of course, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and all the others fighting to restore the Republic were brave oppositionists and freedom fighters in the truest sense of the word. Like the Western movie goers, we too cheered when the Death Star was destroyed (twice), but whereas for our counterparts in the Free World this was just a great cinematic climax, for us it embodied the hope ("A New Hope", if you pardon the pun) that one day the specter of totalitarianism will vanish and we will be free again.

Apparently, however, we were wrong - we didn't read your movies correctly.

I noted with interest your recent remarks in Cannes:

"Star Wars" director George Lucas says that although he wrote the original film during the Vietnam War, his six-part saga could apply to the war in Iraq.

"In terms of evil, one of the original concepts was how does a democracy turn itself into a dictatorship," Lucas told a news conference at Cannes, where his final episode had its world premiere.

"The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable.

"On the personal level it was how does a good person turn into a bad person, and part of the observation of that is that most bad people think they are good people, they are doing it for the right reasons."

Yes, we were very wrong indeed - to you, the Empire was the United States of America, and if that's the case, then the brave rebels could only be all those people around the world fighting the American Empire - the Castros, Che Guevaras, Ho Chi Minhs, Pol Pots, and by extension, the Brezhnevs and the Mao Tse Tungs of this world. You, of course, live in the Free World, and as such you have the right to believe that your country is the most powerful force for evil operating in the world. But just for the sake of completeness and historical accuracy, can I just mention that whatever the sins of the United States - and I certainly understand well enough that no country is perfect - your rebels, both when fighting for power and when finally in power, ended up being responsible for the death of tens of millions and enslavement of hundreds of millions; the Luke Skywalkers and Han Solos of the last century gave us gulags and re-education camps, terror famines and political prisons; they ins utionalized cults of personality, stifled every human freedom and impoverished whole nations.

May I also add that whatever your thoughts about the United States and its supposed descent from a democracy into empire, had the Rebels won, you would have never had a chance to film a critical allegory on your own government. At best, your artistic output would have consisted of short features about the 150% increase in the wheat harvest, and at worst - if you had stayed true to your conscience - you would be dreaming your "Star Wars" trilogy from behind bars.

Over the course of the last three years, the United States and her allies have managed to depose two truly de able regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq and today are trying to bring the gift of freedom and democracy - things that you enjoy every day probably without giving them much thought - to tens of millions of people who have never known them before. You might well think that Anakin Skywalker's painful transformation into Darth Vader is somehow a perfect analogy for the political journey of George W Bush, but I have a sneaking su ion that movie fans in Baghdad will have already recognized Darth Vader as one of their own - with a moustache rather than a black helmet. He, too, had two children, although they didn't turn up quite as cute as Luke and Leia. They names were Uday and Qusay.

I will still go and see "The Revenge of the Sith" when it opens in Australia in a few days' time, and I will not stop enjoying the other five films just because I read their message differently to what you intended.

But if in your mind, it's the United States that has slowly transformed itself into an evil Empire, and therefore, logically all those who stand up to it are our story's true heroes, than I have to say that the Dark Side is very strong indeed, and I have crossed over a long time ago. If America is the Empire, then please prepare a black helmet and uniform for me too.


http://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/2005/0...rge-lucas.html

[mookie2001]

yeah
star wars is just a movie though
but i saw it and annikin darthvader did act like I can imagine you act, 100% trusting of his government, thirsty for status and power. a theme for the republic that was basically the more powerful and strong "the republic" is, the safer theyll be. Control for power, order out of chaos, problem reactionary system that whatever your NWO is trying to do.
I'm not sure what Toby Keith would do maybe he just hates starwars because he doesnt want to seem unamercian. thats how Sean Hannity makes it seem anyway. Do you ask yourself that sometimes, WWTKD? or is it WWSHD
so i can understand, but still it was a bad ass movie

[Guru of Nothing]

Is this all you got?!

George Lucas could suffer an extended run of bad luck for all I care, but none of his quoted comments are sufficient to get my underwear in a wad.

Obviously you and I are different.

"Star Wars" director George Lucas says that although he wrote the original film during the Vietnam War, his six-part saga could apply to the war in Iraq.

"In terms of evil, one of the original concepts was how does a democracy turn itself into a dictatorship," Lucas told a news conference at Cannes, where his final episode had its world premiere.

"The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable.

"On the personal level it was how does a good person turn into a bad person, and part of the observation of that is that most bad people think they are good people, they are doing it for the right reasons."

[NeoConIV]

Do you at a minimum appreciate Chrenkoffs overarching point?

[Guru of Nothing]

Do you at a minimum appreciate Chrenkoffs overarching point?

I thought overarching was the exclusive playground of democrats.

[IcemanCometh]

hahaha you people are morons

[Spurminator]

I think he missed the point completely. Obviously it's open to interpretation, as all art is, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to suggest that Lucas wrote Luke Skywalker and Han Solo as parallels to Ho Chi Minh and Osama Bin laden or the like. The Star Wars saga has different antagonists than the Empire... for example, the Trade Federation. However, fears of those enemies were exploited by those in power to create a Dictatorship.

Chrenkoff's take represents one of the lessons of the Star Wars saga, particularly in the Prequels... not everything can be separated into two sides. Good vs. Evil is an oversimplification. It's like grouping Canadians with Terrorists.

The heroes of the story, then, are not the antagonists Chrenkoff cites... but rather those who hope to restore sanity to world governments. Perhaps a somewhat idealistic concept of what the UN could be in a perfect world. The Empire represents a grim picture of what we might conceiveably become if we are not careful... not necessarily what we have already become.

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.



And now I'm going to shower to remove this stench of Nerd.

[Clandestino]

i knew i didn't like star wars for some reason.

[ChumpDumper]

Do you at a minimum appreciate Chrenkoffs overarching point?

Yeah.

He's still going to watch the movie.

Way to vote with your feet, dork.

[ChumpDumper]

On the personal level

That's the operative phrase that this blogger missed. The connection Lucas seems to be drawing is that of folks doing evil deeds for what they think are the right reasons. The easiest examples for the two conflicts he mentioned about be My Lai and Abu Grabe. Now before we go off on tangents about denying or apolgizing for these two incidents, let me just say that Lucas is being a bit disingenuous about his movies having much deeper meaning than the serials and samurai movies he ripped off in the first place.

[Hook Dem]

[Nbadan]

[Nbadan]

Winger bloggers continue to attack Star Wars 3...some calling for a boycott

"There is no question that this ridiculous movie iss an anti-Bush propaganda piece. They even have a line in it about how he (the Emperor -- Bush, not Frist) controls the House, Senate and now he is trying to control the judges. That's nearly a direct quote. When the Emperor (Bush) declares emergency powers the Senators clap and Bush Basher Padme Portman comments sadly this is the way democracy dies -- with applause. Annakin Skywalker to save his wife slaughters innocent Jedi children. Who slaughtered American children? Remember WACO? Lucas doesn't. Of course, THOSE kids were right wing extremists. It's OK to kill THEM. Lucas takes shots at the military, mad killers who exterminate all in their paths."

"At the end, the Jedi and good people go into "exile". This is the only part of the movie I supported. How about Canada, you wonderful "Jedi" knights on the Left. Plenty of room for you there and it would improve the IQ of both countries immediately.

Conservatives SHOULD boycott this film, not because it'll do any good but because 1) it isn't worth seeing and 2) you won't have to see your values and your president insulted."

"Please--if anyone wants a series that seriously attacks Capitalism, take a look at Star Trek. Its a liberal fantasy where everyone is free of having to work for a living because machines simply make anything you want materialize. There are no corporations or if there are any, they are portrayed as evil. The whole universe is run by a benevolent state that focuses on learning and science. I even remember Picard launching into a diatribe about how civilization had "gotten past" that grubby Capitalism and that people were now free to pursue art and science."

Link

[mookie2001]

neocon would make a landing area for black helicopters at his house
if only his retina and thumbscans could be used for him to fly in it
and he'd have to show his medical records and bank statements to government officials when they dropped by

[Useruser666]

What exactly is this thread about again? Oh wait, I know! Bull !

[mookie2001]

What exactly is this thread about again? Oh wait, I know! Bull !

HA

neocon would make a landing area for black helicopters at his house
if only his retina and thumbscans could be used for him to fly in it
and he'd have to show his medical records and bank statements to government officials when they dropped by

the truth and I stand behind it

[NeoConIV]

Alright, some of you bozos need to go to your local drugstore and buy a quick reality check. Serious.

Chrenkoff is just making some points on his blog about some of Lucas' comments.

This is TRULY ridiculous:

George Lucas might not endorse it, but the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org is summoning the Force to help preserve the Senate filibuster.

In a new television campaign to be launched this week, MoveOn is drawing parallels between Star Wars: Episode III The Revenge of the Sith and the partisan battle over the confirmation process for federal judges. The television spots will compare the film's plot, specifically the intergalactic power grab by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, with the rise of Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-ajudgeads18may18,0,537309.story?coll=sfla-news-nationworld





Then I saw on FNS, ON THE SENATE FLOOR, some democratic senator with a giant picture of Palpatine, trying to make his case with Revenge of the Sith as his parallel.


For real fellas, Walgreens has reality checks for about 2 bucks. Buy a few.

[scott]

Just went you thought some people couldn't get any nerdier.

[ChumpDumper]

It's about as stupid as any football analogy ever used in politics. What's your point? Looks like both sides are using this pop culture phenomenon How is this different from anything else -- ever? Listen to just about any speech by just about any politician and they'll make some kind of reach to incorporate pop culture.

"Where's the beef?"

"Don't Worry, be Happy"

etc.

[violentkitten]

thread synopsis:
right wing nuts and left wing nuts attempt to lay claim to a popular piece of art part ccmmxiv

[mookie2001]

neocon would make a landing area for black helicopters at his house
if only his retina and thumbscans could be used for him to fly in it
and he'd have to show his medical records and bank statements to government officials when they dropped by

[E20]

I re-watched Episodes IV-VI and man I got to say the the lightsaber battles seemed bad now because of episodes I-III. The Obi-Wan and Vader fight was incredibly slow compared to now with all the new technology. I'm pretty sure they can edit just the fight scenes of the orginal Star Wars so they can look somewhat faster.

[MannyIsGod]

I thought overarching was the exclusive playground of democrats.

WTF?

BTW, this movie kicks ass. I dug it.

[Useruser666]

I re-watched Episodes IV-VI and man I got to say the the lightsaber battles seemed bad now because of episodes I-III. The Obi-Wan and Vader fight was incredibly slow compared to now with all the new technology. I'm pretty sure they can edit just the fight scenes of the orginal Star Wars so they can look somewhat faster.

Who wants to make the fight scenes faster? The faster ones look fake. Too much CGI is overkill. There is just something about a foam Star Destroyer moving past the camera that is visually appealing.

[Extra Stout]

For chrissakes, you really have to want to see parallels between Star Wars and the Iraq war in order to see them. And right-wingers are complaining now that Lucas is anti-Bush?

Lucas had the basic storyline, all the way from Anakin as a slave boy to the death of the Emperor, in his head in the mid-'70s. It has nothing to do with Bush. Lucas will tell the Hollywood folks what they want to hear. He's an obedient little liberal.

If right-wingers are getting bent out of shape about this, it's projection. The story is so general it's like a horoscope. Forces of good feel limited by their own ethics when trying to fight evil blah blah blah will they suc b to evil in trying to fight evil blah blah blah. The closest parallels to the Empire are Nazi Germany and the USSR. If the right wing is now seeing parallels to the U.S. government in Lucas' tale, then they are being stupid.

It's just as easy to spin Star Wars as an anti-left precuationary tale with the Republic Senate as the U.S. Senate, Palpatine as Hillary Clinton, Condi Rice or another prominent neo-con as Anakin Skywalker, and the Joint Chiefs as the Jedi Council. if Republicans don't get their act together and sweep out the corruption, a brilliant scheming evildoer may be able to sweep in, make a key strategic alliance with a powerful neo-con, and plunge America into horrible darkness.