Undoubtedly, some of you grew up watching Star Wars films, playing with Star Wars action figures, and so on. How has your perspective on the Star Wars franchise, and particularly the 1977 Star Wars film, changed in light of viewing and reading about the film in the context of this course?
2 thoughts on “Week 10 Day 2 Discussion Question 2”
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Although I personally was never super invested in Star Wars, my older brother was, so there was always quite a lot of Star Wars paraphernalia around the house. I had always thought of the series as mere science fictional entertainment, but after watching the movie through a Cold War perspective and reading Davis S. Meyer’s essay, I recognize and understand the links between the movie and the Cold War period. Looking at it through this lens, it is quite apparent that the the morally “good” Jedi rebellion is meant to represent the United States while the “evil”, brain-washed seeming clones of the Evil Empire are to represent the Soviet Union. The lack of individuality among the Storm Troopers also illustrates how Americans viewed Russians at the time, as juxtaposed with the charismatic, brave, loyal, and overall morally superior Jedis. Connections can also be made between the importance of family and traditional values during the Cold War and in the movie, as reflected by Luke’s various father figures and his attempt to save Darth Vader in the Return of the Jedi. However, with all this being said, I don’t think my perspective on the film has drastically changed, as without this context in mind, I would have never made these connections. In the end, Star Wars to me is another entertaining Sci-Fi movie, and even during the Cold War period, although it may have subconsciously influenced children to act “good” as opposed to “evil”, I don’t think the audience would have consciously tied the film’s narrative to the then current tensions surrounding Cold War.
Although I have seen Star Wars dozens of times, after considering the context of the Cold War and its influence on the film, my perspective on the whole franchise has completely changed. I had never before considered the parallels between the way in which the United States viewed the Soviet Union and the way in which the film portrays the Storm Troopers and the evil Empire. Storm Troopers are completely covered in armor, appearing to lack emotions and personality of their own. They are simply the product of the Evil Empire. In anti-Soviet and anti-Communist propaganda, the United States attempted to portray Communists in this same way. The film portrays Darth Vader as an elusive and evil character lacking human empathy, perhaps a symbol for the leaders of the Soviet Union. David Meyer’s essay in particular enhanced my understanding of the direct correlation between the film’s characters and many significant political figures of the time. For example, Meyer suggests that Luke represents Jimmy Carter, as he “appeared to be both a common man and a master of science – much as Jimmy Carter… did in his presidential campaign” (101). The film itself “accompanied the first signs of a major military buildup” in 1977. The use of futuristic technology along with a multitude of weapons throughout may correlate to the “military buildup” in the United States. However, Meyers does point out that the film criticizes “faith in technology at every possible turn.” After reading about and viewing the film in the context of the time, it is clear that Cold War themes and ideology directly relate to the themes in the Star Wars films.