Sith Happens!
George Lucas' Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is being released at a peculiar time in American political and cultural history. Our legislature is ripe with corruption and political squabble. The republic is crumbling amidst imperial wars and draconian power-grabs by the executive branch. We are on the verge of a showdown in the Senate over the filibuster which may alter the course of our political history.
Revenge of the Sith describes a fictional world not too far from our present reality minus the light-sabers, star-ships and space aliens. Written in the 1970s, the backdrop for Lucas' story is the collapse of a republic and the rise of an empire. He touches on some timeless political themes in Revenge of the Sith:
In ancient Rome, "why did the senate, after killing Caesar, turn around and give the government to his nephew?" Lucas said. "Why did France, after they got rid of the king and that whole system, turn around and give it to Napoleon? It's the same thing with Germany and Hitler.
"You sort of see these recurring themes where a democracy turns itself into a dictatorship, and it always seems to happen kind of in the same way, with the same kinds of issues, and threats from the outside, needing more control. A democratic body, a senate, not being able to function properly because everybody's squabbling, there's corruption."
The most coincidental dialog occurs when Anakin Skywalker (soon to be Darth Vader) utters the following line to former friend and mentor Obi Wan Kenobi:
"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy"
Hmm, that reminds me of something our president said right after 9/11:
"Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
Yowza! I'm excited to see the film although I found Episode I and II highly lacking in substance. I am intrigued by the intense political and historical themes layered within the film. The Heretik, who has enjoyed milking Star Wars imagery for political purposes as have I, poses the following conundrum: The Dark Side, Not to Go There Too Much, But Are You Going to Go There Again?
I've been there and back again a few times myself.
Right on, my lifting friend. Love ya and what you do. Mommy, make it stop!
Posted by: The Heretik | May 16, 2005 at 05:07 PM
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. DOn't YOU forget: Dick Cheney Before He Dicks You
Posted by: The Heretik | May 16, 2005 at 05:10 PM
Well, if Lucas is going to give his movies a decidedly pro-Republic twist (not a bad thing, in my book), then we can expect soon to see some on the Right singing the praises of the Empire. Again.
Case in point: some may remember this priceless article from the folks over at the 'Standard in 2002.
Of course such epic movies, which are political space opera, make for controversy. But let's not forget that Lucas has time and again stated that Star Wars is a Campbellian story. There's a reason the Sith and the other "bad guys" are in black, and the good guys in white.
Posted by: Daniel Slate | May 16, 2005 at 05:11 PM
Daniel, thank you for that link. I can't believe how the Right defends the Empire in their NeoCon Straussian viewpoint.
The Empire doesn't want slaves or destruction or "evil." It wants order.
Hitler wanted order too. So the Republic is the like the corrupt ineffectual U.N. and the Empire is a righteous bunch of order capitalists? I wonder what the author has to say about Episode III.
Posted by: Agitprop | May 16, 2005 at 06:25 PM