STAR WARS

US, 1977 (remastered, 1997), 121 minutes, Colour.
Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing.
Directed by George Lucas.

George Lucas intended to blend techniques and aura of space exploration of 2001 with straightforward simplicity (and naivety) of the serials (Flash Gordon etc.) of his boyhood. He has succeeded admirably. Technically the film is inventive, beautiful and exciting. In narrative, the complex and far-fetched characters and plots of outer space delight the child in us. By a story and atmosphere of the future, relying for significance on old conventions of knighthood, chivalry and heroes, the film is thoroughly enjoyable for the present. (Plus John Williams 'epic' score). The humans are bland American comic book types, Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing provide straight heroics and villainy. The robots are wonderful.

1. The quality of the film? Reputation? Enjoyment? Its impact and freshness in 1977? In retrospect? The influence it had, derivatives?

2. Its background in the old serials of the 30s and 40s, their value as popular entertainment, for young audiences, the fantasy world, the climaxes and dangers and adventures, heroes and heroines? The basic situations in this world, in the universe? The types of characters, good and bad? The cliffhanging situations? The simplistic approach and audience enjoyment of this and identification with it? The happy endings and triumph? The film's prologue indicating this kind of background in its words, the visuals of the prologue? The presuppositions of serial and Saturday matinee enjoyment in the audience?

3. The importance of the technical achievement? How impressive? The intimations of space, the visuals of spacecraft and machinery? The elaborate sets? The quality of the filming of this technical gadgetry?

4. The basic plot? Its verve and vitality? Audience identification? Emotional response to situations and characters, the clash of good and evil? The f film's attitude towards right and wrong? The presentation of the characters in simplified form - the comic-strip style, the very American presence language and accent of the main characters? The background of the serious characters both good and evil?

5. The enjoyment of the film as sheer space adventure? The atmosphere of intergalactic wars, an imaginary time in the past or the future, rebels and resistance, betrayal, heroism, the world of black darkness and fascism, the world of irreligion and the reliance on power and destruction? The significance of the Force and its place in this kind of sheer adventure?

6. Ben Kenobi's explanation of the Force? The Jedi Knights and their unity, the mystical power uniting them, their place in the Force? The Force adding something more to the sheer adventure? The overtones of religion and mysticism? "Pop mysticism"? The moving of the adventure story onto the level of old-fashioned tales, epic stories of knights and adventure, the level of fairy tale and myth and its meaning?

7. The picture of the galaxies in their particular time? The science-fiction world of past, present and future? The audience response to intergalactic science-fiction? Its growing reputation and respectability? Expectations of life in other planets, the parallel to human existence, the background of wars, destruction of planets, death stars and rays, the influence of the empire? A mission within the intergalactic world? The desperate situation? How well was this communicated in the visuals, the technology, the battle sequences?

8. The introduction to Princess Leia? A plucky princess, her mission, her transmitting the message to the computer, her giving an impetus to Ben Kenobi's involvement, the attraction to Luke Skywalker and the knight to the rescue? Her confrontation with Tarkin? The threats to her life and her reaction? Her being blackmailed to reveal the rebel location? The impact of the destruction of her own planet? Her imprisonment, the rescue by Luke and her reliance on him, her attitude and criticism of Han Solo? Her participation in the adventures and the various trials before the escape? Her arrival with the rebels, communicating the plans, watching while Luke achieved his heroics? Her being won by the hero and the happy ending? A fairytale princess? An attractive heroine?

9. Luke Skywalker as hero - the significance of his name? Seeing him in his ordinary life on his own planet? Yet his father's background amongst the Jedi Knights? His ordinary life and home life with his uncle and aunt? The ordinary earth parallels? Doing his chores, selecting the machines, working with them? Revealing the ordinary side of life in the galaxies? The relationship of men and machines and the friendly encounter? The response to talking robots? Luke at how, as a pilot, his hopes of study and moving away from the family, the ordinary work to be done? His searching after the lost robot? The dangerous encounter with the Sand People? His admiration for Ben Kenobi and sharing in his knowledge? His grief after the death of his uncle and aunt? His attraction by the princess and his going to save her? Receiving his father's sword? Luke turning into hero - and yet Han Solo's continual reference to him as 'kid'? His being disguised as an empire soldier and joining with Han in the invasion of the battle star? Shooting, rescuing the princess, swinging over chasms, in the garbage disposal and contacting the robots? His place in the mission to escape, his being the hero of the attack on the battle star, his involvement in the wars, saving his friends, dropping the missile into the battle star? The importance of Ben Kenobi's influence on him - the explanation of his background, his father, the meaning of the Force, his seeing Ken Kenobi give his life, the training for the fighting and letting his feelings go, Ben Kenobi's advice to trust his feelings for destroying the battle star? Luke as an everyman hero of the film?

10. Han Solo as comic hero? His particularly American style, the overtones of the West, his gambling and involvement in the strange bar and its strange creatures, his smuggling background? Challenge and his rising to a dare? The mercenary and his eagerness for money? His being slow on the uptake? His wariness in being involved? His relationship with the Wooki? The escaping from the empire soldiers? The landing on the battle star? His participation in the rescue of Princess Leia and his fears? The dangers in the garbage disposal, getting the machine going, escaping? His decision to away with his reward? What persuaded him to come in at the end as Luke's saviour? A genial ordinary kind of hero?

11. The presentation of the robots – C3PO and R2D2? Audience response to robots, the indication of technological development? The personalities of the two robots and the way they were acted? Their importance in the plot? The personality of C3PO - protocol, fussy, very British tone, his fainting, his being separated from the group, his shrewdness in helping Luke and the others to escape? His attachment to R2D2? and wanting to help? The intelligent robot? as small, more like a pet, carrying the message and transmitting it, being captured, participating in the final mission with Luke, destruction but always able to be fixed? C3PO and the loss of his arm? The humanising of the robots, their always being able to be mended even if they seem dead? The comedy of the robots?

12. The strange creatures of the intergalactic worlds - the anonymous soldiers of the empire and their disguise? The various small people that captured robots and sold them to humans? The Sand People and their violence and ugliness? The Wookis and the humorous and strange variation on mutants -and the Wooki's ability at being a pilot, participating in the strategy within the battle star, especially for the prison, playing games and wanting to win against the robots? The world of the empire and the knights -especially Darth Vader and his anonymous black evil? The mixture between human and robot?

13. Peter Cushing as the choice to play Tarkin? His cool control and villainy, his self-assurance, the threats to Princess Leia, his relationship with Darth Vader, the decision to destroy the rebels, his arrogance and final destruction? Embodying the evil control - his presence, appearance, uniform, strategies, evil?

14. The contrast with Alec Guinness as Ben Kenobi? Age, appearance, wisdom, the tradition of the Jed! Knights? A man of causes and ideals? His participation in the mission - relationship with Han Solo? His work on the battle star to destroy it? His diversionary tactics? The inevitability of confronting Darth Vader, his pupil, and the fight? His allowing himself to be destroyed as the heroes escaped? Giving his life for others? Yet his presence and the presence of the Force?

15. Darth Vader as traitor villain? His possibility of being a Jedi Knight, his choosing evil, his evil advice to Tarkin? His participation in the strategy especially the attack on the rebel planet, the defence of the battle star? His being lost in space at the end?

16. Comment on the kind of world that we were presented with in Star Wars -planets and their strange appearances, colours, moons etc.? Yet the ordinary landscapes of deserts, trees? The world of technology, of buildings? Of space?

17. The world of the rebels - their cause, plans, the defiance of the empire? The destruction of planets? The confrontation at the end with the possibility of destruction? The intensity of the need to destroy the battle star? Sending out their forces, the explanation of their chief? The almost helplessness before Luke destroyed the battle star?

18. The tableau of the happy ending - appropriate thematically and emotionally for this film? Why its great appeal? As entertainment, as adventure, as popular message of good and evil?