gjphw (01/17/83)
This comment is to argue against two items undergoing analysis about the
STAR WARS movie series. The first comment is about movies in general while the
second discusses the Force.
Other than for a few movie directors (e.g., Krubrick), I wonder about the
attention to detail in SF movies. Two movie reviews appearing in SF publica-
tions criticized the superfluous action and lack of care to detail in the
second SW movie TESB. The first movie lacked any depth to its plot but was
superbly action packed and did show a great deal of attention to detail. I,
for one, had not seen a SF movie that appeared so "realistic". The sets and
equipment generally looked used and made you believe that this SF universe is
occupied. The second movie had more plot to it but introduced unnecessary set-
tings and situations. There seemed no need to have the rebel base move to the
ice planet just to to be discovered by the Empire again.
From this, I must wonder how seriously the situations depicted in TESB can
be trusted for detail. The fact that Chewie does not get shot by Bobo Frett
may not mean that Chewbacca is the "Other" but merely that the actor was given
general directions, crossed in front of another actor by mistake, and was not
caught. The Wookie is a character that was not scheduled to die at this time.
Books generally contain only the details necessary to convey the environment
and story to the reader. A movie must always include sounds and actions to
fill the film, and some of that may be unnecessary to the story.
My second difficulty derives from a conflict between my expectations for
"The Force" and its development in TESB. Specifically, I am looking to the
traditions that spawned the concept of "The Force".
Almost all martial organizations and fighting individuals hold a belief in
some power or authorization that will permit them to succeed and live where the
enemy and fellows have died. During the Middle Ages, the men in battle
believed that God was with the side that was in the right. God's presence
would aid them in battle by guiding their swords and movements. This is called
the demiurge (force of God?). The oriental martial arts also have their
beliefs, though since they are often Buddist, the Christian God concept is not
employed. Karate, kung fu, etc. refer to the need to organize and direct this
force to achieve their goals. The chi (Chinese) or ki (Japanese) is the life
force that training will allow one to utilize in battle. In more modern times,
Tom Wolfe has made the belief in the Force among test pilots a legend with his
book "The Right Stuff".
What strikes me about all of these Forces is their subtlety. The Force
gives skill to the user and grants a slight advantage to the virtuous. A
fighter can only use this to increase his own wisdom and guide his sword hand.
In SW, the Force looses this subtle expression and becomes quite blatant. Even
though Yoda says that the best use of the Force is for knowledge and skill in
battle, Darth shows us that it can be used to throw the book (kitchen sink,
tool box, etc.) at an opponent. For me, this removes some of the tension
because a mere mortal cannot catch him offguard and generally doesn't stand a
chance. Also, a "true believer" does not have to stand his/her guard because
he/she isn't vulnerable.
Again, we are treated to a clash of the supermen (ubermensh) as the only
significant plot in a SF action story. In general, Hollywood appears unable to
handle subtlety in a major production.
Pat Wyant
*!iheds!gjphw