Author: Rogue 47

A once theoretical physicists now a not fully economist and always residing in the twilight zone between knowing something and actually only knowing what you don't know. And always using The Force ...
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And such is the Nature of Evil

Rogue 47

The two great mythologies of the last 60 years, Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit and the Star Wars Saga, both attempt to give insight into the origin and reason of existence of Evil. If there is any conclusion to be drawn from the way in which Evil is depicted, or hidden in plain sight, in these stories then it seems the conclusion that Evil is something your recognize when you see it, but that eludes a real definition. Many perceive Star Wars (and also Lord of the Rings) as a simply black-and-white tale of Good versus Evil, but it isn’t. In this post I want to have a closer look at some aspects of this. Continue reading “And such is the Nature of Evil”

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The Prequel Trilogy & the Noughties

Rogue 47

The Phantom Menace is still widely considered to be the most anticipated film in history and only The Force Awakens seems to be a contender of taking that title. The Prequel Trilogy however divided audiences in a manner very different from how the Original Trilogy had. I argued that Original Trilogy had been a defining cultural moment for a new generation due to its strong resonance with the world events as well as the daily lives of young people between ’77 and ’83. For the Prequel Trilogy this is even more true. However by ’99 the world had changed dramatically since ’83 and was on the verge of further dramatic change. This not only shaped the reception of the films, it shaped the divide that ensued.

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The Original Trilogy & The Eighties

Rogue 47

There are legion reviews that describe in detail the state of the world as it lead up to first screening of Star Wars in 1977. Usually those essays, blogs, and documentaries then focus on the impact of Star Wars as a blockbuster phenomenon on (pop-) culture. The idea of such analyses is that there was something about the world before Star Wars that made us embrace it. I will take a different point of view in this article. My thesis is that it was the series of historical events and developments that occurred simultaneously with the Original Trilogy’s release and reception that can illuminate why this set of movies had such a huge impact in culture.

I want to take you on this journey from my personal point of view. That will be different from Obi Wan’s and probably also is different from yours. But I hope my thoughts may nevertheless contain interesting insights for you as well, reader. Continue reading “The Original Trilogy & The Eighties”

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Starwars and VE-Day: Some Thoughts

Rogue 47

tumblr_m4ry8rLKgZ1rprxkro1_1280The WW2 narrative and Star Wars

From the very first instalment of Star Wars in A New Hope there has always been a clear link between its narrative and the history of Twentieth Century Europe. On the one hand there was Lucas’ deliberate use of Leni Riefenstahl‘s cinematography, as exemplified in her Nazi-propaganda film ‘Triumpf des Willens’, in depicting the Imperial menace. The shots of Imperial Shuttles landing in areas with large numbers of perfectly aligned storm troopers conveyed the sense of total control that the Empire sought to exert on its subjects. The mere facts that Imperial Officers were dressed pretty much like Nazi-officers and that Imperial soldiers were called ‘storm troopers’, a word that in the Anglo-Saxon world is almost exclusively connected with the Third Reich, already provided enough reason to consider the connections. But what stood out for me was that my parents, WW2 survivors, immediately recognised the Empire as a reference to the forces of oppression that had created such havoc in their lives and throughout Europe. The 70th anniversary of VE-Day seems an excellent moment to reflect upon this.

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Ahmed Best and Jake Lloyd

Parallel Lives: Jar Jar and Anakin

Rogue 47

When George Lucas made the choice to start the Prequel Trilogy with Anakin Skywalker as a kid and to include Jar Jar Binks as a character he must have had an inkling of what was coming. But he must have made this choice deliberately because of its story-telling value. In this post I want to have a look at how intimately the stories of these two great characters are entangled and how they mirror each other. Unwittingly, in their joint rejection of these two, the prequel-bashing community not only misses out on a vital element of the story Lucas tried to convey. But above all they confirm the message that is in Jar Jar and Anakin’s story for those who did make the effort to recognize it.

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