Political Lessons of Star Wars

The Universal Themes in History that Can Be Gleaned from a Science Fiction Classic

In the Star Wars trilogies George Lucas forged a universe all his own, in which an infinite variety of alien races and cultures blend together in war and peace. Lucas cunningly used low-tech puppets and model kits as well as state of the art computer graphics to bring to life dozens of fanciful landscapes, alien creatures and advanced technologies that have never existed. Lucas used this variegated and futuristic backdrop to tell a story about war and peace, love and hate, betrayal and redemption, revenge and hope. While so much of what Lucas created through the use of technology appears unfamiliar to us, the elements of his story are essentially taken from human history and literature.

Star Wars is an epic-literally. The story begins, as all epics do, in medias res: in the middle of things. The tale commences with two lowly messengers, R2D2 and C-3PO who are the bearers of an important message vital to the survival of justice in the galaxy. These messengers are found by an unlikely hero-Luke Skywalker-who has lived his entire life as far as possible from the compelling events of history that have effected his generation. As Luke is catapulted into events, we soon learn that a capricious fate guides the actions and events of all. Luke's call to action, unwillingness to participate and the hand of fate that ultimately forces Luke into a larger world are all elements of the hero's journey. George Lucas is well versed in the famous epics of history such as the Greek Odyssey and Iliad. Lucas was also a student of Joseph Campbell, perhaps the world's foremost authority on myths and legends. He brought these teachings to bear in crafting his story. The use of universal themes juxtaposed with the cutting edge of special effects is what makes Star Wars so compelling.