4
ENG 232
What is the Star Wars story?
A note about attendance.
Question about access.
A Story Requires an Author
A Star Wars Story
In 1971, George Lucas signed a two picture deal with Universal studios.
His first film, American Graffiti, was released in 1973.
However, he struggled with a draft of his next feature--a science fiction adventure space opera.
George Lucas on the set of Star Wars (1977).
Traditional Film Structure
Story Structure
Joseph Campbell and the Monomyth
The Monomyth
George Lucas believed there was no modern use of mythology in 1970s film.
He felt "the Western was possibly the last generically American fairy tale."
"It was very eerie because in reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces I began to realize that my first draft of Star Wars was following classic motifs...so I modified my next draft according to what I'd been learning about classical motifs and made it a little bit more consistent."
Lucas on Campbell
Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind
Stephen and Robin Larsen
The Monomyth
an uncomfortable home—a hero begins the story not fitting in
a call to adventure—a hero receives news about a world beyond their own
refusal or denial of the call – a hero feels they don’t belong in the world of adventure
receiving a boon or gift—a hero receives an item of importance or power
meeting the mentor—a hero meets a wise friend who teaches or instructs them
crossing the threshold—a hero crosses from their world to a world of adventure
test allies and enemies—a hero meets friends or enemies and discovers their strengths
temptation—a hero is tempted to abandon their quest
approach and preparation—a hero approaches danger and prepares for battle
the ordeal—a hero undergoes an ultimate test
reward—a hero is rewarded for their strength
the return with the elixir or power—a hero returns to their world with a new power
The Skywalker Monomyth
The Monomyth in Star Wars
A Skywalker story.
Joseph Campbell on the success of Star Wars.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/192BIaGq8-ZBDuR_6VIalN7SYuDUfgAhQ/view?usp=sharing
Can we think of any other stories that fit this monomyth cycle?
Lucas's Influences
Other Influences
Flash Gordon (1936)
Hidden Fortress (1958)
Westerns
John Wayne
The Searchers (1956)
Harrison Ford Star Wars (1977)
Dam Busters (1955)
Star Wars After 1977
"Cowboys in Space"
Cowboys in Space
Douglas Brode
1970s America
The Politics of Film in the 1970s
- Film was changing, old genres were considered "old fashioned"
- New films were dark and often pessimistic
- Film goers were exhausted by an incredibly negative political climate
Taxi Driver (1976)
A Fantasy Film for the 1970s
George Lucas
"Through anthropology I had gotten interested in folklore and mythology and in their role as an anchor for societies. I came to realize that America has no modern fairy tales. You could say that the Western movie is the last of our myths."
George Lucas
Horse Operas and Oaters
The Traditional Western
Films from the 40s and 50s, "horse operas [in contrast to 'epic Westerns'] were escapist-fantasy 'oaters'... Delightful little diversions for children of all ages, seldom with any viable or meaningful connection to our actual pioneer era" (2).
These films featured good-guy superhero cowboys versus bad-guy black hat villains.
Han Solo as Archetypal Western Hero
Han Solo
Star Wars (1977)
05:07
The Gunfighter (1950)
02:15
Using Western themes re-purposed for a Space Opera setting, Lucas refreshed these ideas for a new generation.
Western Themes
Redemption - Characters earning or regaining trust or salvation
The Frontier - Conquering the wilderness or creating society
"The Man of the West" - The fictionalized character of the Cowboy as an American folkhero
The Law - "the moral dimension that stands behind rules of order"
Applying Brode's Ideas to a New Film
Our Goal
If Brode's idea is that George Lucas reinvented the Western as a Space Opera for his original Star Wars films, how are the themes and ideas of the Western represented in Disney's modern film Solo: A Star Wars Story?
What does Brode say about how genre functions in Star Wars? How does Solo reflect any of those ideas?