Star Wars: Legacy Revealed

[danrak]

Did anyone else watch this documentary on the History Channel? It aired Monday at 9pm and was very interesting. It likens the characters and villains to ones in greek mythology.

1 The conflict between father and son prevalent in SW is similar to the conflict between Zeus and his father, Chronos, and between Chronos and his father.
2 The hero's menagerie of flawed friends to help him on his journey.
2 SW being called a Hero's Journey, a common theme in GM, where the protagonist must overcome obstacles to prove themselves and to grow in strength. (examples: Hercules' tasks and the Skywalkers' training under their respective mentors)
3 The damsel in distress. But it should also be said that Padme and her daughter Leia were resourceful and assertive in the movies at times.
4 The simple-minded fat guy and the intelligent skinny guy as comic foils to each other likened to C3-PO and R2-D2.

[Ragnarok]

Yes, Star Wars is rife with mythological archetypes and themes. If this interests you ditch the History Channel and pick up "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. One of the greatest teachers of the twentieth century, Joe spent his life persuing comparative mythology and teaching at Sara Lawrence college. And guess who one of his students was? That's right George Lucas.

In fact, Joe did a series of PBS specials entitled the "Power of Myth" (fascinating stuff by the way) that were filmed at Skywalker Ranch. In the collected DVD version there is an interview with George Lucas.