User:Jakemiller2017/be bold

= Star Wars: Lucas's Embedded Political Stances = Star Wars is one of the largest science fiction franchises in the world. It has been a huge pop culture icon for generations now and continues its impact in media. The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, was also the director and screen writer for the first two trilogies. This article will discuss the political meaning embedded in the Prequel and Original trilogy.

The main story line consists of nine movies, which were written in trilogies that each consist of their own interconnected story. The three trilogies are as followed, the Prequel Trilogy, the Original Trilogy and the Sequel Trilogy. George Lucas (who wrote the first two trilogies) referenced the current political state with the movies, through messages constructed by the plot, as well as character and quote resemblances to political figures.

Embedded Meaning in Star Wars
Taking a look at all of the implications woven into Star Wars it is best to categorize them by trilogy. This being because each trilogy was meant to mirror the current political circumstance.

Prequel Trilogy
The prequel trilogy is full of underlying references to the Bush administration. The conversion of a republic to a dictatorship system of government in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is meant to predict the Bush administration. Princess Amidala says as she watches her Republic fall, "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause." This quote touches on what Lucas exclaims about how governments fall and how history could repeats itself with the Bush administration. George Lucas, in an interview with The New York Times explained that, “Anakin Skywalker is a promising young man who is turned to the dark side by an older politician and becomes Darth Vader.” He added, “George Bush is Darth Vader. Cheney is the Emperor.” Beside the confirmed character connections to political figures there are other heavy references of the Prequels to the Bush Administration.

The Prequels were written during the War on Terror, which is reflected in the films. This is referenced to in a broader way, with the help of the ongoing plot. More specifically it reflects on the War on Terror through the gradual decline of the Republic and creation of the Empire, as well as a diplomatic situation being blown out of proportion and into something that inspires patriotism.

The most vexed parallel in the prequels, rather than a character comparison or subliminal plot message, is a simple quote toward the end of the movie. The quote comes from the main character of the trilogy, Anakin Skywalker. Taking place after the fall of the Republic and during the rise of the Empire, Anakin says, "If you're not with me than you're my enemy." Lucas points at Bush's statement on the War on Terror: "You're either with us or you're with the enemy."

Throughout the space opera an ongoing fight being light and dark takes place, giving George Lucas a feasible platform to relay their ideals and point of views to their audience.

Original Trilogy
The Original Trilogy was poised around the Nixon administration and the idea of Imperialism. George Lucas admitted that Nixon was the biggest influence for the movies. During an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Lucas goes more into detail, "Star Wars was really about the Vietnam War, and that was the period where Nixon was trying to run for a [second] term, which got me to thinking historically about how do democracies get turned into dictatorships? Because the democracies aren’t overthrown; they’re given away.”

The Death Star to many is a strong representation of imperialism. The idea of a Death Star is frightening, a galactic super weapon capable of destroying planets at a time. The relevance between imperialism and the Death Star is better put by Darren Jorgensen in his piece titled "Death Star, Or How I learned To Stop Worrying and Love Globalization." He goes onto say, "It is built and built again so that a malevolent Empire might dominate the galaxy, but its recurrence only ever presages its end. Its reappearances suggest that the Death Star is stronger than the narratives that want to kill it, yet not strong enough to come to its proper place in the galaxy. Like a ghost haunting the scene of its own murder, it holds within itself something unresolved that returns it to being, without the materiality of a life that would allow it to do so. Its indeterminate status is a source of anxiety for its commanders, who in both films declare that it is near completion or has just been completed, only to witness its sudden demise." Just as history has continued to remind us, as well as the Death Star, imperialism is out of reach and typically is enforced through fear.

* ''The sequel trilogy is not written by George Lucas. Disney claims unlike past Star Wars movies, that the sequels have no political implications.''