I feel like a putz for missing this article last month. Mr. Klimo takes Kevin McLeod's article
"Did George Lucas change cinema with ‘Star Wars’ prequels? to a more comprehensive and tangible level. Awesome.
I would only add a couple points. Specifically, the analysis could go a little deeper into the ideas of repetition and the parallels of the Fett and Skywalker family. Here was my take on those two items from
awhile ago:
E_CHU_TA! wrote:
The use of parallels is a literary and cinematic tradition. (I think the more common term for parallels is “juxtaposition.” In the TPM DVD commentary, Lucas himself describes the parallels as “rhymes” and compares them to musical notes which are played in varying degrees to create different but similar sounds.) But, parallels for the sake of parallels wouldn’t hold up that well if they didn’t tie into larger concepts. As I have stated before, the reoccurring themes and sequences are really an extension of the mythological and historical iconography in the Saga. As Lucas is an ardent admirer of Joseph Campbell (and as Campbell was an ardent admirer of Carl Jung), he is deeply interested in concepts and symbols which repeat through differing cultures. Moreover, myths are communicated as ideas and stories that are passed down from generation to generation through re-telling. The repetition in the Saga storyline mirrors the repetition in myths through world cultures. Also, putting it another way, GL is retelling the same story in a different way much like myths get retold by new generations
The parallels require active viewership by the audience. As the each parallel varies in their degree, the viewer has to actively discern its context in the chapter they are viewing and compare in the relation to the other moments. (As Obi-wan and Qui-Gon discuss at the start of the entire Saga, one has to be mindful of both the immediate action and larger picture if you are to appreciate the full story.) While some parallels are not significant and merely done to give viewers a familiar grounding, others relate back to the larger ideas of morality and human nature and may lead to questions. (For example, why did Dooku turn out to be a refined old gentleman who is evil while Obi-wan turned out to be refined old gentlemen who he is good? Also, in looking at the parallels between the Fett’s and Skywalker’s, it makes you wonder if in a different life it would be Luke firing cover shots at Boba as he walks into a trap set by Jango.)
Overall, if you take the Saga’s story on the surface, it’s fun and can hold up against or surpass other similar genre films. However, what makes the films transcend beyond escapism is the depth of the story and the intelligent point-of-view of its creator. Even though the prequels are more detached and bookish than the predecessor films, they help elevate the overall Saga and add to the richness of the six part story.
E_CHU_TA! wrote:
Regarding the Fett’s, I can only explain Lucas' mindset. The Fett’s inclusion in a prequel film was due to Lucas’ acknowledgment of fans’ appreciation for the minor character and his feeling that Boba’s death in ROTJ was dramatically wrong (listen to the DVD audio commentary.) Therefore, he wanted to make the Fett’s central to the overall story, show all their gadgets in use, and give at least one Fett a proper death. One aspect that gets unappreciated is Lucas’ elevation of the Fett’s to the same level of the Skywalker family. Specifically, the character of Boba Fett is set up to be parallel of both Anakin and Luke. He is a parallel to Anakin in that he only has one father and becomes orphaned through violence. He is parallel to Luke in that he follows the path of his armored father and, in the OT, there is the danger that Luke will follow the path of his armored father. Jango’s headless flop and Boba’s moment with his father’s helmet are not a superficial image parallels, but thematic links. When Luke beheads the ghostly Vader (just like Jango), it’s his father’s helmet which clues Luke into his own inner darkness.
One criticism I now have about the "Ring" of the Prequels is that the circle is not fully complete. The Clone Wars series was used to fill in the blanks on key plot points that were left open in episodes 2 and 3.
