Understanding the Wookie

Or How I lost my Star Wars Virginity

I have been writing this blog fragmented since I watched Star Wars, all three original, on grainy VHS rented from the library last week. I can’t really critique the movie adequately-rather it made me think of the power of the imagination; and how, when one acts out on the imagination, it can do incredibly powerful things. To think that the movie was once a creative idea inside a mind.

I never refused to watch Star Wars—I just simply did not see the point. I understood it was a classic, I understood the popular references, what I didn’t understand was why people seemed so flabbergast about me not watching it.

I simply didn't have the time to sit through hours of a movie I didn't understand or seem to care about. I had things to do.

This all changed when I checked the rectangular, beat-up and worn movies from the library. I sat down, popped them in, just for the hell of it, not knowing that I would actually enjoy the hours I would spend watching the characters develop and the plot unfold.

The movie is incredible contextualized with the time period it was made. It was groundbreaking, the plot and interwoven character development are very complex, the visual effects , while almost laughable now, were advanced, and most importantly, the entire scenario of space is very imaginative.

It is this that I would like to elaborate on.

By using space as the setting, it leaves reality behind and allows for a form of escape. It allows viewers to travel to familiar settings from a different perspective, it shows the power struggle between good and evil in its complexities and it emphasizes the struggle of identity, place and meaning. These are all very human, very important and can reach beyond the screen to viewership and everyday life. This is difficult to do, while simultaneously creating a well done movie and marketing it as a blockbuster.

I could do a critique, but that seems too verbose, there are so many of them on the internet to compete with. Just know, if you have not seen Star Wars, watch it. It is a classic for a reason. Once you have watched it once, I highly suggest doing the Star Wars Drinking Game along with it. This makes for an entirely unique and blurry realization and perspective of a classic, best done with good friends, preferably the nerdy chic ones.

I will then leave you with my friend Kelsey and I with Yoda.