Living force star wars. What is the power of Star Wars? Power in Focus

Please note: This essay, written for Catholic World Report, is based in part on reviews and essays previously published on the Decent Films website and the National Catholic Register.
(Stephen D. Greydanus)

The circle is closed.

The saga that began more than a quarter of a century ago with Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi (also known to fans as Episodes IV, V, and VI, respectively) has finally come to a head. finale with the release this May of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the third (and final) part of the new prequel trilogy, revealing the backstory of the original trilogy.

Although the new prequels have almost universally been less well received than the classic trilogy, the Star Wars universe is still a cultural reservoir - and a huge one at that. The impact Star Wars has had on Hollywood is truly incalculable. It's impossible to imagine films about Indiana Jones, E.T. ("E.T."), "The Matrix" or "The Lord of the Rings" without "Star Wars". It's no secret that Lucas's harshest critics accuse Star Wars of doing nothing less than "destroying" Hollywood by allegedly turning audiences away from the subtle sophistry of films like The Godfather, Taxi Driver and Anne Hall,” instead seducing them with teenage fantasies, pageantry and romance.

Here's a typical quote from Peter Biskind's damning manifesto, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock'n'Roll Generation Saved Hollywood: "When all was said and done, Lucas and Spielberg brought back the audiences of the 1970s. s, fed on the refined diet of European cinema and the Hollywood New Wave, back to the naive simplicity of the pre-Sixties era, the Golden Age of cinema... They passed back through the looking glass.”

True, this situation can be looked at from a different point of view and everything can be presented in a completely different light: it was Lucas and Spielberg who “saved Hollywood” from decline in the era of “sex, drugs and rock and roll” and returned the good old plot to cinemas “ good versus evil."

But this does not mean that there are no grounds for criticism of Lucas. From an artistic point of view, the shortcomings and limitations of the Star Wars films - and many of their lesser successors, from Independence Day to Tomb Raider - are quite obvious. They are simple-minded, do not shine with acting, are sometimes poorly thought out and, often, get bogged down in their own internal contradictions.

The further Lucas's saga developed, the more obvious all its shortcomings became. When the astute Lucas gave his first Star Wars film the puzzling subtitle of Episode IV - A New Hope, he probably didn't yet have a clear vision for the entire six (or nine) film series. Rather, he was simply paying homage to the daytime adventure serials of his childhood; he wanted to experience the feeling of an artist standing in front of a large blank canvas, but, in fact, in his head he only had vague ideas about possible continuations and even more vague ideas about the absolutely hypothetical backstory at that time.

As a result, the more Lucas tried to extrapolate events that could happen before or after A New Hope, the more problems arose. The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered the most complex and interesting film in the classic trilogy, but Return of the Jedi was already showing its seams. The prequel brought with it a bunch of new problems, adding fuel to the fire of criticism.

And yet, despite these pitfalls, Lucas's universe has had a significant impact on a generation of moviegoers, thanks to its prized qualities of spectacle and suspenseful storytelling. The Force, the Jedi Knights, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Princess Leia, Yoda, lightsabers and the Death Star occupy such a strong place in the public consciousness of countless Americans that they may well be called mythology.

In my article on A New Hope, I called Star Wars "quintessential American mythology": taking a little bit of King Arthur, Tolkien and samurai legends, giving it all the trappings of a space opera in the spirit of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, and embellishing it with nostalgic clichés from the golden age of Hollywood - brave travelers, dogfights from World War II films, movie Nazi villains and shootouts in a saloon.

Shootouts in saloons, of course, belong to another great American mythology - Westerns. (Thanks to which Han Solo is endowed with a completely cowboy look and cowboy habits). By the 1970s, however, Westerns were no longer as popular as they had once been (though their influence continued to be felt in a variety of films, from Star Wars to Die Hard to Armageddon).

One way or another, these stories about cowboys and Indians were always tied to real chronology and geography - although this had nothing to do with the verisimilitude of the stories themselves - in this sense they are more like a legend than a myth. A legend is precisely that literary genre in which expressions like “a long time ago” or “far, far away” are commonly used. (In some Westerns, in fact, sometimes there are also elements of the paranormal, but not in such quantities as to classify the Western as a myth - like, say, ghost stories).

However, there is one aspect in which Westerns, more than Star Wars, resemble traditional mythology: the formation of culture. Like the tales of King Arthur or the classic Greco-Roman legends of gods and heroes, the legends of the Wild West are a collection of countless stories, told and retold many times, in thousands of different versions, by a great variety of storytellers.

In this respect, Star Wars is more like a pulp version of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings than Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, a consummate work of epic myth-making, drawing on multiple sources but told through the eyes of a single narrator.

Of course, it goes without saying that as a "mythopoeia" (i.e., "mythical epic"), Star Wars cannot compete with The Lord of the Rings. This stems from several reasons; but the main reason is, without a doubt, the obvious disparity between the artistic, imaginative, spiritual and intellectual means of these two creators - as well as the discrepancy between their ambitions. (It's fair to say that Lucas created the film, while Tolkien worked with the text. Tolkien had the luxury of editing and refining his story until he achieved the desired result - something that Lucas was never able to achieve, despite his heroic efforts to create "special editions" and the latest DVD versions.)

Tolkien was an Oxford scholar, professor of linguistics and literature, a man well acquainted with Norse and Anglo-Saxon myths (he read them in the original language); he was the one who wanted to create a mythology for England and the English (Tolkien did not perceive the Arthurian as a true mythology because of its historical - and especially religious - contradictions with the real world). In addition, he was a devout Catholic.

In contrast, Lucas is a filmmaker with rather modest talents, whose knowledge of myth-making is limited to a casual acquaintance with mythological archetypes, information about which he gleaned from the books of Joseph Campbell. He does not have any clearly defined religious beliefs and has always considered his Star Wars to be a sort of “popcorn movie” for children. Yet these films, like The Wizard of Oz, leave a lasting impression on young viewers that stays with them even as they enter adulthood. These films, for all their flaws, have an amazing ability to bring out the child in us.

Paradoxically, critics' disdain for Star Wars is often based not only on the films' undeniable shortcomings, but also on the same mytho-epic qualities for which other works are praised. These critics, armed with an ideological ax, want to smash to smithereens the entire mythoepic as such. In fact, the criticism directed at Star Wars is no different from the criticism directed at The Lord of the Rings - all these criticisms can be equally leveled at any other mythological work, from The Odyssey to Le Morte D' Arthur."

What mythological qualities are most ridiculed? Critics blame Star Wars (and Tolkien) for its literary appropriations, stereotypical characters and situations, lack of psychological depth, and lack of nuance, moralistic approach to the problem of good and evil. (“Star Wars,” among other things, is accused of primitivism, in particular, that the dialogue in the film does not stand up to criticism.)

What all these critics don't seem to understand is how the principles of mythology work. The characters of myths and the situations in which they find themselves are, rather, not stereotypical, but archetypal; in the case of Star Wars, this is due to the mythical and archetypal images and structures that Lucas borrowed from Campbell's influential treatise The Hero of a Thousand Faces.

At first glance, stereotypes and archetypes look similar: both use the most effective stimuli to attract attention - only the stimuli themselves are very different from each other. The purpose of stereotypes is to exploit common prejudices and misconceptions. For example, James Cameron’s “Titanic,” the absolute champion of the American box office, in order to gain popularity among viewers, used such stereotypical ideas as “rich people are snobs and arrogant cretins,” “poor people are free-spirited romantics,” “passionate love can overcome moral prohibitions and social principles” - etc.

In contrast, archetypes work by combining with primary or basic categories. Archetypal figures and situations in Star Wars include the Hero (Luke Skywalker), the Wise Old Man (Ben Kenobi), the Call to Action with Obligatory Refusal (Luke, at first, does not want to follow Ben and become a Jedi), the crisis situation "In -Belly-of-the-Whale” (the heroes are “swallowed” by the Death Star), and so on.

In these well-known stories, the confrontation between good and evil is described in a more acute, grotesque form than it would happen in real life; in a truly realistic drama we would have to reflect the undertones, moral torments, conflicts of interest, unforeseen contradictions - in a word, everything that is part of real life, and not the black and white conflicts of fairy tales and myths.

And again, we are back to what some critics accuse “mythopeia” of: is this the way you want your children to imagine conflict situations? Don't we want them to have a broader, more critical view of the world around them? How many wars in the real world turn out to be as black and white as the heroic struggle of Lucas's Rebel Alliance against the evil Empire?

At least one: a war between heaven and hell. This war breaks out from time to time - figuratively speaking, of course - manifesting itself in earthly conflicts of one sort or another. Of course, we want our children to learn to recognize the nuances, shades of gray, and validity of moral choices. Of course, we want them to be able to think critically, hold their own leaders accountable, treat opponents with due understanding, etc.

On the other hand, we also want them to realize that there is both clear good and clear evil in this world, and in order to accept this reality, there is nothing better than “mythopoeia”. And in order to introduce children to “mythopoeia”, in our world today there are several films like “Star Wars”. (No doubt, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings is also an excellent mythopoeia, but this film is less suitable for children.)

True, the credentials proclaiming Star Wars a “mythopoeia” are not uncontroversial. In a scathing essay for Salon.com, Stephen Hart argued that the real inspiration for Star Wars was cheap science-fiction novels, flat and primitive, and that all claims of mythological allusions were nothing more than an attempt at self-promotion on Lucas's part. aided by gullible journalists like Bill Moyers.

Well, Hart is entitled to his opinion. Lucas is a clever beast whose statements should be taken with a great deal of skepticism; and, of course, the influence of cheap science fiction serials on Star Wars should not be underestimated - well, let's be blunt and admit that the Lucas saga is pulp fiction and leave it at that. However, Hart's argument becomes highly controversial when he tries to expose the mythical basis on which the whole story rests.

As an example of "far-fetched" associations with myths, Hart cites the traditional motif "In the Belly of the Beast" - a motif whose manifestations inquisitive Star Wars researchers have found everywhere: from the story of the Millennium Falcon falling into the throat of an asteroid monster ("Empire") Strikes Back") before falling into a trash compactor in A New Hope.

Hart rightly points out that none of these events really correspond to the classical mythical motif, since being “in the belly of the monster” symbolizes some important transition or transformation, “death and resurrection”, similar to what Jonah experienced in the belly of the whale or Christ in tomb. In general, this is not quite the same as when the rescue from the garbage disposal opened new horizons of the Force for Luke, or when the relationship between Han and Leia changed after being in the throat of an asteroid monster.

However, if we consider not the garbage compactor as the “monster,” but the Death Star itself, then everything falls into place. A strikingly similar example of this kind can, in fact, be found in The Fellowship of the Ring, during the trek through the mines of Moria. Both here and aboard the Death Star, thrilled heroes must penetrate the interior of the enemy-occupied citadel, fight for their salvation and escape from the enemies pursuing them.

What is most characteristic is that in both cases the heroes make a successful escape only after - and immediately after - the master-mentor archetype sacrifices itself during the sacred battle with the embodiment of evil and thus provides the rest with a chance for salvation. (Near the place where Obi-Wan fell at the hands of Vader, there is a shaft very similar to the abyss into which Gandalf fell - this suggests that in this way Lucas, wittingly or unwittingly, reflected the influence exerted on him by The Lord of the Rings "The book gained a real cult following in the late 1960s.)

The loss of a mentor is a key turning point in the Hero's Journey (King Arthur, according to some versions of the story, once lost Merlin in the same way); from this moment on, the hero, left alone, must change and from now on rely only on his own strength. In Star Wars, this transition is somewhat expanded and softened by the fact that Luke immediately becomes aware of Obi-Wan's out-of-body presence ("Run, Luke, run!"), which takes Luke to a new level of understanding of the ways of the Force.

Ironically, although Lucas's master mentor proclaims that in death he will "become more powerful than anyone can imagine," it is only Tolkien's mentor who becomes truly powerful after his death. Lucas never got around to giving the ephemeral Kenobi more power or more wisdom than he possessed in his former life. The reasons for this inequality stem directly from the religious worldviews of these two men - Lucas and Tolkien. Tolkien's story reflects his belief in posthumous resurrection, especially the resurrection of Christ, while Lucas' story essentially includes only some vague theses about the salvation of the soul.

Another important metamorphosis that occurred with Luke after his stay on the Death Star can be considered the fact that there he takes the first step towards his “Hero’s Journey” (definition from Campbell’s book - Riila), namely saving the maiden. At the same time, here, as elsewhere in the story, Star Wars plays very loosely with classical archetypes: the dynamics of the rescue scene are enhanced by the fact that the maiden here is not a helpless damsel in distress, but The blaster-wielding, self-confident Rebel leader.

Other examples of the same kind - that is, when capture and subsequent daring escape from hostile territory are accompanied by a symbolic transition of the character to a qualitatively new level - in Star Wars include the following:

• The wampa snow monster's cave in The Empire Strikes Back when Luke's Force abilities increase dramatically;
• The Tree of Evil on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke battles his own fear and learns a dark secret about Darth Vader;
• Luke's rescue mission to Jabba the Hutt's palace in Return of the Jedi, particularly the moments when he is caged with the rancor and his last-minute escape from the Sarlacc's jaws, illustrates Luke's transformation from an eager upstart. into a warrior hero;
• Luke's infiltration of the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi, where he takes on the greatest challenge of his life, passes the test with flying colors, and is finally promoted to Jedi Knight;
• The run-up to the huge stadium on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, when fear of imminent death forces Amidala to confess her love for Anakin;
• The space battle scene in Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin fights his way onto an enemy ship with fire and sword and unleashes his anger, taking a fatal step on his path to the Dark Side.

There are many elements to the Star Wars mythology: the Jedi Knights with their supernatural powers, evoking Chinese action films about the invincible masters of Shao-Lin; In contrast, the films feature the evil Sith Lords, or “Darths,” who are “always two”; recurring motifs such as intense fights near a bottomless pit, where a defeated opponent usually falls. But of all these elements, none is more widespread and universally known than the notorious "Force", the locus of mystery and the source of knowledge in the Jedi universe.

Campbell's influence may also be at work here. Campbell himself appears to be something of a pantheist or monist, believing that the "ultimate mystery" is an abstract energy rather than a person called God.

In Lucas's interpretation, "The Force" is less clear-cut than Campbell's idea of ​​abstract energy as the "ultimate mystery." In A New Hope, the Force is described as an "energy field" generated by all living things and connecting the entire galaxy together; this field partly "guides your actions" but also "obeys your commands." In Episode I: "The Phantom Menace", on the other hand, the Force seems to be endowed with more personal characteristics: Jedi Knight Qui-Gon repeatedly refers to it as the "living Force" and even speaks of the "decree of the Force" - an attitude that borders on theism.

That the Force has a "good side" and a "dark side" is known to everyone; at the same time, when in Empire we are told that “the dark side is not more powerful,” it is not clear that the light side is also “no more powerful”, given the balance of good and evil according to the “yin and yang” type "

In addition, many factors indicate that, in the end, good and evil did not reach a state of balance. In particular, all films are permeated by one common idea that the forces of good must certainly win a triumphant victory over the forces of evil; This is especially evident in the finale of Return of the Jedi, where stormy victories follow one after another.

Another point: characters usually use the word “Strength” without specifying its qualitative characteristics, that is, they do not specifically emphasize that we are talking about the Light Side. At the same time, if the Dark Side is implied in the conversation, then this is explicitly stated. Nobody says, “Use the Light Side of the Force,” or “May the Light Side of the Force be with you”; this is taken for granted. In fact, the phrase "light side" itself is used very, very rarely, and the phrase "light side of the Force" seems to have never been used at all; at the same time, the expressions "dark side" and "dark side of the Force" are used constantly. The definition of “bright side” is apparently not required, because the concept “Strength” in itself, without any specifications, means the bright side.

Interestingly, the prequels further confused the concept of "balance" in the Force by declaring Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, to be the messiah, the chosen one who, according to prophecy, would "restore the balance of the Force." But, as it became abundantly clear from Revenge of the Sith, this will not be achieved by establishing a balance between good and evil, but by destroying the evil Sith - as happens in Return of the Jedi. So “balance” in the Force is defined not as the coexistence of yin and yang, not as the interpenetration of good and evil, but as the triumph of good over evil. This assumes the primacy of good over evil and is consistent with Judeo-Christian doctrine.

(The English expression “leap of the faith” is quite difficult to translate into Russian; it means a situation when a person decides to take a bold, even desperate act, firmly believing that the forces of heaven will help him. This is something like a leap into the unknown blindfolded, when you can only rely on your faith. - Nexu)

Like the later Matrix trilogy, Star Wars was influenced by both the East and the West with its Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and many other teachings, which were widely interpreted and analyzed in all possible aspects in the film. As for the films about The Matrix, Zen philosophy and Christian themes were combined with a postmodern plot, and thus lost the atmosphere of transcendence (the presence of higher powers) and spirituality. Star Wars, on the other hand, offers a more traditional ethics, where higher powers dominate the world and good fights evil.

Unfortunately, the new prequels, particularly Episodes I and II, failed to live up to the standards of the original trilogy. Despite impressive advances in computer graphics and scenes filled with irrepressible bravado, these films lacked the atmosphere of the classic trilogy. The humor and charm that made Luke, Leia, and Han so lovable was largely absent from Qui-Gon, young Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker, and Amidala. And the more Lucas delves into the story of Anakin Skywalker, the more poorly the pieces fit together in the mosaic we know well.

More specifically, the mythological archetypes that made the classic trilogy so beloved and popular throughout the world are completely absent from Episodes I and II. The original trilogy was about good and evil, heroism and meanness, discipline and passion, temptation and redemption. In contrast, Episodes I and II focus heavily on political intrigue and debate, teenage stubbornness and boyish infatuation. The straightforward adventure plot of the classic trilogy has been replaced by obscure political machinations involving taxation of trade routes and Republic separatists.

(In one article I recently read about this: “The separatists, represented by the Trade Federation, decided to flex their muscles in front of the Coruscant senators and staged a demonstrative blockade of Naboo for this? It looks as if the United States decided to start a trade war with Japan and for this purpose declared Malaysia embargo." - Nexu)

While the classic trilogy was based on Jungian archetypes, the plots of the prequel films seem completely Freudian, even reminiscent in places of the Oedipus plays; Anakin is a tragic figure whose destiny is to kill his adoptive father (Obi-Wan) and marry his (surrogate) mother, Amidala.

This is not to say that Freudian symbols were not present at all in the classical trilogy. Some might detect hidden erotic overtones in the way the lightsaber blade is activated and deactivated, in the way the tiny X-Wings circle the huge egg-shaped Death Star in an attempt to impregnate it; and, of course, the Freudian meaning can be found in the father-son conflict between Luke and Vader.

And at the same time, Freudian theory was completely subverted in the classical trilogy. Return of the Jedi is based on the story of a son who refuses to fight against his father and kill him - in fact, he sacrifices himself and suffers to save his father. In addition, Luke does not have a mother (or anyone who could act as a mother), nor does he have a marriage partner (let's not take into account his slight infatuation with Leia before he learns that she is his sister).

In contrast, in the prequel, Freudian and Oedipal motifs are very clearly expressed. There are obvious psychoanalytic implications in the way Anakin's mother is perceived. “In your thoughts you keep returning to your mother,” says one of the members of the Jedi Council in “The Phantom Menace” (Ki-Adi-Mundi. - Nexu). This Jedi looks like a real alien Freud - with a white beard and an unusually elongated head that resembles both the head of a philosopher-sage and some kind of phallic symbol. Of course, the intonation emphasis of the word “mother”, and even with a pronounced emphasis on the first syllable, is not at all accidental.

It is also no coincidence that Amidala is noticeably older than Anakin, and that soon after meeting her he leaves his mother. And it is no coincidence that in Episode II: “Attack of the Clones” Anakin repeatedly says that Obi-Wan is “like a father to me”, or that “I have no one closer to him”: subconsciously he blames his father (absent father) for all those deprivations that fell to his lot in childhood.

In principle, the Oedipus cycle of plays is perhaps as valid a source for modern mythologizing as the eternal battle between good and evil. At the same time, the classic trilogy's big appeal to audiences may lie in Freud's (we're using an apt phrase from The Phantom Menace here) “overanalyzing.”

However, now, with Revenge of the Sith, Lucas has finally, as they say, fallen into the rhythm of the classic trilogy and composed a prologue to his myth - as he originally intended decades ago. If the original trilogy was a story about the birth of a hero, then “Revenge of the Sith” is a story about a tragic fall, about evil, which does not always confront good head-on, but often chooses the path of deceit and temptation.

Revenge of the Sith opens with a lengthy battle sequence that culminates as Anakin attempts to land a crumbling starship as it plummets toward the ground like Lucifer being cast out of the skies. At the end of the film, Anakin's disastrous fall will be fully completed, and he will be destined to fight his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, on a volcanic planet, amidst boiling lava flows, where the reflections of the hellfire of the underworld will illuminate the faces of his opponents.

The climactic scene in which Anakin is almost completely burned in a fiery lava flow is the final and most striking example of Lucas being influenced by Christian ideas and categories. Other examples include the clearly Satanic character Darth Maul from The Phantom Menace, horned, red-skinned, dressed all in black; one can also remember that Anakin was born “of the immaculate conception” and was named the Chosen One, whose destiny was to destroy evil. The terrible "Order 66" from Revenge of the Sith is a response to the "Number of the Beast" from the Book of Revelations; and let's not forget the redemptive suffering of the son (Luke Skywalker) in the climactic scene of Return of the Jedi.

It goes without saying that Star Wars is far from a Christian allegory; If we do not recall the outright duality of yang-yin or pantheism, then we can say that the influence of eastern religions was manifested here to a much greater extent. In “Empire,” Yoda displays a typical Gnostic contempt for everything physical, including his own body (“We are beings of light, and flesh has no meaning here”). In Revenge of the Sith, Yoda brings Anakin's attention to the essence of the Jedi philosophy of renunciation; this philosophy extends beyond the framework of Christian freedoms and approaches, rather, the dispassion that the followers of the Buddha cultivate in themselves. According to Yoda, our acceptance of death should be so absolute that we should not even mourn the dead.

And, nevertheless, all these eastern elements are involved, no matter how much they object to it, with humanistic and Christian tendencies. Yoda may neglect his body, but the films talk about the immortality of the individual, the preservation of one's self after death, and not just merging with the Force. Moreover, this confirms that eschatologically the fate of good and bad is not the same: if for a Sith death is simply physical destruction, then for a Jedi it is, in a way, a door to a new life (even if Lucas was not able to realize that This is new life in the highest sense).

It is precisely because of its eschatological completeness that the ubiquitous theme of temptation and moral choice is so important in Star Wars in a way that it never was in Eastern religions. The Buddha may also have been tempted, as Lucas noted in his commentary on Campbell's book, but for the Buddha, temptation could only serve as another stepping stone on the inevitable path to enlightenment. And on the contrary, for Anakin and Luke temptation serves as a bait and leads to a fall. Finally, the films themselves reject Yoda's Zen-like doctrine of complete renunciation of all mortal things when they show us Darth Vader's moment of moral redemption after destroying Sith, or when they show us Luke's filial love for his father and Vader's fatherly affection for his son.

Of course, the Star Wars films are not a coherent philosophy of life, ethics or spirituality. Rather, they offer us a gripping narrative, filled with themes of moral struggle and reflection on higher powers. The characters in these films are not Christians, but they are not without their problems; The plot of these films most closely resembles the classic Greco-Roman myths on which many generations of children grew up. Just like these myths, they give us a glimpse - however imperfect - of basic human values, and just like these myths, Star Wars has become part of our culture.

If Christians can read about the adventures of Hercules or Odysseus with enthusiasm and tell them about them to their children, then the same applies to Luke Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Star Wars is a popular mythology, a "submyth" as one recent critique put it; but in our subculture, even a sub-myth is much preferable to no myth at all, and certainly preferable to some less healthy mythologies (for example, the one found in the Matrix trilogy). And even for those who usually prefer a more traditional diet, there may well be a lot to be found attractive and useful in this, albeit slightly damp, but stunningly presented fantasy on the theme of good and evil.

The Great Power is an energy field that is formed by all living beings. The force is simultaneously contained both within and without, uniting the entire Galaxy. The main component of the Universe is described in Part IV of the film Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anyone who has the ability to direct their Power can develop the ability to levitate, telekinesis, advanced hypnosis, clairvoyance, etc. There are two opposite directions - the Light and Dark Side of the Force. This interaction is predetermined by the fact that in the cells of the body there are symbiotic creatures - midichlorians. Accordingly, the greater their number, the better the fusion of the Force with its bearer.

The Opposite of the Dark and Light Sides of the Force

The Jedi Order preaches the Light Side. It relies on self-denial and altruism. However, this takes many years to learn. With the permission of the parents, the Council of the Jedi Order took children for training with a high content of midi-chlorians. Thanks to training from early childhood, a person goes through three levels of training. He first receives the rank of youngling when he becomes a Jedi apprentice - Padawan, and subsequently achieves the rank of Jedi Knight. A supporter of the Light Side must be able to control his anger, completely freed from any worries and passions.

An adept of the Dark Side of the Force must perfectly master the fire within himself, cultivating and nurturing the basic negative emotions within himself: deceit, hatred, rage and anger. Other feelings, such as envy, fear and doom, should serve as fuel to ignite the inner dark flame. Using such a Force, each Dark Jedi purifies himself, creating personal power through ruthlessness even to himself. This helps to break all shackles and gain real freedom.

Expulsion of the Dark Jedi

Who are they, the most famous villains and the Dark Side of the Force? It all started from the moment when the apostates moved to the desert planet Korriban, inhabited by a race of red-skinned humanoids and Siths. After 2000 years, the Dark Jedi enslaved the race and began to call themselves the Sith Order, while being considered the direct descendants of Bogan. There was an ancient prophecy among the Jedi and Sith that a messiah would be born to restore the balance of the Force. However, the followers of the Dark Side, unlike their rivals, did not sit idly by, but were looking for their messiah.

The Dark Lord's first disciple

Born Palpatine (Darth Sidious), he was aware of the plans of his teacher Darth Plagueis (nicknamed "The Sage"). Knowing the “rule of two,” he challenged and emerged victorious. A little later, Sidious learns of the birth of a messiah child on the planet Tatooine and begins preparing his insidious plan. Soon he kidnaps Darth Maul, who lives on the planet Iridonia, as a boy, with one goal - to make him a formidable instrument of retribution. Palpatine begins to organize a political career on the planet Naboo, and Maul does all the dirty work instead of his mentor.

Soon, the sophisticated deceiver Darth Sidious exposes the planet to attack by the Trade Federation. In response, Chancellor of the Republic Valorum sends Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi to the enemy camp. As a result, they escape from the enemy ship, while helping to free Princess Padmé Amidala and her retinue.

Finding the Messiah

By the will of the Force, the princess's starship lands on Tatooine, where the omnipresent Palpatine sends Darth Maul. However, the pursuit did not bring the desired results. The Jedi and Amidalu not only survived, but also found the messiah. This was nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, who at that time lived with his mother in slavery. Having freed the boy, Jin takes him to the planet Coruscant, the capital of the Republic. Subsequently, Qui-Gon tries to persuade the Jedi Council to take Skywalker for training, but no arguments work.

Having not received the desired support from the Galactic Senate, the brave men fly away with Padmé Amidala to liberate her planet Naboo from the separatist occupation. However, Sidious resends his faithful servant. This time Obi-Wan kills him, but Darth Maul manages to deal with Jinn. Before his death, Qui-Gon asks Kenobi to take Skywalker as his apprentice. This time the Jedi manages to reach an agreement with the Senate.

Meeting the chosen one with his beloved

Ten years later, Skywalker crosses paths with Queen Amidala again. A feeling flares up between them, which they carefully hide from those around them. Anakin is tasked with protecting his beloved. This only brought them closer. At this time, Kenobi decides to independently investigate the assassination attempts on the queen. Obi-Wan finds out that a huge army of clones is being created for the Republic on the planet Kamino. Kenobi understands that the perpetrator of the assassination attempts and the donor for the army are the same person. While pursuing, he ends up on the planet Geonosis straight into the hands of the enemy.

At the same time, Anakin is tormented by nightmares. He dreams of his mother's death. He decides to fly to Tatooine with Padme to find her. Skywalker tries to free his mother, but it is too late. Having received a signal for help from Kenobi, they go to the planet, where they are captured by the natives. The entire trio is sentenced to death in the fighting arena, but in the midst of the battle, the Jedi Knights come to the rescue. In response, the Separatists unleashed their Dark Side of the Force in the form of a huge army of droids, many Jedi were killed, and the rest were surrounded. A clone army suddenly arrives and destroys all the droids. The mentor and student were unable to stop the enemy leader. In this battle, Skywalker loses his right arm.

Birth of Darth Vader

The clone war has been going on for three years. During this time, the treacherous Palpatine becomes Chancellor, and Anakin falls under his influence. However, until now no one even suspects that the Dark Lord of the Sith may be hiding under the guise of a manager. Soon, Skywalker is completely consumed by the Dark Side of the Force, and he receives the new name Darth Vader.

On behalf of Palpatine, he deals a crushing blow to the Jedi Order. This brought Darth Sidious over the Republic. The Dark Lord proclaims himself Emperor. A little later, Obi-Wan fights his former student and is victorious, leaving Anakin's burned body behind. But Palpatine brings the former Jedi back to life and, dressed in black armor, makes him his right hand. However, there is hope again on the asteroid colony. The former princess gave birth to two extraordinary children - Leia and Luke. Children are hidden on different planets.

Defeat of Darth Vader

19 years later, Kenobi meets Luke and talks about his real father. The young man immediately realizes that he too can become a Jedi, and undergoes training. First Obi-Wan deals with him, and then Master Yoda. Luke later joins the Alliance against the Empire.

Sensing danger, the Emperor and Darth Vader try to break the young Jedi Knight, in the hope that he will be taken over by the Dark Side of the Force. In the battle that Sidious provoked, the son and father each lose a hand. When Palpatine realized that he could not call Luke to kill, he tortured him using his Force. Therefore, in the head of a tormented Adept of the Light Side there is only one obsessive phrase: “Choose the Dark Side of the Force”! Unable to withstand the abuse of his own son, Darth Vader throws Darth Sidious into the abyss of the Death Star. At the end of the film, three smiling ghosts appear in front of Luke. These were: young Anakin Skywalker, Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

30 years later

The dominant idea in the new VII film is the same as before. Some go to the Dark Side, while others go to the Light Side. What are the new villains and the Dark Side of the Force now? However, not everything is so categorical! Even such a world-famous character as Darth Vader at one time switched to the Side of Evil not because he was an absolute scoundrel. However, unlike the main villain Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), at least he had no doubts.

His parents knew that the Dark Side dominated the child, so they sent their son to study with his uncle Luke Skywalker. Ben later began to consider himself the incarnation of Darth Vader. Sometimes the young man even imagined his calls: “Go to the Dark Side of the Force”! As a result, Kylo Ren promises to finish what his predecessor started, so Ben himself makes for himself. Similar weapons were used by the Jedi only in ancient times.

Next, General Hooks appears, running the Imperial Star Killer base - this is something similar to the previous Death Star. He is also a member of the First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke. As for the latter, this is the Dark Adept and teacher of Kylo Ren and an analogue of Darth Sidious.

Even in previous series there were strong women, such as Princess Leia and However, now the Force is transferred not only to boys, and Phasma, a stormtrooper captain who will repel any villain, enters the Evil scene. How else to explain her merciless reprisal against her previous boss?

The events developing in the film take place 30 years after the massacre of the Emperor and Darth Vader. Now there is a New Order in the state, and the Galaxy is in trouble again! Fate brings young Rey together with former stormtrooper of the new association, Finn. They are joined by Chewbacca, General Leia and Han Solo. By joining forces, they must fight the New Order. Unfortunately, they realize that only the Jedi can stand up to Kylo Ren and Snoke. In the end, only one person will survive...

Star Wars is known for some of the most epic storytelling stunts of all time. We're talking, of course, about the scene from The Empire Strikes Back in which Darth Vader tells Luke that he is his father. To imagine the effect this had on contemporary viewers, you can look at. This script was on The Simpsons and has secured its place in pop culture. A month and a half before the premiere of the seventh episode, a fan theory appeared that could blow your mind no less: it convincingly proves that the useless character Jar Jar Binks is actually the most important in the first trilogy. George Lucas may not be a great master of dialogue like Quentin Tarantino (and his heroine will say, “Anakin, I’m pregnant” without much fiction at the crucial moment), but the careful tying of all the knots is not questioned even by critics. Many people, including writer Sergei Lukyanenko, are critical of the flaws in Lucas's plots, but given the fact that Lucas's universe is carefully constructed, has a huge budget, and nothing happens by accident, there are many things that need to be examined with particular care. Here are 10 of the most compelling fan theories.

Jar Jar Binks - Sith Supreme

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Jar Jar Binks is probably the most hated character among Star Wars fans. There are many memes and jokes dedicated to him, and they all emphasize his insignificance. Any true Star Wars fan is bound to hate the clown, who they feel was introduced into the Star Wars script as a bad joke and bait for pre-teen audiences. Too stupid, too pointless, too Disney-esque. An awkward idiot who always gets comically lucky in any battle or mess. It's amazing how readily fans have relegated this Gungan to the category of plot absurdities that should simply be tolerated.

First of all, let's look at his abilities, the first one he has since appearing on screen. What about ? If anyone else had performed this, we would have immediately listed him as a Jedi - but not Jar Jar Binks, because he cannot be taken seriously. Now, in which Jar Jar, along with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn, attacks the droids who have captured Princess Amidala. The Gungan again shows himself to be a fool, clinging to the balcony at the decisive moment of the attack. Curiously, when it lands in a completely different place, the droid is still shooting where it should have been hanging. Luke used it in episode six when Jabba decided to execute him. But this is a clever Jedi, and here it’s stupid Jar Jar - and the viewer again doesn’t pay attention. Okay, then here you go. Jar Jar kills two droids with a blaster, which is held in his hand by a third droid attached to his leg. Yes, you read that line correctly. But he’s kind of a dunce, which means it’s an accident, right? By the way, why was such an incompetent made a general (!) before the battle? You will laugh, but it was enough in the direction of General Bombad. In exactly the same way, Jar Jar convinced the Galactic Senate to end democracy and transfer all power to the emperor. Only Jedi or Sith can carry out such manipulations of consciousness.

In the third episode, when the Jedi have already irrevocably quarreled with the Empire, Jar Jar is still there, but he is such a worthless character that no one is surprised that he is the right hand of the main villain (or the main villain is his right hand). Jar Jar serves Palpatine's interests in every possible way, but no one cares. Rewatch the first three episodes, pay attention to the behavior of Jar Jar, who humiliates the Jedi in every possible way only behind their backs, and to moments like when he, and you will have to look at his figure in a new way. Apparently, Jar Jar has the Force and knows how to use it perfectly, and his appearance in the script cannot be attributed to Lucas’s miscalculation. For the first time such a suspicion arose from Seth Green, who playfully played with the theory. This cannot be assumed at first glance, but all the facts are convincing: Jar Jar is the Supreme Sith, an analogue of Yoda on the dark side, evidence of which we will see, if not in the seventh, then in one of the subsequent episodes.

Qui-Gon Jinn is actually a Sith

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Initially, Qui-Gon Jinn (played by Liam Neeson) appears as a kind of version of Obi-Wan Kenobi for the first three episodes: a wise, kind, adult mentor, who at a certain moment courageously dies in a fight with a tough villain, so that the youth can then get out on their own. He is so flawless that Star Wars fans simply had to find his dark side, which they did, using quite convincing arguments from the script. For starters, it is known that Qui-Gon Jinn is Count Dooku's student (but most viewers don't even wonder how this happened or what it means). It is he who, bypassing the Jedi Council and the Republic, makes a decisive contribution to the creation of the clone army, which subsequently - surprise! - defeats the Jedi and becomes the power base of the Galactic Empire. But his main mistake (or achievement?) is Anakin Skywalker: Qui-Gon Jinn knew better than anyone else how much fear and hatred there was in the soul of the future Darth Vader, but he still managed to make him a Jedi (who is completely expectedly goes to the dark side). There are other examples that even if Qui-Gon Jinn was a Jedi, he was somehow too short-sighted. His path of the Living Force also seems strange, which no Jedi had followed before (but which, at his suggestion, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin). So either he is a lousy strategist or a Sith, which is easier to believe. At a minimum, this is a so-called gray Jedi, that is, a Jedi who has not officially turned to the dark side, but rushes between the two forces in his own interests (just like Count Dooku was a gray Sith) and certainly does not act in the interests of the Jedi Council.

Han Solo has the Force

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Han Solo is by default presented as an ordinary man, a cunning adventurer who is skeptical of all sorts of Jedi things. He does not have a lightsaber, and he does not get involved in showdowns between the Jedi and the Sith, but in other conflicts he demonstrates superhuman agility and... In the art of piloting a starship, Han is so strong that he could easily go into the ventilation shaft of the Death Star instead of Luke Skywalker: the robot translator C-3P0 warns that the mathematical chance of flying through an asteroid field is 3720 to 1, but Han Solo just shrugs it off from him and calmly guides the Millennium Falcon through the deadly zone (bonus tricks seem to be included).

One might assume that Harrison Ford's hero is just a damn lucky son of a bitch, but Obi-Wan Kenobi has a program phrase prepared for this: “My experience says that.” At the same time, it is known that Han Solo does not believe in any “Force” and looks like a kind of atheist compared to the believing (and in fact knowledgeable) Jedi. He gives his opinion on this matter in the episode “A New Hope”, in response to which he receives a condescendingly ironic look from Obi-Wan Kenobi, who clearly knows more than we do. Most likely, Khan, one of the most wanted characters in the universe, has been using the Force his entire life without even thinking about it. He has midi-chlorians, but he is not trained. Star Wars fans agree that he is “force-sensitive,” which is not the same as a Jedi, but does at least explain his amazing luck.

Tatooine is the perfect hideout for Luke Skywalker

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Any viewer should have a logical question: what is the point of hiding Anakin Skywalker's son under the same last name on the same sand planet where his father was born? This seems like a crazy idea, which can be easily attributed to a problem in the script, but at the very beginning of the fourth episode this illogicality manifests itself once again: the most important droids in the Galaxy, one of which contains the secret plans of the rebels, are catapulted by Princess Leia to Tatooine. But, instead of pursuing them and digging up a nearby planet, Vader sends his stormtroopers there and prefers to calmly extort data from his daughter (he, however, does not yet know about the latter).

It's obvious that he avoids the planet Tatooine at all costs, and the clue to his phobia lies in the dialogue from the second episode in which Anakin tells Padmé that he hates sand. On Tatooine, he grew up in slavery, where his mother died at the hands of sand people, and Anakin himself took the first step towards the dark side, recklessly slaughtering the entire tribe along with their children in revenge. Darth Vader's most traumatic childhood experiences are associated with Tatooine, and turning to the dark side means the path of least resistance. It's no wonder he doesn't want to face his fears and return to this planet. Obi-Wan knows about this, so he first sends newborn Luke’s new family there, and then he himself settles there as a hermit.

The action actually takes place in our Galaxy

At the beginning of each episode we see a disclaimer: “A long time ago in a galaxy far away.” It seems that few people take this line seriously, and why should they? The proposed visual images (especially in the modern trilogy) are completely futuristic in nature, and half of the characters look and behave like the most ordinary homo sapiens - a species that originated on Earth. But the first is subjective, but the location of the Star Wars universe in the Milky Way is also confirmed by references from other science fiction works. For example, the action of “Star Trek” takes place in our Galaxy, and in two episodes the planet Alderaan, home to Princess Leia, is mentioned there, in the film “Star Trek: First Contact” Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon accidentally flies past, and in “Star Trek: Into Darkness” " R2-D2 can be seen. The Encyclopedia Galactica, which contains the basic knowledge about our Galaxy, links together the cycle of Isaac Asimov, who invented it, Foundation, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and the Star Wars universe (albeit at the level of official spin-offs).

There are also hints of the galaxy's kinship in video games and comics, but the most compelling evidence comes from Spielberg's E.T. In the 1982 film, he sees a man in a Yoda costume on the street of a Los Angeles suburb: “Home! House!" 17 years later, in the episode "The Phantom Menace", Lucas sends a return greeting: to the Galactic Senate. In the Star Wars universe, this species is called grebleips, and you only have to read the English word backwards to understand why. Either Greblips have become the only species that has learned to travel between different galaxies, or in all cases this happens in ours.

It wasn't clone army stormtroopers who killed Luke's adoptive parents.

We all remember this one: Luke returns home and discovers that the enemies have burned down his home hut and incinerated the bodies of his adoptive parents... Stop. There are a lot of cruel things going on in the Star Wars universe, but in general, the clone army stormtroopers (who, as it were, did this in the process of finding the droids they needed) are not sophisticated sadists. These are just simple soldiers who kill with blaster shots. Obi-Wan himself rejects the version of the sand people's involvement. Here we can see the professional work of a ruthless killer with a powerful weapon, and you don’t have to look far for an example: in the 1997 remaster of the fourth episode, the mercenary Boba Fett is also on Tatooine at that time. Finally, all the i’s are dotted by the scene in which Darth Vader looks intently at Fett and formulates the following order: take only alive, . The situation is so obvious that there can be no doubt about the identity of the killer of Luke's parents. The only question is why we should not know that mercenaries are becoming an important tool of the Empire.

Ewoks - a tribe of evil cannibals

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It's impossible not to love the cute bears from the forested moon of Endor. Even when they, without understanding, try to fry Han, Luke and Chewbacca, we chalk it up to the infantile stupidity of the furry creatures who revered C-3PO as a deity. And when one of them begins to mourn his dead brother during the battle, the viewer’s heart completely melts. The Ewoks bravely fight alongside the rebels and celebrate their victory together. During the feast, one of them, in the most amusing way, taps the drum roll on the helmets of the stormtroopers. In the euphoria of the happy ending, we don’t even think about what actually happened to the previous owners of these helmets and what exactly are the Ewoks celebrating? Their level of development hardly suggests that their goal was to cooperate with the rebels to destroy the Death Star (how can they even understand what kind of object it is if the robot is mistaken for a god?). But the victory brought the bears an unprecedented amount of human meat. We can only hope that Luke and company ate something else at this banquet.

R2-D2 has the Force

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By default, it is generally accepted that the Force comes from midi-chlorians in a biological organism, which means that only living beings can possess it. However, the example of Living Force is enough to understand: Force is not at all tied to biology. Now let's look at R2-D2. Definitely, the royal engineers of Naboo managed to make the most powerful droid in the Universe. He is the only one who takes part in all the battles of all six episodes and, I must say, is very well preserved.

Often it is his actions that become the key contribution to victory. Young Anakin wins his first race in a car built with the participation of R2-D2. Repair a ship in outer space at high speed? Hack any system? Fly up and set your opponents on fire, after all? It's hard to say what R2-D2 can't do. He always finds himself in the thick of it, in a fighter carrying out a key mission, next to the most powerful Jedi. He participates in Luke's Jedi training. It stores the most important information that cannot be trusted to anyone else. Mentally remove him from the film, and you'll find that without R2-D2 nothing sticks together at all. The fact that he made it through all six episodes unscathed is another example of incredible luck. But there is no such thing as luck, which is why the hottest heads of Star Wars fans believe that Luke's father's Power is stored in him. This, however, is a very convoluted theory, so we'll just assume that the main droid of the saga is also Force sensitive.

Chewbacca - Rebel Agent

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We first meet a representative of the Wookiee race, who cannot put two words together, in the episode “A New Hope” as a kind of skilled pet for Han Solo. Together with his owner, he begins to play on the side of the rebels and, despite his emphasized absurdity, makes a huge contribution to their victory. But if Han Solo himself appeared in the plot of episode IV out of nowhere, then Chewbacca has a background: in the prequels, he is actively friends with Master Yoda and helps him evade the clones. In the company of Han, Luke and Leia, he is actually the most knowledgeable being and the only participant in past battles, but he behaves as if he was born yesterday. It is likely that in fact, in the Han Solo-Chewbacca pair, the former is the wingman, and Chewbacca leads him to the goal, fulfilling Yoda’s will. We think Chewbacca joined the rebels in episode four, but he was always one of them. This is the real agent who pushed Han to become friends with Luke Skywalker and save Princess Leia, and therefore to destroy the Death Star.

The Jedi are not the main enemies of the Empire.

There are many theories explaining that the true evil in Star Wars is not the Sith at all, but the Jedi, but it is obvious that this is a perversion of the ideas of George Lucas. We must start from the original premise: the dark side is evil. However, this is not necessarily the main evil. It is naive to think that Palpatine built a megalomaniacal superweapon like the Death Star to destroy the Jedi - he almost coped with this task without a planet-sized cannon. Critics and fans of the "strong hand" rightly point out that the Jedi at least did not improve the situation in the Republic; their inaction led to corruption, bureaucracy, social inequality and the complete decline of defense. Palpatine did not seize power for the pleasure of pacing alone in front of a window overlooking space. He did not receive any bonuses that one could fantasize about in such a situation, although it would seem that he can afford anything. But he professes complete asceticism. Russian officials certainly would not have understood him. The Emperor had a higher goal: to protect the Empire from external attack, which was incredibly easy to accomplish under the Jedi. The main contender for the role of an external enemy is the powerful Yuuzhan Vong tribe, which appears in spin-offs and positions itself as a chosen race from another galaxy.

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"Trust your feelings!"

“It would seem that the fantasy genre mixed with an action movie should not imply a deep disclosure of the most intractable existential doubts of humanity,” reflects psychotherapist Larisa Stark. “However, Hollywood comes to the aid of the viewer, responding to the need to find simple answers to complex questions. In Star Wars, like a mantra, the same short phrases are repeated over and over, and everyone can discover their own meaning of varying degrees of depth in them. The most common phrase that the viewer hears throughout the six episodes is: “Trust your feelings! Let the force be with you!"

For example, as a psychotherapist, it seems to me that “gestalt” is broadcast from the big screen when I hear: “Concentrate on what is happening here and now. You cannot pay attention to the future at the expense of the present - the main flow of life force." And I think: but in fact, rejection of reality leads to protection from it, to the development of surrogate forms of coping: overeating as a cure for boredom; alcoholism as a treatment for anxiety; promiscuity (frequent change of sexual partners) as an escape from emotional intimacy. This is illusory and improves the situation for a short time, and in the future aggravates it... And so everyone finds meaning for themselves in these simple and succinct thoughts, repeatedly heard from the lips of the heroes.

All of us, whether we like it or not, begin to identify ourselves with one of the heroes. Who wants to be like a villain? In Star Wars there are so many positive heroes, both male and female, of different ages, that everyone will choose an object of identification for themselves. There is a talented boy here who collects sports cars and takes first prize in a race with adults. Teenagers who are ahead of their sensei in their abilities. Adult mature men, wise with experience, and the oldest Master Yoda admire their readiness to come to the aid of the younger ones and show such a class of martial art, throwing their stick aside and straightening their hunched back, that it seems that everything is possible in this world and we ourselves can do everything too. The beauty of the heroines, the number of outfits they change in one episode, the number of their fans, as well as the ability of women to think strategically on a par with men and shoot with a blaster attract female audiences to the movie screens.

A special place in Star Wars is given to feelings: fear, including fear of death, anger, rage and ways to cope with them. “Anger, fear, aggression - the dark side of it all... The dark side is faster, simpler, more attractive. You can distinguish good from bad when you are calm, peaceful, passive,” Yoda inspires Luke. The essence of his statements boils down to the fact that strength lies in the ability to accept and cope with emotions, and not to subordinate your behavior to them. An interesting fact is that Natalie Portman, during the filming of Star Wars, studied at Harvard at the Faculty of Psychology, refusing to participate in other film projects. Apparently, they had something to talk about with George Lucas, and the viewer, as a result of the product of their joint activity, received a short and inexpensive course of rational-emotive psychotherapy.

One of the most indisputable “hooks” of the film epic is the old and not forgotten good that defeats evil. As cliché as it may be, we want a happy ending. There are a lot of deaths in the film, but mostly strangers and minor people die. There is even a resurrection of the beloved hero - Qui-Gon Jinn, which reminds everyone of a well-known biblical story. The life of one or the other hero hangs by a thread many times each episode, which maintains the intensity of passions. Moreover, the number of storylines, dialogues, flirting, fights and unearthly creatures is such per square centimeter of the screen that it has a trance (hypnotic) effect - drawing you into the world on the other side of the screen. And at the same time, there is a clear understanding that the person sitting in a chair in the auditorium is safe, nothing threatens him, just like his favorite characters. Perhaps this is the greatest success of Star Wars - the bet on people's desire to experience many passions and not pay for it with their fate."

"A New Myth of the Hero's Journey"

“Lucas’s films reflect the existential search of a young man - the desire for freedom, to determine one’s values, to find one’s own place, to find love,” says Gestalt consultant Evgeniy Tumilo. – If you look into history, George Lucas’s first film, the space dystopia “Galaxy THX-1138” (1971), already had all these components, although it did not achieve significant success. The second film, “American Graffiti” (1973), also made for young people and about young people, was dedicated to the rituals of growing up and perfectly guessed the need of a whole generation for their own image on the silver screen. “I decided to document how my generation matched girls,” Lucas himself recalls. The film was a huge success and went off with a bang not only in America, but also in Europe, collecting a number of the most prestigious awards and nominations, including an Oscar.

Commercial success allowed Lucas to become an independent director and return to space themes - more universal and more spectacular, and therefore more interesting to a wider audience. At the same time, familiarity with the epics of different parts of the world and the ideas of the mythologist Joseph Campbell (“Mythology is psychology”) made it possible to put into metaphorical form everything that Lucas knew about the life and needs of the younger generation. Thus, the idea of ​​“Star Wars” took shape - a spectacular, exciting movie for young people, talking to them about current issues in the universal language of metaphors, understood all over the world. Thus was born a new myth about the Hero's Journey.

The first trilogy (episodes 4-6) is dedicated to the formation of the Hero and the psychology of goodness, where behind the most fascinating plot and mind-blowing special effects one can read quite clear metaphorical messages based on humanistic values: “Listen to yourself”, “Rely on relationships with people”, “Look boldly in eyes to your fears." Unlike most films about superheroes and the fight between Good and Evil, Lucas does not divide people into good and bad, but shows that everyone has a piece of both. This is an important point, because it illustrates the fundamental findings of social psychology of the 60s and 70s - the concept of “banal evil” by Hannah Arendt and the “Stanford Prison Experiment” by Philip Zimbardo. Lucas also shows that the future is not predetermined, and parental scripts, especially negative ones, can be changed. That “bad parents” don’t have to be killed, literally or figuratively, but forgiven. That the basis of your own harmony is in accepting yourself and your past. There is strength in listening to yourself and trusting yourself. But this is also a great danger if pain and fear suddenly take the place of love.

The second trilogy (episodes 1-3) reveals the theme of the fall of the Hero, exploring the psychology of Evil. Evil tries to remain anonymous, operating behind the scenes or wearing a mask. Evil erases human characteristics, producing faceless clones. Evil is cruel and selfish. But the main thing that pushes a person to the Dark Side is “not cruelty and backwardness, but his isolation and lack of normal social relationships” (Hannah Arendt).

Comparing both trilogies, one can notice a strange, at first glance, paradox. With the most similar starting conditions, the fates of the two heroes, Luke and Anakin, end in fundamentally different ways. Luke, by sacrificing himself, preserves and finds a new self. Anakin, on the contrary, trying with all his might to preserve what seems to him to be an elusive happiness, completely loses himself as a person. Luke accepts his fate, but Anakin breaks it. Joseph Campbell has a phrase: “Yesterday’s hero will become tomorrow’s tyrant if he does not sacrifice himself today.” And this wisdom can be applied to various aspects of human life, not only to politics. A mother who gave birth and raised a son is certainly a heroic figure. But as soon as she tries to leave the child, as they say, “for herself,” a transformation into a tyrant will immediately follow. Therefore, no transformation, no journey is possible without sacrifice. An attempt not to pay can result in much greater losses.

It is important that Lucas repeatedly shows that the fight against Evil itself does not put the hero on the Light Side. Heroism, as a counterbalance to the “banality of evil,” lies in two fundamental things: “one must act when others are passive; we must act for the common good, not our own” (Philip Zimbardo).

Thus, the full cycle of “Star Wars” is a story of personality development or a heroic epic that inspires the search for oneself and, at the same time, warns against false values ​​and dangerous temptations. In Star Wars, truths accumulated and tested by many generations, necessary for the existence of man and humanity, are figuratively conveyed. The truths are sometimes very difficult and painful. The mythological form allows you to read them as safely as possible, comprehending them level by level according to your own capabilities. It is precisely because of this existential depth, and not just the special effects alone, that George Lucas’s space saga will long be perhaps the best instruction for us all.”

In the first trilogy, the Force was described as a kind of spiritual mystical ability that can be developed in oneself through spiritual practices. In the first episode, the concept of force changed to a more material one: it says that the ability to interact with the Force is due to the presence in the cells of the body of symbiotic creatures - midichlorians (appeared as an explanation only in the first episode), and the more of them, the better the interaction of the carrier with the Force . However, the mere presence of a midichlorian does not give control over the Force - this takes a long time to learn. The Council of the Jedi Order believed that it was best to begin training in early childhood, and developed a system for detecting children with high midichlorian levels. With the permission of the parents, the Order takes such children for training.

The equivalent of the Force is the Chinese concept of qi.

Sides of the Force

There are two opposing philosophies of using the Force - the Light Side and the Dark Side, and there is also the so-called. "Gray Jedi", a group intermediate between the dark and light sides of the Force. The side is chosen depending on personal moral and ethical principles. Choosing a side is the most important step in the life of any intelligent being who knows how to channel the Force.

Bright side

The philosophy of the Light side is embodied by the Jedi. This philosophy is reflected in the Jedi Code and, even more so, in the Jedi Creed.

The Jedi Code is found in many Star Wars books and consists of five Truths:

* The truth about chaos and harmony is not presented in all Codex publications.

The Creed consists of five creeds:

The Jedi are the defenders of peace in the Galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to guard and protect - never to attack others.
Jedi respect every life, in every form.
Jedi serve others, rather than dominate them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi strive for self-improvement through knowledge and training.

Original text(English)

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the Galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather than rule over them, for the good of the Galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

The philosophy of the Light Side is selflessness, altruism, renunciation of personal ambitions, and the use of the Force only to protect peace in the Galaxy. A follower of the Light Side must learn to control his anger, free himself from passions and worries, comprehend knowledge and bring peace and goodness to all sentient beings.

Dark side

This concept of using the Force is the opposite of the Light Side. The dark side is fueled by negative emotions: anger, lust for power, rage, a sense of superiority, hatred, fear. The most prominent followers of the path of the Dark Side are the Sith, who oppose the Jedi. Force sensitivity provides certain advantages, and the Sith use them based on selfishness and a thirst for power. According to legend, the Sith appeared in the distant past as a group of renegade Jedi.

As many believe, the dark side is not a property of the Force itself: during training at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, Kyle says that "The Force is not good or bad, it all depends on how it is used."

Calmness is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion I grow in strength.
Through strength I gain power.
Through power I achieve victory.
Victory breaks my chains.
The power will set me free.

In the expanded Star Wars universe, in addition to the Sith, there are other clans that use the Dark Side of the Force. It is known that natives of the harsh planet Dathomir (eng. Dathomir), known as the Nightsisters (eng. Nightsisters) or The Witches of Dathomir (eng. Witches of Dathomir), are sensitive to the Force and use the Dark Side.

Midichlorians

Midichlorians- microscopic life forms, which, according to the plot of “Star Wars”, are contained in all living things and allow you to feel and control the Force.

Basic Galactic, Huttian, Aqualish, Bokke, Lasatnian, Ithorian, Ubesian, Ewokian, etc.

Excerpt describing the Force (Star Wars)

Some, a minority, recognized Prince Andrei as something special from themselves and from all other people, expected great success from him, listened to him, admired him and imitated him; and with these people Prince Andrei was simple and pleasant. Others, the majority, did not like Prince Andrei, considered him a pompous, cold and unpleasant person. But with these people, Prince Andrei knew how to position himself in such a way that he was respected and even feared.
Coming out of Kutuzov’s office into the reception area, Prince Andrei with papers approached his comrade, the adjutant on duty Kozlovsky, who was sitting by the window with a book.
- Well, what, prince? – asked Kozlovsky.
“We were ordered to write a note explaining why we shouldn’t go ahead.”
- And why?
Prince Andrey shrugged his shoulders.
- No news from Mac? – asked Kozlovsky.
- No.
“If it were true that he was defeated, then the news would come.”
“Probably,” said Prince Andrei and headed towards the exit door; but at the same time, a tall, obviously visiting, Austrian general in a frock coat, with a black scarf tied around his head and with the Order of Maria Theresa around his neck, quickly entered the reception room, slamming the door. Prince Andrei stopped.
- General Chief Kutuzov? - the visiting general quickly said with a sharp German accent, looking around on both sides and walking without stopping to the office door.
“The general in chief is busy,” said Kozlovsky, hastily approaching the unknown general and blocking his path from the door. - How would you like to report?
The unknown general looked contemptuously down at the short Kozlovsky, as if surprised that he might not be known.
“The general in chief is busy,” Kozlovsky repeated calmly.
The general's face frowned, his lips twitched and trembled. He took out a notebook, quickly drew something with a pencil, tore out a piece of paper, gave it to him, walked quickly to the window, threw his body on a chair and looked around at those in the room, as if asking: why are they looking at him? Then the general raised his head, craned his neck, as if intending to say something, but immediately, as if casually starting to hum to himself, he made a strange sound, which immediately stopped. The door to the office opened, and Kutuzov appeared on the threshold. The general with his head bandaged, as if running away from danger, bent down and approached Kutuzov with large, fast steps of his thin legs.
“Vous voyez le malheureux Mack, [You see the unfortunate Mack.],” he said in a broken voice.
The face of Kutuzov, standing in the doorway of the office, remained completely motionless for several moments. Then, like a wave, a wrinkle ran across his face, his forehead smoothed out; He bowed his head respectfully, closed his eyes, silently let Mac pass by him and closed the door behind himself.
The rumor, already spread before, about the defeat of the Austrians and the surrender of the entire army at Ulm, turned out to be true. Half an hour later, adjutants were sent in different directions with orders proving that soon the Russian troops, which had hitherto been inactive, would have to meet the enemy.
Prince Andrei was one of those rare officers at the headquarters who believed his main interest was in the general course of military affairs. Having seen Mack and heard the details of his death, he realized that half of the campaign was lost, understood the difficulty of the position of the Russian troops and vividly imagined what awaited the army, and the role that he would have to play in it.
Involuntarily, he experienced an exciting, joyful feeling at the thought of disgracing arrogant Austria and the fact that in a week he might have to see and take part in a clash between the Russians and the French, for the first time since Suvorov.
But he was afraid of the genius of Bonaparte, who could be stronger than all the courage of the Russian troops, and at the same time could not allow shame for his hero.
Excited and irritated by these thoughts, Prince Andrei went to his room to write to his father, to whom he wrote every day. He met in the corridor with his roommate Nesvitsky and the joker Zherkov; They, as always, laughed at something.
- Why are you so gloomy? – Nesvitsky asked, noticing the pale face of Prince Andrei with sparkling eyes.
“There’s no point in having fun,” Bolkonsky answered.
While Prince Andrei met with Nesvitsky and Zherkov, on the other side of the corridor, Strauch, an Austrian general who was at Kutuzov’s headquarters to monitor the food supply of the Russian army, and a member of the Gofkriegsrat, who had arrived the day before, walked towards them. There was enough space along the wide corridor for the generals to freely disperse with three officers; but Zherkov, pushing Nesvitsky away with his hand, said in a breathless voice:
- They're coming!... they're coming!... move aside! please the way!
The generals passed by with an air of desire to get rid of bothersome honors. The face of the joker Zherkov suddenly expressed a stupid smile of joy, which he seemed unable to contain.
“Your Excellency,” he said in German, moving forward and addressing the Austrian general. – I have the honor to congratulate you.
He bowed his head and awkwardly, like children learning to dance, began to shuffle first with one foot and then with the other.
The general, a member of the Gofkriegsrat, looked sternly at him; without noticing the seriousness of the stupid smile, he could not refuse a moment’s attention. He narrowed his eyes to show that he was listening.
“I have the honor to congratulate you, General Mack has arrived, he’s completely healthy, he just got a little hurt here,” he added, beaming with a smile and pointing to his head.
The general frowned, turned away and walked on.
– Gott, wie naiv! [My God, how simple it is!] - he said angrily, walking away a few steps.
Nesvitsky hugged Prince Andrei with laughter, but Bolkonsky, turning even paler, with an angry expression on his face, pushed him away and turned to Zherkov. The nervous irritation into which the sight of Mack, the news of his defeat and the thought of what awaited the Russian army led him, found its outcome in anger at Zherkov’s inappropriate joke.
“If you, dear sir,” he spoke shrilly with a slight trembling of his lower jaw, “want to be a jester, then I cannot prevent you from doing so; but I declare to you that if you dare to make fun of yourself in my presence next time, I will teach you how to behave.
Nesvitsky and Zherkov were so surprised by this outburst that they silently looked at Bolkonsky with their eyes open.
“Well, I just congratulated,” said Zherkov.
– I’m not joking with you, please remain silent! - Bolkonsky shouted and, taking Nesvitsky by the hand, walked away from Zherkov, who could not find what to answer.