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12.14.2015 • George Lucas has created with “Star Wars” a myth that millions of people take to this day. And a billion dollar business. How come?
L aserstrahlen batting through space, a huge spaceship pushes from above threatening wide into the picture, frightened soldiers veterans stare at an airlock, the golden glossy robot human C-3PO says the little astromech droid R2-D2 " We are lost. "Shortly afterwards, Darth Vader occurs, all in black, her face hidden behind a mask, huffing because a machine gets its rather ruined lungs alive. Dramatically. And nearly everything the ones saw in the opening minutes, who watched in May 1977 the first part of the space saga "Star Wars" in the cinema.
In these minutes put an incredible amount. They are perhaps even essential for to inspire millions of people around the world, the American "Star Wars" expert Chris Taylor has set out in a several hundred pages long, and probably the first complete monograph on the subject. The Internet giant Google, which is interested in success in many tangible apparitions, invited him some time ago to keep its employees exactly about a lecture. And on the question of why "Star Wars" is still, therefore, nearly 40 years later, a myth is for people of all ages in countless countries around the world. And why now a big business behind it: The global company paid Disney a few years ago even more than 4 billion dollars of the "Star Wars" George Lucas -Erschaffer for the rights to this idea. Whoever enters "Star Wars" in the search box of the Internet retailer Amazon, receives over one million hits and thus seven times as many as about Harry Potter - after the first film started off just once in 32 cinemas.
Taylor presented aptly notes that even more spectacular than what saw moviegoers in the opening minutes of the premiere film, that was what they did not see: lightsaber battles, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, space battles, so essential characters and elements, the "Star Wars" account. Those people especially, just like children slip into their role - whether in thoughts, costumes, computer games or Lego game characters. Of them, the inclined audience learned only once nothing at all, he could not even connect to them from the seen.
What at this time for moviegoers still was completely incalculable also: The central figure of the entire saga that was George Lucas very well - Darth Vader. Yes, the brutal, cool, once appearing emotionless movie villain is linchpin of the previously released six episodes. You basically tell his life story, one might even say: his tale of woe. It is the sheet which is stretched over. About three in the late seventies and early eighties come out "old" films (parts IV to VI) Lucas once said that he would give them the collective heading "Skywalker rescue". Who looks at them in turn, sees to it, as Darth Vader from the executor of the Dark is finally to one who destroys the same. Then logically falls its striking mask, his son even she pulls him off. Behind her lies a signed face, no longer Darth Vader, but man Anakin Skywalker who repents and now it finds its peace.
What the first three films unanswered: How did it come this far? How does a person's life, Lucas named him Anakin Skywalker, which for now terminates behind a dark fearsome facade? Of this act those three episodes, who came to the cinema from the year 1999th In them Lucas tells how the fun-loving, curious, compassionate, nine years old slave boy Anakin Skywalker grows. As he chases as adolescents and young adults big goals, falls in love, deeply grieves, doubts, fear has suffered misfortunes, bitter hate. And as he finally an expression of evil is that puts a whole galaxy in terror.
It is a tragic story. "He has not a conscious decision to be evil," the Hayden Christensen once explained, the actor who plays this role. "At the end the audience understand that Anakin not only perpetrators but victims is," George Lucas said in an interview.
Both refer to the fact that the movie character Anakin in the sustainable determined his life moments consistently good intentions cherishes: He wants only to save his mother's life, what he does not succeed, then he fears for the his pregnant wife , As a result, eroded his sense of what is right and wrong, to whom he trusts, whom he takes as a model. The sneaky Chancellor Palpatine and Upper Rogue uses of, sows doubt additional in the insecure young man, and finally drives him to the "dark side of power". Lucas shows this deep fall not only internally, but also externally - by using an entire scene that the downed Anakin artificial limbs and finally pulled the black mask gets, without which he can no longer live
.
D IE special drama of this complete change in the person Anakin Skywalker reveals itself in the way that George Lucas whose son Luke staged. He lets him grow up in similar circumstances, with similar interests, on the same planet and with adoptive parents, he also loses violently and suddenly. Also in Luke's life follows another traumatic event: During his first duel with Darth Vader and acute danger to life says this to him that he is his father - the dramatic climax of the "old" films and a scene that a firm place in the history of cinema Has. But while Anakin among his misfortunes finally collapses, Luke holds out his own. Although he is in one of the most important dialogues of the film series incensed his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi to task: "Why did I conceal this? You then told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father " This responds in the pose of the wise teacher: " Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He was no longer Anakin Skywalker, he became Darth Vader. When that happened, was the good man who was your father was once destroyed. So I have told you the truth - from a certain point of view " Then Luke still outraged: " From a certain point of view " Obi-Wan again: "Luke, you too will discover that many truths to which we cling, are dependent on our personal point of view." Then Luke contradicts one more time: "But there's still good in him." And Obi-Wan now even irritated some: "He is a machine and no longer a person, a diabolical machine."
Luke's core beliefs are not disturbed by this dispute, the relationship between the two remains intact - even if it just does not consider that his father merely a soulless tool, a machine, almost a terrible Cyborg algorithm is, but in the core just yet a group capable of free choice person.
The focus on how evolve and change personalities is certainly one of the main reasons why the film saga especially among children and adolescents has many followers. You are in a similar situation: you explore who they are, who they want to be who they want to emulate what they excited. The screenwriter and director George Lucas facilitates access to, as he has thought quite different characters. There are the first in living in the day daredevils Han Solo, his shaggy friend Chewbacca, Leia, the snippy. The spacecraft finally, in which these "rebels" are traveling (the "Millennium Falcon"), seems inside like so tidy from the outside about and comfortable like a youth room. A subtle detail, which acts as the Cologne-based museum "Odysseum" just getting into an interesting exhibition titled "Star Wars Identities" showed.
Now George Lucas knew only too well that such a material can take not only young people but also adults, if it is well implemented - the question of personal identity pervades the entire life. While he worked on "Star Wars", he took one more time the book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" the American scientist Joseph Campbell at hand. This had myths compared and found that they have despite the many concrete actions and main characters but a similar structure with each other all over the world. Lucas has in his mind dramaturgy oriented, other films such as the Matrix series, or the Lord of the Rings movies can be incidentally also be reconstructed.
But that alone does not explain why "Star Wars" has not only become a science fiction fantasy tragedy but part of the pop culture of entire generations. For this purpose, initially plays the panorama a role in the action is interwoven: the disintegration of a Galactic Republic into a military dictatorship ("Empire") and later the formation of a resistance movement, which has been successful. Lucas has also staged the big battle between good and evil, shown exciting space battles and a world in which people in everyday life are often the minority and live together not only with countless other species, but the recordable with intelligent robots. And last but not least: He has not been stingy with humor, often in dramatic situations is lacking a loose saying. Other dominant films of this period were rather bleak, such as Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" or "Planet of the Apes" strips. The Club of Rome had his publication "Limits to Growth" published a few years earlier and ever informed the Cold War an the world.
The film entrepreneur George Lucas went with his new product therefore also a risk belonging. Hardly anyone thought it was a very promising idea. The first movie was released in very few cinemas.
W as happened then, but put everything expected in the shadows. The people tore themselves formally to cards. The studio made extra copies. A year later there was again a premiere, this time comprehensively and with the significant episode entitled "A New Hope". No film played until then as much money as one of the "Star Wars" portion. Lucas had that showed up on the many tickets sold, hit a nerve. With very cleverly chosen means the way and off the action. This includes the famous introductory sentence, the moviegoers were treated to in the first minutes of the film in May 1977 "It was a long time ago in a far distant galaxy ..." - relaxes the audience, thank God, I have to not to worry, that has nothing to do with my life. At the same time the pompous title music coined and established himself also as an integral part of the ritual to watch a Star Wars movie. The first scenes themselves where although many movie heroes are missing, as fast and eventful that they arouse the need more and more to see how the author Chris Taylor told Google employees.
For Lucas, although it had not yet filthy rich was already wealthy, this was the breakthrough. He first turned two more parts. This saga was a temporary end to the big screen. But did not end the myth that he created. Movie quotes found frequent use in everyday conversations. Authors set about to write many sequels. Analogies to "Star Wars" it was even when it came to currently most explosive political issues: The by US President Ronald Reagan, a former actor, planned missile defense shield ("Strategic Defense Initiative") against potential Soviet nuclear strikes, for example, went as "Star Wars" in the public debate.
Lucas then settled for a long time with the sequel. In 1999 he brought the first part of the "new" trilogy to the movies for which he had to take a whole not only praise, but also a lot of criticism. Here Lucas managed alongside the main story more connecting opportunities for socially relevant issues: the capital-planet Coruscant he represents as a single gigantic metropolis, a clone army fighting combat robots, the chancellor can always grant new special powers of an ongoing war. At the same time ran compared to the end of the seventies, a highly professional marketing machinery in full swing, so to speak, the commercial side of the Force. "Star Wars" is now already an established billion dollar business.
How much is this idea, calculated in money worth thinking there are different views. Occasionally it is mentioned, the brand was worth $ 30 billion even if possible. It is clear that the now 71 years old Lucas sold them to the Disney Corporation for much less a few years ago. This now brings the seventh installment of the saga out titled "The Awakening of power". The marketing has been increasing again, even many weeks in advance, there is in bookstores next to shelves of science fiction and fantasy, such as on "Star Wars". In supermarkets plastic lightsabers, keychains, painting and puzzle books, mugs, sticker albums, canned drinks and even yogurts are sold, which is decorated with a face from the "Star Wars" universe. There are computer games, comics, fiction, nonfiction, costumes.
At the same time Disney radiates very cleverly made new trailer for the film. Director J.J. Abrams is doing his best to get the tension: He says virtually nothing about the content. But he allowed the Americans Daniel Fleetwood, to see the movie already completely. Fleetwood was suffering from Cancer t and asked to be allowed to see him earlier because his doctor predicted only a few weeks lifetime. Meanwhile Fleetwood died - his wife said afterwards with: "He is now one with God and with power."
For the new film American cinema have already so many tickets sold than ever before. German operators such as Cinemaxx also reported a huge interest. Whether George Lucas the film rather helped or hurt, as he has just nagged on television a little bit about it, time will tell. The movie myth that he created will persist. And the example he gave as a courageous entrepreneur who not only himself fulfilled a dream.
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Source: FAZ
Posted: 14.12 .2015 13:40 clock
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