The Influence Of 'star Wars'

With the release of the original Star Wars film we were witness to a sort of mass hysteria. All of a sudden it was everywhere that you went. It was the first chain of movies to create a gigantic franchise in its wake. The excitement over this ground-breaking film was not just restricted to children; many adults were also caught up in it all as well. The film seemed to hit upon a nerve in many people. Essentially it is a fairy-tale set in space but it contains many other elements within it as well. Romance and adventure are present as you would expect them to be but there is more to it than just that. There are very clear distinctions between good and evil, light and dark. It is full of religious references and influences. 'The Force' in itself is something that is clearly of a spiritual nature. The teachings of Yoda, a Jedi Master, in the later Star Wars films are obviously very Buddhist in their style and content.

By the time that you get to 'Revenge of the Sith' and see the backdrop that is used for Anakin's near demise before his rebirth as Darth Vader you can see an obvious depiction of a fiery hell. It is more like something created by Dante, than what you would expect to see in a science fiction movie. If you think back to some of the scenes and characters in the series of six films then it will not be very long before you come across some sort of religious symbolism or reference. There have even been many people who, whilst filling out questionnaires, have named their religion as being 'Jedi'. Perhaps this is taking things a bit too far but it is a very good example of how deeply Star Wars has touched some people.

The effect that the movies have had on the film industry should not be underestimated. The original 'Star Wars' made a good deal of its rival movies look laughable on its release. The special effects really were cutting-edge and many other films of that period just could not compete. The science fiction film world needed to catch up very quickly and it knew it.

When the first three films in the sequence are watched today they still sit quite comfortably alongside their contemporaries. They are not dated and are still highly enjoyable for all ages. Now they are being enjoyed by a new and younger generation. That this is possible is a true testimony of their quality and depth.

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