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Hero For Christ
Kitoba.Com >>> The Arts >>> Art Essays >>> Reconstructivist Art >>> Examples of Reconstructivist Art >>> George Lucas' "Star Wars" (index)

November, 1st, 2008
last updated September, 2nd, 2010

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Entry #27 Rating: 2.6/5 (8 votes cast)

Examples of Reconstructivist Art:

George Lucas' "Star Wars"

by Chris Sunami

One of the most popular and successful movies of all time, Lucas’ "Star Wars" represented a return to classic storytelling after the more deconstructionist narratives of the 1970’s.

Nod to Artifice: The movie begins with a famous image of scrolling text "Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away" that not only pays homage to the old serial melodramas, but also firmly establishes the movie as a fairy tale within a futuristic setting.

Classic Structure: Star Wars is patterned closely and consciously on the "Hero’s Journey" the ancient and universal story structure studied and described by folklorist Joseph Campbell.

Transcontextual and Iconic Elements: The Evil Emperor, beautiful Princess, Hidden Prince hero, Wise Old Mentor and Dark Father are all venerable archetypes translated to a space-age, science-fiction setting.

Moments of Genuine Emotion and Significance: Lucas’ decision to treat a potentially campy scenario with respect and affection paid off when the movie connected at a visceral level with millions of moviegoers worldwide. Memorable moments of the first movie include Obi-Wan’s self sacrifice, Hans Solo’s return, and Luke’s decision to "trust the force".

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