The Memoirs of George Lucas- Chapter 1, The Final Chapter

A FOREWARD FROM THE MASTER

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Skywalker Ranch where fairies fly and blasters blast, and all feel like younglings on the eve of a midsummer's night. It has been about four years now since the final chapter of the STARWARS saga has been completed and the missing links filled in with Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. It has been one heck of a ride, all the way from the first appearance of Uncle Owy and Aunt Beru back in '77 to the climactic laser-sword duel between Ben Kenobi and Anakin in Sith. It's been great seeing the fruits of all my hard labor these past few years, and now a popular STARWARS fan website has asked me to compile a collection of my greatest and most memorable memories and achievements in my long and great career. I agreed, and here I am writing the introduction to a marvelous gem of a tale. It's actually more like a mausoleum (fun word) wherein are stored my deceased accomplishments of old. No, actually, there's a bad example, but nevertheless it's good once in a while to resurrect those memories, those dreams that you once had, when you were aspiring to become someone or something great, riding the hard-knock wave of ghetto life and working in the neighborhood video shop; it's not a stereotypical thing either, the memoirs I mean, because these are the memories of someone great, a legendary character, a true hero of our times, a vir magnus fit for days of old; Homer would have sung him next to Achilles, Virgil next to Aeneas; one great man dared to yank the world by the reigns and ride the darn thing right on into the new millenium. That man is none other than little old me, the founder and creator of the STAR WARS, a simple, humble, and honest man who had a story inside him and who brought that story to life; these are my memoirs, my recollections, my histories, my life; this is my story.

-George Lucas

I

Any great film has a great ending. Ask anyone: Spielberg, Hitchcock, Columbus, Raimi; they'll all tell you that the ending makes or breaks the entire movie. A lot of the time it's the ending that gets written first, and all the greats will tell you that a good ending is the best way to wrap up a story. Now, contrary to what you might have thought, all the STARWARS films have one absolute ending, which is Episode VI, Revenge of the Jedi.

...

Did I get you there?? I have just written Revenge of the Jedi, and you just kept on reading like nothing was the matter. In fact (like the fanboy you are), you should have jumped at the "misprint" there. The correct subtitle of Episode VI is actually ReTURN of the Jedi, although in the scriptwriting process it went by the name of the former (confusing, isn't it? I tricked you big time!). A little Big George trivia there for you. You'll be getting a lot of that (and some more hidden surprises) as we continue on our magical journey to the nether galaxies. But all jesting aside, let's focus in on the Final Chapter of the STARWARS saga- Episode VI, Return of the Jedi. Episode VI is the ultimate ending of STARWARS; the endings of the other movies are just little 13 month (or 25 year) "intermissions," if you will. The entire STARWARS experience is intended to be viewed as one, fifteen-plus hour film.

I came up with the idea for STARWARS ages ago, back even before the beard. When I finally decided what I wanted to do with my life--have one idea that makes me billions and guarantees my fame forever so I never have to do anything again (which I actually failed at, being a major creative part of Indiana Jones, but director-wise anyway)--I was a young college kid fresh out of USC film school and wanted in on the biz. I traded some homeless guy a Cracker Jack box (empty, of course) for a shiny metal pin that said "THE WARS OF THE STARS HAVE BEGUN." To this day I don't know what that meant, but I've kept that pin close to my heart, namely on my left shirt pocket, ever since. From there it was a matter of coming up with some random characters and plot and writing some iffy dialogue, thrown in and spiced up with mind-numbing special effects, and we were set. I started concentrating all my efforts on the ending to the greatest saga ever told. I've noticed recently on the "Web" there have been all these rumors circulating about the origins of STARWARS; they are complete lies. People make stuff up. For instance, I heard one rumor that I wrote myself in the original script for the part of "Luke Starkiller"; why would I ever want to play that pansy, for Pete's sake? I was originally slated to debut my acting career as the rogue Hanz Solo, a brave kind of "Gestapo-gunslinger of the future."

Ever since I was a kid, I was really into Westerns and all the great Western actors: Wayne, Cooper, Rogers, Eastwood--the legends. I can remember the humid Georgian summers, sitting out on Gramma Betty's porch drinking sweet tea and blastin' Jim Kregger's pigeons with my dime store six shooter, gunslinger style. I was the best of the West back then. Sweet tea and gunsmoke. I can still smell that smoke, burning through my olfactories like chiggers. I can remember walking the dusty, sleepy streets of suburban Modesto as an eight year old, all alone, scanning the sun-baked paths for Frank Miller and his gang of killers. Justice! I was a lone wolf, a cool, slick styler who had a heart for law and order and who knew how to bring it. Those days were the start of it, the beginning of my long, hard-fought journey to Hollywood. My path has not been unlike that of Gary Cooper in High Noon; more than once in my life I've faced tough decisions as a lone gunman, bereft of loved ones, friends deserted. I've been there--to Hell and back again, just like Bilbo. I was the real Arizona Kid. But I've pressed on, and the world's a better place for it.

But like I was saying, essentially STARWARS is a Western film. Not in the traditional sense, of course, with all the "long long ago but somehow in the future" business. And ever since I conceived of STARWARS (and yes, I did conceive of the entire story at once, contrary to what some people call "making it up as you go"), I wanted it to have all the necessary elements Westerns have. So really, Han Solo is the main character. There, I said it. STARWARS is not about whiny Anakin or whiny Padme or whiny Luke or whiny C-3PO, its about the rough, tough, good-gracious bodacious man of a man, Han Solo. Han Solo knows how to fight. None of this "ancient technology and hokey Jedi religion" for him. He can fend for himself, thank you very much. With a blaster at his side and the Falcon waiting in the bay, he's ready to kick some rear-end and take some names. Of course, as soon as I made this known to the producers and the folks at the studio, pandemonium ensued. They wanted to take the story in this direction, blah blah, Luke this, Leia that, and Han got kicked to the side like a dirty rag. Someday I will refilm the series as they were intended. Of course people say the dialogue in the new trilogy is bad! That's because it's supposed to be a young Han Solo in love, not "the Chosen One," some wimpy adolescent Jedi! People just up and forget about him! What a thanks for the man who pretty much single-handedly destroyed the freaking second Death Star, which was like 10 times bigger and more powerful than the one Luke destroyed! And Ben Kenobi pretty much destroyed that one anyway!

There was another nasty rumor that claimed I said "Han and Leia probably did get married... They settled down, she became a senator, and they got a nice little house with a white picket fence. Han Solo is out there cooking burgers on the grill." Oh, for the love! Gag me with a spoon! Why in God's green earth would Han Solo ever live in a house with a white picket fence! The STARWARS universe doesn't even have white picket fences! What, so now that you've killed two bad guys, the universe is saved and everybody's just hunky-dory? What about the billions of stormtroopers and Imperial commanders? They just give up the second their Emperor dies? Please! Have some dignity! Han Solo is not a settle-down guy. He most likely went on hundreds of thousands of other galactic adventures, no matter if "Princess" Leia went with him or not. And why is she a Princess? Doesn't she come from a democratic planet? Who came up with these characters anyway?

And I don't have a turkey chin!!

Santa Poll Results

Based on 3 votes, the overwhelming public opinion is that Santa is a Communist. I believe it, what with the red suit, the exploitation of labor, the policy of equal distribution, the similarity in appearance to Karl Marx, etc. Just LEAVE CAPITALISM ALONE, SANTA!!

Google Literature

As of today, I have a mere 173 pages to go in the 1463-page unabridged version of Les Misérables. Although reading it was quite a monumental task this summer, I recommend the full version to anyone who thinks they could suffer through 2-3 months of a single novel. I'm not going to tell you what I though about it, etc., because one, I'm not done with it, and two, a masterpiece of genius like this doesn't even deserve the opinion of some nerdy 21st century youth. But I'll just say it's probably the best (well, that's a bit strong...how about top 5?) novel I've ever read, and this is coming from someone who does not make such claims lightly. Qualitative criticism aside, what I'll write about here is the sense of place in this great novel.

When reading historical fiction in the manner of a Hugo or Dumas, it is imperative for one to submerse oneself in the historical context. For Les Misérables, I tried to get familiar with the majority of the events surrounding the French Revolution and the 50-60 year period of turmoil following 1793. So much of the story is intertwined within this political-historical context that such a priori knowledge is really almost required to glean the most abundant profit from the novel. Even so, Hugo manages to reference about a million people and places of French history that only a history major or knowledgable native would be able to catch. (If God is in the details, then Les Misérables is divine.) Well, any fan of the novel, or musical (or film, I daresay), will know of the events centered around the barricade of the Rue de la Chanvrerie, as the story reaches its dramatic climax. If you haven't read the book or seen the musical, knowing any of this won't ruin anything for you (but if you need an excuse to stop reading, this is it). The Paris insurrection of 1832 is historical fact, waged by the citizens of democratic humanity against the waning grip of divine right, and of the many barricades that republican insurgents erected on June 5th, the one opposite the then Corinth bistro on the Rue de la Chanvrerie was most insignificant when compared with the rest of the city. It is undoubtedly for this reason that Hugo chose it as the site for his story. Hugo, throughout the entire novel, gives immaculate and incredibly accurate geographical descriptions of Paris--of its roads, its neighborhoods, its buildings, even its sewers. While reading, its easy to become lost in the labyrinth of names and places. Names can mean nothing. But all it takes is a map to make a hazy picture a little bit more defined. So, naturally, I went to Google maps.

The Rue de la Chanvrerie does not exist today; in fact, Hugo remarks in the novel that it didn't exist in his day. He describes its location in comparison with his modern (ca. 1860) Paris:

Parisians who, today, on entering the Rue Rambuteau from the side of Les Halles, notice on their right, opposite the Rue Mondétour, a basket maker's shop...Here were the Rue de la Chanvreire, which the old signs spelled Chanverrerie, and the celebrated bistro Corinth...Those who would like to accurately picture the confused blocks of houses standing at that time near the Pointe Saint-Eustache, at the northeast corner of the markets of Paris, Les Halles, where the Rue Rambuteau now begins, only have to imagine touching the Rue Saint-Denis at its summit, and the markets at its base, an N, of which the two vertical strokes would be the Rue de la Grande Truanderie and the Rue de la Chanvrerie, and the Rue de la Petite Truanderie would make the transverse stroke. The old Rue Mondétour cut the three strokes at the most awkward angles. With the result that the labyrinthine web of these four streets, within a space of four hundred square yards, between the markets and the Rue Saint-Denis, in one direction, and between the Rue du Cygne and the Rue des Prêcheurs in the other direction, made seven little islands of houses, oddly intersecting, of various sizes....

Here is where I enlisted the help of our crazy friend Google maps. I didn't really know anything about Parisian geography, but I eventually pinpointed the general area of the barricade, relative to Paris as a whole (in the south central portion of the map is the Jardin du Luxembourg, where Marius frequented in his day-dream walks; the purple tag is Les Halles, the area of the barricade; *NOTE*--click on the picture to make it huge):

Then it was a question of making sense of this ridiculously accurate description. Luckily, I came across a section of a map of old Paris showing the above streets as they are described. This site had a lot more things that connected Paris with the novel, but alas, it is in French. For all who are literate:

http://www.terresdecrivains.com/Le-Paris-des-Miserables?var_recherche=paris%20miserables

But here is the map (red star represents location of Corinth/barricade):

Then it was a question of realizing 21st century Paris relative to the one of 1832 (with the Rue de la Chanvrerie where it would be today):

And finally, here is what Google street view says is at the site of the barricade now:

Also, here is the modern view of the Rue Plumet, the street on which M. Fauchelevent and Cosette had their mysterious house with the lovely garden, the house Marius came to cherish:

Some of the other places are quite difficult to discover, since Paris has changed so much. But Google maps? Amazing, but actually incredibly disturbing. Here's a great idea--let's make satellite footage of our freaking homes and neighborhoods availabe to internet stalkers and technology-savvy criminals! But seriously, come on.

The Cycle of Progress & the Bourgeois Ego, Abridged Version

The fun (and perhaps nonsense) had by Media Studies majors. In Twitter tweet rhyme and accompanying art timeline. Be moved by its massive claim to truth, its imperative significance! Or be flabbergasted at such willy-nilly drivel! Either way, the mystery will nonetheless escape you! (We live in a postmodern world. Just make up your own explanation.)

Achilles' Rage

Renaissance of Oral Age

A-Zbet fragmentation

bourgeois ego germination

vicious cycle

print Bible

GOD=idol

poet tell

life is hell

media ruse

Wurd=TRUTH

Live Long and Prosper, and May the Force Be With You

WARNING: Spoiler Alert

J.J. Abrams' latest installment in the Star Trek film series is the epitome of 21st century science ficiton movies--a hurricane of breathtaking cinematography, sonic sound design, fresh young actors, futuristic technology, adrenaline-laced action, and a balls-to-the-wall hyper-storyline mixed together in a multi-million dollar production vat and served with just the right amount of originality and retro-Trekkie homage to offer a crowd-pleasing summer film that leaves just enough room for a sequel in three years. I saw this film in all its IMAX splendour; seeing Eric Bana's beard stubble forest on a 50 ft high screen is enough of a technical achievement to see this film in IMAX. The resurrection of the franchise, like many others, was an "origins" play; but in an Abrams style twist, the film introduces an "alternate reality" timeline, allowing free room for an original story and character development while appealing to both newbies and Trekkies alike. My Star Trek knowledge going in to this film was about a 2 on a scale of 10, but I must confess that Abrams and the fellows at Spyglass Entertainment did a good job at introducing me to the universe on a slow curve. I enjoyed the film. But I couldn't help notice that this incarnation of Star Trek bears semblance to another sci-fi flick from 32 years ago.

Star Wars is my baby. Along with the Lord of the Rings saga, the original Star Wars trilogy was the universe I grew up in. Apart from ardent Trekkies, the Star Wars universe is the one most people prefer--it is a grittier, dirtier, and consequently more human universe containing a motley assortment of species. It is a universe we can see ourselves inhabiting, as opposed to the sterile, cold, and calculating space that the U.S.S. Enterprise sails. As a pre-pubescent junior high fanboy, I was there for the arrival of the new trilogy in The Phantom Menace. I wept at Qui-Gon's death. I rejoiced at the marriage of Anakin and Padme. I cringed when I realized at Episode III that George Lucas wrote dialogue crappier than daytime soap operas. I became a Jedi Master. But despite how awesome(ly bad) the new trilogy was, the original trilogy has always held a special place in my heart. Who can forget the boyish grin of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker? The audacious manhood of Han Solo? The lovable cuddliness of Chewbacca? The fact that Kashyyyk is spelled with three "y"s?

Star Wars: A New Hope is the tale of Luke Skywalker--the hero and his destiny. The story, like almost every other fantasy pic, is a retelling of what mythologist Joseph Campbell calls the "monomyth," or in layman's terms, the hero's journey. This concept, introduced by Campbell in his book Hero With a Thousand Faces, outlines the pattern of what essentially every hero, from Odysseus to Frodo Baggins, goes through throughout the course of his adventures. It is, as C.S. Lewis said, a shadow and hint of the greatest story ever told, one that resonates deeply within us and excites us with a passion for more. George Lucas, citing Campbell as prime inspiration for A New Hope, has always steeped his saga in hero mythology. Lucas' greatest achievement with Star Wars is that he rekindled the myth--nothing more than a fantasy or make-believe story that hides a profound human truth--at the big screen. And J.J. Abrams copied him. In other words, they both are incarnations of the monomyth.

Star Trek is remarkably similar to Star Wars. Not the universes or the characters, but the two films; one from 2009, one from 1977. Besides the superficial similarities--groundbreaking visual tour de forces about the last frontier of space by up-and-coming film directors--they both rely heavily on the monomyth and the hero's journey in their storytelling. Campbell's exegesis on the monomyth led him to recapitulate it into seventeen parts; for our sake (and befitting to the films), we will look at the major twelve of these seventeen and compare the similarities of Star Wars and Star Trek found in each (the following occur in varying orders during the course of the narratives):

1. The Call to Adventure

Luke Skywalker and James Kirk are both no-name, rural farmboys--one from Tatooine, the other, Iowa. They both have deceased fathers of galactic renown, destoryed by an evil force, and each can only hope to one day live up to their father's name. The presitigous Academy seems to be the only way out of rural nowhere. After events stir up their ordinary lives, destiny beckons in the forms of the Rebel Alliance and a recruiting Star Fleet captain.

2. Refusal of the Call

Our heroes refuse their call to the join the universe, one from fear, one from pride. However, destiny works within each, and eventually they are thrust in to the world of escalating events and become surrounding by a bevy of talented peers.

3. Supernatural Aid

A sage elder comes to the aid of the hero, at varying points in the quest. For Luke, Ben Kenobi and (later in the series) Yoda guide the fledgling jedi in his physical and spiritual growth. Kirk, after being stranded by his rival on a deserted ice planet (a locale Luke will visit), encounters an aged and alternate reality Spock, who assures him of his purpose and urges him to embrace his destined leadership role.

4. Crossing the First Threshold

This is our hero's first encounter with destiny--a tumultuous encounter with danger in which he must prove his green skills. Luke and Han Solo attempt an undercover rescue of the mysterious Princess Leia by infiltrating the Imperial Death Star, a floating planet destroyer. Kirk, with the help of McCoy, boards the USS Enterprise on a rescue mission to Vulcan and tries to warn the captain of a group of hostile Romulans from the future bent on destroying planets.

5. Belly of the Whale

The decisive moment of inner turmoil--the hero must reject the past he has known and embrace the full transformation of self that makes him a leader.

6. The Road of Trials

The hero's tribulations that advance his continual transformation of self.

7. Meeting with the Goddess

In Campbell's writings, the point when the hero experiences a monumental and soul-filling love for a woman, whom he reveres with as much unconditional and caring respect as he did his lost mother, who died in childbirth. However, in both Star Wars and Star Trek, this does not seem to occur with the main hero, but the sidekick/rival--Han Solo and Spock. Luke's affectionate feelings for Leia turn out later to be a subliminal fraternal love, and Kirk's attraction to Uhura is thwarted by her affections toward Spock.

8. Atonement with Father

This is a complex point in the narrative that is manifested in many different ways. Campbell describes it as the hero's confrontation with the figure that holds ultimate power, usually the father or the supernatural father-like figure. It is also the point when the hero embraces the same path his father took and must choose his path accordingly--Luke with the responsibilites of the Force and the Alliance, and Kirk with the responsibilites as captain of his own ship.

9. Apotheosis

The death of an important figure, which affects the hero in a great way and usually occurs before the ultimate climax. Obi Wan's death at the hands of Darth Vader, and the death of Spock's mother, for Spock (like Han Solo) is almost a second main hero.

10. The Ultimate Boon

The climax of the journey and the achievement of the task. Luke uses Obi Wan's guidance and the Force to destroy the Death Star and gain a victory for the Alliance. Kirk uses his leadership, confidence, and freshly established flight team to take on the Romulan threat and saves Earth from destruction.

11. The Return Threshold

The hero must take the knowledge and experience gleaned from this quest and combine it with the his roots in the full creation of the destined self.

12. Master of Two Worlds

The hero has completed his journey--physical, mental, and spiritual--and has truly become the self that destiny had placed before him. Although he has much yet to do and must grow in experience, he is a master of two worlds, the physical and spiritual, and is characterized by a harmonization and tranquility of the inner and outer selves.

These are just a few of the many similarities found in these two films. I urge to go watch both and come up with more; there are definitely ones I overlooked. Until then, live long and prosper, and may the Force be with you.