I am a child of the 80s and being such I was raised on a steady diet of Star Wars, Dr Who and re-runs of M*A*S*H and various other things in between. On one hand this could explain a lot about me or anyone born around the same time if you want to look at it that way.
What this means is that I grew up with Star Wars - if I was born in 1977 it would make things even better but, unfortunately for me but not so much my parents as that was the year that they tied the proverbial knot. But that's another story for another time. This post is all about why I love Star Wars.
As a child I was in and out of hospitals on a semi frequent basis so this meant a lot of time lying in bed with nothing to do aside from watching Han Solo fly through asteroid fields, slash open a tauntaun and pretty much own the screen. It also meant that one of my earlier crushes happened to focus around a sandy haired kid who dreamed about escaping and ended up kissing his sister...that part didn't really make sense to me until I was older. I am always in awe of that scene where Luke and Leia swing from one platform to the other in their escape attempt. Then there is the scene in the garbage disposal which creeped me out when I was younger.
My heroine was Princess Leia, who could be feminine and kick arse even while wearing the least amount of clothing possible...but she still killed Jabba while wearing that bikini that still resonates among young geeks even now. I grew my hair long because of her and would often attempt the bagel hair look but I failed miserably since I had no ability to style my own hair without it looking like I'd been attacked by Tuskan Raiders...actually I still have that problem.
But Star Wars was more than just entertainment for me. It was something to keep my mind off the operations or the illnesses that frequented me as a child. It showed me that anyone can be a hero even ewoks, those fluffy little bastards. I was young enough that they appealed to me, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Regardless of the ewoks there was so much going on that would keep me entertained for days. Even now I will often drop quotes in where I can.
It may have presented good and evil as black and white to begin with but there are so many layers to the original trilogy, and yes, I am only talking about the original trilogy because, although I enjoy the new trilogy the old one is better by a million times. There are nuances that I can see better as a pretend adult* and then there are all the allusions to films, mythology and literature.
What makes it even better is it is still referenced today...May 4th aside, all you need to do is look at shows such as The Big Bang Theory (which I happen to be watching right now), Family Guy and so many more.
Even after all these years I can still watch Star Wars (any of the original trilogy) and feel that flash of excitement as those words crawl across the screen. My heart still swells with the music and my entire being becomes excited with the desperation of the characters...I love Star Wars and I always will.
I leave you with a quote from our favourite little philosopher, Master Yoda:
"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."
Oh and a question of the day - is there a movie that changed your life? Let me know.
*I don't feel like an adult so pretend adult it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment