“May the force be with you”
It is a quote, that no matter how old or young you are, you will immediately recognize. Perhaps you have not watched the movie or the whole franchise, but you know exactly where it came from and who said it.
We are, of course, talking about the masterpiece that is Star Wars.
The interesting thing about Star Wars is that it is a film that appeals to people of all ages. It is not a film that the older generations tut and shake their head at while bemoaning the qualities of movies these days. It is not a film that teenagers will yawn out, and nor is it a film that younger children will not understand. It is a film that once watched is always loved, and one that stays in the mind of the viewer for many, many years. It is a film that adults can enjoy in the background while playing EnergyCasino or running on the treadmill. |t can be a film that kids enjoy while completing homework or playing Lego. Think about how often the film is quoted, how often young children use sticks as light sabres, and the popularity and collectability of Star Wars merchandise.
But what exactly is it that makes the epic franchise so appealing to people of all ages? Let’s take a look.
Mythology for the modern age
George Lucas, the director of the films, has been very open about his wish to create a modern form of mythology which he felt had been lacking in both society and cinema. He wanted the films to provide moral guidance and a revived sense of spirituality. He was quoted in Time Magazine (1998) as saying:
“I see Star Wars as taking all the issues that religion represents and trying to distil them down into a more modern and easily accessible construct…I put the Force into the movie in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people – more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery”.
Star Wars takes its viewers on a journey, in the same way a great game on EnergyCasino does. It tells big stories about existence and humanity – looking at good and bad, love and hate, friendships, transcendence, and mystery. It does so by using a genre that was particularly popular at the time of the first film, released in 1977, and retrospectively retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope – science fiction.
The adventure, the space crafts, the aliens – they are all excellent vehicles for the morality and transcendence message, and, let’s face it, way more interesting for everyone. ‘May the force be with you’ carries the same message as ‘May the Lord be with you’; a popular way of wishing someone luck and strength when completing difficult challenges. Which one is going to be more memorable and more quotable? For those who do not identify themselves as being part of organized religion, Star Wars carries many of the same messages.
Those messages carry through from the very youngest to the very oldest. Little children love the traditional good versus evil tale, the story of a bad guy getting defeated. Adults are captured by the messages of spirituality and morality. Cultures all over the world pass down their values through story – and Star Wars might just be this generation’s story.