Shady Thoughts: Star Wars and the Road to Middle Earth?
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| Title: | Shady Thoughts: Star Wars and the Road to Middle Earth? |
| Creator: | Thomas M. Egan |
| Date(s): | Spring 1988 |
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| Fandom: | Star Wars and Tolkien |
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Shady Thoughts: Star Wars and the Road to Middle Earth? is a 1988 essay by Thomas M. Egan.
It was printed in Shadowstar #27 and is last of the Shady Thoughts essay series.
The Essay
Critics have noted — with very mixed motives — that the phenomenal success of the Star Hars films since 1977 have been due less to the science-fiction "overlay" than to a basic Fairy Tale substance in the continuing movie epic. A closer examination, indeed, brings to mind the strange mythic tales of Middle-Earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. That, too, consciously embodies the tradition of the Fairy Tale and its literary elements to give it (i.e. the Middle-Earth mythos) a durability and depth that gains the respect of scholars as well as millions of ordinary folk throughout the world.
In terms of characters, there are many similarities. Luke Skywalker is Hobbit-like in his original simplicity of life style on the "backwater" planet of Tatooine. He is at first a nobody who will, by Fate or chance, effect the destiny of worlds. The stupendous conflict between Good and Evil (Rebel Alliance vs. the Galactic Empire) is already set up long before our hero comes on the scene. It is only by "lucky" chance that a space skirmish involves him — and we begin to learn his background for his coming heroic role. Then, all the character parts are set in motion for the creation of a Fellowship for the grand Quest: the Gandalf figure of Obi-wan Kenobi, the droids C3P0 and R2D2, and the rough, mercenary figures (but basically decent) Han Solo and Chewbacca. Battles big and small are used to test their courage and ultimate moral worth: they save a beautiful princess, Leia Organa, and go on to destroy the Satanic symbol of corrupt absolute power, the "DEATH STAR." Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, is a close approximation to the activity of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor in Tolkien's Lord of the kings.
Frodo, too, moves from the obscure backwater of the Shire to the center stage of his world of Middle-Earth. By "accident," he gets control of Tolkien's symbol of absolute power: the Ring of Sauron, who, like Darth Vader, is attempting to conquer all free peoples in his world. As a young Halfling, Frodo must prove his worth in Tolkien's epic through battles and suffering aplenty, before the Ring is destroyed in the Crack of Doom. The locale of Middle- Earth, like the Star Hars galaxy, is vague enough for our imagination to work its wonders, yet full of enough local color (inspired by Tolkien's knowledge of European and medieval folklore) to give our thoughts substance. Fellowship and Quest are the vehicles for the plot success in both efforts.
For both epics, there is the feeling of apocalypse for all. The third film shows more clearly than the others how much is at stake if "the Dark Side" of the Force is allowed to triuaph. The full personality of the Dark Emperor makes him closer than ever to the figure of Morgoth in Tolkien's Silmarillion. For his evil is transcendent; there is the foul symbol of the renewed and invincible (like the Ring of Sauron?) DEATH STAR. He will bring his enlarged power to Vader and smash the forces of Light. As in the Ring saga, when from besieged Gondor the forces of the Free People and the Fellowship foolishly (from a practical viewpoint) attack Sauron's impregnable fortress of Mordor, the climax of the third film sees the Rebel Alli ance's last bit of military strength thrown on the superior power of the new DEATH STAR. It seems to be a (question of raw power and its final use.
Another basic likeness between Tolkien's world and Lucas' film trilogy is the correspon dence of functions and attitudes in both Gandalf and Obi-wan Kenobi. Both have real wizard psychic powers. Both struggle in personal battles with demonic enemies (a Balrog in Gandalf's case, Darth Vader in Obi-wan's) and both perish ~ yet to rise and conquer death in different forms of immortality. Thereafter, they both guide their respective heroes to the Quest's end. It should be noted, too, that neither violates the "free will" of their protagonists. Indeed, one of the concepts that insures the triumph over evil is the respect and vindication of each individual's freedom of choice over particular acts, the belief in moral absolutes making each decision one of tremendous importance in the fate of individuals and whole peoples, for good and ill alike.