Me and Mason, 2009
STAR WARS was a brilliant phenomenon that launched into our hearts and minds almost FIFTY years ago.
I was almost nine years old when the first (official) Star Wars movie was released way back in 1977, but I wasn’t very well tuned into the zeitgeist to know that this was THE movie that I had to see in theatres.
To be honest, I was still at the age of going to drive-ins with the family seeing Disney flicks like ‘Million Dollar Duck’ and it wasn’t until the third movie – ‘Return of the Jedi’ – was released in 1984 when I saw this amazing universe unfold on the big screen.
A Whole New Galaxy
Like the Death Star at the end of ‘A New Hope’, everything in the world of pop culture seemed to explode from that point on.
A whole new era was upon us.
It seemed like everything came at us at once.
For many years, I spent an enormous portion of incoming cash from family, friends, grandparents and others on Hasbro toys shaped like characters from the movies. I had dozens of figures several of which died unfortunate deaths that only thirteen-year old boys with lighters and fireworks can inflict on their collections. Had I been paying attention, I might have understood these would be worth something one day.
In addition to the massive array of toys, there were comic books, collector cards, limited edition items and much, much more.
Years later, when the entire Star Wars universe was rebooted with the prequels, LEGO joined the bandwagon and started a routine process of introducing thousands of different sets that every Star Wars fan never knew they wanted.
The Myth Behind the Machine
Bill Moyers (left) interviews Joseph Campbell
I was twenty and had just started university and I was obsessed with this series and the people that were a part of it.
For many, this was the first real introduction to Joseph Campbell. If you’re not familiar with the name, think ‘What George Martin did for the Beatles, Joseph Campbell did for George Lucas (and Star Wars)’.
Of course, who am I kidding: George Lucas is still a genius, but then so were John, Paul, George and Ringo. They just needed a mentor, a guide.
The Mentor as an Archetype
As I write this, I’m seeing the archetypes roll out, layer upon layer.
Campbell was the mentor or sage to Moyers, who in turn was the messenger for an entire generation, delivering the knowledge that Campbell possessed about the incredible world of mythology that humans have created over the millennia.
Campbell unraveled many of the legends and tales in his unique and passionate way, exposing millions of people to the universality of myth and the masks of god.
He brought us along on a deep dive into Jungian psychology and, importantly, the world of archetypes.
Jungian Archetypes
During the collection of interviews, it was revealed that George Lucas sought out the advice and feedback from Joseph Campbell concerning archetypes. As they worked together, Lucas was able to integrate many of the ideas into key characters in the Star Wars universe:
- The Mentor, or Obi Wan Kenobi. Every novice adventurer can only begin the journey when they accept the leadership and guidance of a mentor.
- Luke could be described as carrying the weight of many archetypes, including the explorer, hero, everyman and innocent. What’s most important is his connection with the ‘Hero’s Journey’ as described by Campbell. This is a compelling story arc that applies to many lead protagonists over the centuries, including King Arthur, Odysseus, Aeneas, Dante and so on.
- Leia
- Villain, as seen with Darth Vader and later, Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious). Also, seen as the brooding and emotionally void father.
- Guardians, aka the ‘Stormtroopers’, the thinly disguised modern images of Nazi troopers in various forms. Even the ranks of Imperial forces reek of the SS. Not really good at their jobs though, given how poorly they shoot.
- Messenger, or R2D2. A piece of recent trivia that was confirmed for me recently (I had my suspicions for a very long time) is that R2D2 is the central voice through the entire series, although I don’t know why it didn’t warn Luke about his father.
- Jester, aka C3PO, who is also a messenger of sorts (translator).
- The trigger-happy Outlaw, aka Han Solo. Even the name says it all, right? The first of a long line of libertarians.
Last but not least, there’s Chewbacca, the Wookie which I frequently refer to as ‘Han’s Best Friend’ (get it? Man’s Best Friend?). If you watch the prequel series closely, you’ll see that it’s the Wookies (including Chewbacca) that save Yoda (another mentor) at the end of Episode III. If they didn’t, who would have trained Luke and brought him through to his full potential?
Getting to Know the Real Heroes
For me, one of them is John Bucher, who continues to inform us about the life and legend Joseph Campbell. He’s now the Executive Director with the Joseph Campbell Foundation and does a great job of expanding on the legacy of Campbell and other mythologists, anthropologists and archeologists who strive to retain the human story.
The other real heroes: those who keep our society on its feet. The people that punch in and show up to jobs that keep all of us safe. The folks that stand up to bullies and perverts that are at the top levels of government. The unique souls that continue to see the light when everyone else is floundering and confused in the dark.
These are strange days and it’s important to appreciate the heroic and mythic moments that happen every day around us.