Matić, Ivan (2024) STAR WARS, FROM THE JUNGLES OF VIETNAM TO THE DESERTS OF IRAQ AND BEYOND. In: Film and Politics. Institute for Political Studies, Belgrade, pp. 49-64. ISBN 978-86-7419-388-4

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Abstract

When discussing the famous Star Wars franchise, em�phasis is usually placed on its spiritual, mithological, or technological elements; in this paper, we will draw at�tention to an oft neglected aspect of this modern mythos: the political. In the first part of the paper, we will deal with the basic (mostly apolitical) outline of the films: the hero’s journey and how it was meant to prepare and in�spire young teenagers for the life ahead. Having present�ed a basic overview of the structure of these films, we will delve into their political undertones by first exam�ining how the original Star Wars trilogy from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s subtly critiqued the American war in Vietnam; then, we will move onto the prequel trilogy from the late early 2000s and examine how it gradual�ly brought into the fore an artistically rebellious atti�tude toward the rise of the Bush administration and the ensuing “War on Terror”. Finally, we will examine the sequel trilogy’s milquetoast critique of capitalism and its heavy-handed push for ‘equality’.

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