2) It Teaches Us From An Early Age That *Anyone* Can Become “Evil”
Star Wars is one of those rare children’s movie franchises that deals with morality and the dynamic between good/evil, in a mature, intelligent and meaningful way. It sits nicely alongside The Lord of The Rings and the Harry Potter series by virtue of its strength in exploring deep, complex themes of what makes a person “evil”, and does so – arguably – in the most meticulous and sophisticated way in Hollywood’s filmic universe.
What really elevates the Star Wars series beyond its cinematic brethren is its intelligent fusion of a variety of religious philosophical concepts. They’re spiritual movies; ones that merges many theological essences from a mixture of the Christian faith, Buddhism, Native American Navajo beliefs and early Chinese Taoism. At their heart, they’re about living in peaceful harmony with one another, but they’re also unafraid to pose those bigger questions, too: Can a devoutly “good” person become truly evil? Can an “evil” person redeem themselves and become good? For movies about flashing lightsabers, sassy droids and super annoying Gungans (you know the one), the series delves surprisingly deeply into the ying and yang of good and bad, while attempting to subvert viewer expectations in smart, clever ways.
Even though there are characters within the movies that are full on “evil,” Star Wars does try its darnedest to explore the blurred and ambiguous lines normal, everyday people often tread within life’s good/bad spectrum; sometimes real-life ethical conundrums are more than just black and white good/bad choices.
Published: Aug 11, 2017 10:06 am