Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Screenwriter: George Lucas
Director: George Lucas
One of the greatest and most loved films ever made.
George Lucas openly acknowledges that his writing of the story was greatly influenced by Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. This acknowledgement along with the success of Star Wars are two of the primary factors in the success of Joseph Campbell's oeuvre and legacy.
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3 Act Structure:
Act 1 : Ordinary World = Tatooine
Act 2 a) : / Road to = Alderaan, aboard the Millennium Falcon
New World =
Act 2 b) : \ Caves/Castle = Aboard Deathstar
Act 3 : Battle = Battle of Yavin (TIE fighters vs X-Wings vs Deathstar Trench)
Plot Points:
Act 1 : Tatooine
PLOT POINT 1: They escape Tatooine (with Chewy and Han)
Act 2 a) : Millennium Falcon
MID POINT: They nearly die in the Trash Compactor
Act 2 b) : Aboard the Deathstar
PLOT POINT 2: They escape the Deathstar (with Leia)
Act 3 : The Battle of Yavin
Mythologically Speaking:
ACT 1: DEPARTURE, SEPARATION
DEPARTURE
[BETTER DAYS]: The glory days of the Republic are referred to through the original SW trilogy and a another whole trilogy of prequels was made to cover the Fall From Grace.
OPENING IMAGE: The Main theme trumpets as the now famous blurb scrawls across the screen and into oblivion over a background of stars. A Corellian Corvette blasts into view being hotly pursued by a Star Destroyer Immersing us in the world of Stars, Wars and the good Rebels vs the evil Empire.
INCITING INCIDENT: Princess Leia sends out a distress signal in the form of a recorded holographic video message carried by R2D2 whom is accompanied by C3PO and jettisoned from the captured Corvette towards Tatooine.
ORDINARY WORLD/ORDINARY SELF: Enter Luke Skywalker, a restless, Manboy, Orphan, farmer who lives on Tatooine with his uncle Owen and aunt Beru on their water farm, a tough place where the hero in waiting is loved and safe. He longs to venture into space and join the life of excitement his existing and loyal friend Biggs has already found but is too repressed as well as being underestimated (fool triumphant) by his uncle.
UNREST/SOMETHINGS GOTTA GIVE (STASIS EQUALS DEATH): Luke argues with Uncle Owen about being trapped for another harvest - this causes a cosmic butterfly effect which sends R2 out to find Ben.
Luke finds the droids but is knocked out and almost killed by the sand people.
MEETING THE MENTOR (SUPERNATURAL AID): Ben is a Jedi (basically A Wizard). He gives Luke a GIFT: his father's old Lightsabre (A Sword).
CALL TO ARMS (CALL TO ADVENTURE/CATALYST): Ben: "You must learn the ways of the Force, if you're to come with me to Alderaan"
REFUSAL OF CALL (DEBATE): Luke: "
EARLY DEATH: They arrive home to find Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru murdered by the precise blasts of Stormtroopers.
ACCEPTANCE: "I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father"
THRESHOLD CROSSING (CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD): They look down upon Mos Eisley from the lookout above where Ben warns: "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
ENTERING THE NEW WORLD: They are stopped by Stormtroopers, Gatekeepers, who are looking for their droids. Ben uses his magic to get past them with the Jedi Mind Trick.
BELLY OF THE WHALE INN: Mos Eisley Cantina. Where Luke, now a Fish out of Water, encounters Dangerous Locals a couple of whom take a particular disliking to him. Meanwhile Ben joins forces with Han, a Shapeshifter and Chewbacca his existing and loyal friend.
SEPARATION
TORN APART: The droids are told to wait outside and must lock themselves in and hide so as not to get caught.
Luke sells his speeder as he'll never be coming back.
ACT 2: DESCENT, INITIATION, PENETRATION
(Tests, Allies and Enemies / FUN and Games)
DESCENT = ascent from Tatooine.
ROAD TRIP (ROAD OF TRIALS): Escaping from the empire
1. Han must overcome Greedo, who shot first.
2. The stormtroopers find them boarding the ship and open fire
3. The Millennium Falcon escapes a couple of Star Destroyers.
B-STORY: Leia begs Tarkin to spare Alderaan and gives the location of the hidden rebel base - Dantooine. He blows up Alderaan anyway.
INITIATION (ALLIES)
Hyperspace:
MEETING THE NEXT MENTOR (SUPERNATURAL AID II): Obiwan (previously Ben) feels the disturbance in the force of Alderaan being blown up.
MAKING NEW FRIENDS (MEETING ALLIES II): Artoo & Threepio and Han & Chewy play the role of two Pair of Jesters (the 'let the wookie win' sequence). Han & Chewy also play the role of Shapeshifters, Han being skeptical of the Force.
SCHOOL TIME: Luke continues to practice as Obiwan gives him guidance on feeling the Force.
TESTS
ENCOUNTER WITH THE GATE KEEPER/S (APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE):
1. "A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own".
2. "That's no moon."
3. They get caught in the Tractor Beams.
PENETRATION (ENEMIES)
RAISE THE STAKES: B-STORY: Tarkin finds out that the rebel base is no longer on Dantooine and orders Leia's immediate termination.
THE POINT OF NO RETURN: They are caught in the Tractor Beams and cannot reverse/escape.
STORMING THE CASTLE/ENTER THE CAVES: They land on the Death Star, a space station the size of a moon (the Sci-Fi equivalent of a castle). The prison cells are similar to a series of caves, especially the trash compactor.
Here they encounter a series of trials:
1. Not getting caught on board. They over come this by hiding.
2. Finding Leia
3. Getting past the detention cell guards.
ORACLE: guided by Artoo's hacking, Ben finds the tractor Beam and Han/Chewy/Luke find Leia
SEIZING THE (OUTER) SWORD:
a) Luke rescues the Princess
b) Ben decommissions the tractor beam
MAGICAL MOMENT: 'Punished', for taking something that doesn't belong to him (for seizing the sword) Luke and co are 'sent' to the deepest, darkest dungeon (inmost cave), the trash compactor, where 'magically' the walls start closing in. Luke is taken by the one-eye monster, a cave troll archetype and almost dies. They are 'magically' rescued by Artoo and Threepio.
ORDEAL (ALL IS LOST)
DRAGON BATTLE: Darth Vader finds Obiwan and they engage in a lightsabre (flame sword) duel.
DEATH/NEAR DEATH: Obiwan sacrifices himself.
REWARD
ATONEMENT WITH FATHER: Luke is given a brief moment to lament Obiwan as;
REBIRTH: They emerge from the Deathstar and Luke is 'reborn' as a fighter pilot (just like he always wanted) after having 'died' in the trash compactor, as TIE fighters engage them. He even hits one.
WOMAN AS TEMPTRESS: The escape is a rouse, a tracking device has been hidden aboard. Han doesn't want to believe it but Leia (the woman) knows.
Leia reveals what Artoo is carrying that is so damned important, the plans to the Deathstar. [ironically he was just on the Deathstar and plugged in and so had access to them all over again - so all the Bothans died needlessly].
Luke and Han talk about Leia as a prospective romantic interest.
MEETING WITH THE GODDESS: Mon Mothma (an angelic woman) [a senator of the former Republic and later in the canon first chief of state of the refounded Republic] briefs them on the history and importance of Artoo's data.
APOTHEOSIS: General Dadonna reveals the weakness in the Deathstar.
GAINING THE ELIXIR (MAGIC POTION): Luke is given a 'GIFT': an X-Wing to pilot (just like he always wanted).
ACT 3: RETURN
REFUSAL OF RETURN: Han, the Shapeshifter rejects the call to fight the Deathstar, choosing to take the reward money and run, despite the best efforts of the goddess Mon Mothma, temptress Leia and Hero Luke.
MAGIC CARPET RIDE (Magic Flight): Biggs, an existing and loyal friend of Luke's and the spirit of Obiwan wish Luke all the best for the battle.
Red Squadron deploy.
NO MANS LAND: They all check in and are standing by.
CROSSING THE (RETURN) THRESHOLD: They cross through the magnetic field.
RETURN: Luke says 'he's going in', he is officially back at the Deathstar.
The tower lasers act as gatekeepers.
FINAL CONFLICT: The Rebels take on the Deathstar in the Battle of Yavin.
DEATH: Biggs (among many others) dies.
MAN-A-MANO: Vader comes to take on Luke "ship-to-ship". He senses that the Force is strong with him.
SEIZING THE BOON (INNER SWORD): Luke turns of his targeting computer and goes with the Force within himself.
RESCUE FROM WITHIN: HAN doubles back and rescues Luke by shooting the TIE fighters on his back and knocking Vader out into oblivion.
MASTER OF THE TWO WORLDS: Luke uses his wamprat hunting skill from Tatooine to destroy the Deathstar. "just like Beggar's Canyon back home"
· (HAPPY) ENDING (Freedom to live): They rejoice and are given medals at a ceremony.
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LINKS:
check out my review of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope here:
Deconstruction by A.B. McBlogsmith the Backwards Cap Film Reviewer
(c) Film Deconstructions 2011
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