Star Wars, Samurai & Monomyth: Cool Seeing the Origins of the Film BEFORE you go to the New Film...

[Gxg (G²)]

To me, the classic monomyth is a progression and maturation, so it makes sense for me to have a "forward progression" as you put it.
But we have great stories, like Macbeth, that fit a "villainous" myth pattern (I had never heard of that term before, thanks for sharing that). We also have somewhat unconventional stories like Merchant of Venice (a role which I think was excellently played by Al Pacino in that one movie adaption).

Something to consider....in the world of Star Wars where there's no deity behind the Force and the Light SIDE and Dark SIDE are both parts of the same Force that people can access, if there's no real good or evil since both sides have access to the same source of energy, then how can there truly be a monomyth? It'd be like traveling one big circle to defeat another side that's already a part of you.

For we have Grey Jedi and Dark Jedi - both of which are different than Sith.....

• Dark Jedi
  
  
• Gray Jedi

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[Hoshiyya]

I don't think Lucas did a very good job on the force. Sometimes balance between light and dark is the real good, but most of the time light is synonymous with good in his story. I prefer the balance idea and I like the grey Jedi code, maybe the Sequels are going in that direction ?

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I don't think Lucas did a very good job on the force. Sometimes balance between light and dark is the real good, but most of the time light is synonymous with good in his story. I prefer the balance idea and I like the grey Jedi code, maybe the Sequels are going in that direction ?

I think Lucas seemed to make the Light side of the Force not fully opposite of the Dark since many of the Jedi ended up using aspects of the Dark Side of the Force on several occasions and it tended to seem like things were not really clear cut.

And for other Jedi who were literally doing things that one would say are of the Dark Side and yet still good, you may wish to check out Quinlan Vos - one of the Jedi who went undercover during the Clone Wars to infiltrate Dooku's inner circle/expose the Sith and ended up having to be a Triple Agent....amazing seeing his battles and successes with being a Dark Acolyte and yet avoiding the Dark Side fully (even though he did end up murdering one of the people who was responsible for his parent's death - and after losing his memory, had a lot of battles with living near the Dark Side). As he'd often say, "I am not part of the dark—simply deeper in the shadows."

For a brief description:

....he lived during the final days of the Galactic Republic. He hailed from the planetKiffu and became a member of the Jedi Order, where he developed into a maverick Jedi who garnered a reputation for bending the rules. He was renowned for his ability to perceive the memories of other beings by touching objects that those beings had come into contact with. Vos, an expert tracker as a result of his abilities, often took missions that dealt with the criminal underworld.​

And besides that, we always have the great Mace Windu who made a form of fighting using aspects of the Dark Side...
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• Form VII​

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[Gxg (G²)]

I prefer the balance idea and I like the grey Jedi code, maybe the Sequels are going in that direction ?

The Grey Jedi Code, within a universe where darkness cannot exist without light, is very difficult to comprehend. Essentially, the Grey Jedi are the only ones who are truly consistent within that worldview since they note that both the Dark Side and the Light side have been used to do either evil acts or good acts. It's all about one's perspective..

Both the Jedi and the Sith seek to be in dominance, whereas a Grey Jedi is concerned with what's actually the most practical...

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[Gxg (G²)]

Did not know about the connection with Yoda being influenced by a Buddhist master, but it definitely makes things more interesting when seeing how many Asian religious views were brought to bear on the film

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http://instagify.com/media/1136001864036847522_1817816602

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[Gxg (G²)]

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Samurai Culture (if considering Star Wars) is very similar to

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[Gxg (G²)]

Well, Rey does mean king, so...

Thanks for all the info on the EU btw, I wasn't aware of that stuff. I read from one of your links that the Galactic Federation Triumverate ends up headed by an Empress Marasia Fel, so maybe Rey could inherit that position in JJ's canon.

If Kylo Ren ends up turning to the Light Side and having to rescue Rey back to the light, before becoming an Emperor himself (if Rey is sacrificed), that would be crazy....

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

I consider it highly unlikely that Kylo will switch sides anytime soon, nor do I see Rey turning dark after her moment of perfect serenity in the forest. Rey is our protagonist, and having her trade roles at this point would make about as much sense as establishing Voldemort as the hero and Harry Potter as the villain in "Chamber of Secrets". She'll have her dark moments, just as Kylo might journey towards redemption. But nothing on this scale.

I do consider it possible that they'll "pull a Revan", however. Some clues point to Ren knowing exactly who she is when he receives a report on Finn: "who was he with?" "A... a woman." [Flies into a rage]
Likewise, her missing backstory and force vision (including Obi Wan and Yoda calling her by name) suggest a sort of mind wipe.

 

[gord44]

They did a great job with this flick but you can see it's all about the popcorn and fun and I think the overall plot of this new trilogy will be pretty shallow. Which is fine with me.

 

[awitch]

They did a great job with this flick but you can see it's all about the popcorn and fun and I think the overall plot of this new trilogy will be pretty shallow. Which is fine with me.

I think Disney was committed to 6 more movies (the new trilogy and the three stand-alones) so they had to guarantee the first was a success. Given the response to the prequels, I think they played it safe and went back to a rehash of the first trilogy just to get the fans on board. Now that everyone is invested again, they can start to shake things up. That's my wishful thinking anyway.

But even if we get even more of the same, I probably won't complain too loudly.

 

[myownmynativeland]

Yeah the gent at the Federalist dislikes 'star wars ' I expect mostly because he is a neocon and the Episode 1, 2, 3 flicks are to some extent a mocking of the pretensions of the Bush Regime(s) and the emperor is a dead ringer for Dick Cheney. He probably doesn't like 'The Shooter', 'Jericho' or the New X-Files either.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Yeah the gent at the Federalist dislikes 'star wars ' I expect mostly because he is a neocon and the Episode 1, 2, 3 flicks are to some extent a mocking of the pretensions of the Bush Regime(s) and the emperor is a dead ringer for Dick Cheney. He probably doesn't like 'The Shooter', 'Jericho' or the New X-Files either.

Very good points

 

[Gxg (G²)]

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Did not know about the connection with Yoda being influenced by a Buddhist master, but it definitely makes things more interesting when seeing how many Asian religious views were brought to bear on the film

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Found something VERY Fascinating as it concerns the connections of Star Wars and religious history going into it.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...ure-in-14th-century-manuscript-looks-familiar​

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...ure-in-14th-century-manuscript-looks-familiar

• Yoda? Is It Thou? Figure In 14th-Century Manuscript Looks Familiar
  

A long time ago, in a place far away, a manuscript was created with an enigmatic figure who looks a great deal like a certain little — and yet powerful — green guy from the Star Wars films. It's an unlikely connection between a religious tome and science fiction.

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The similarity to Jedi Grand Master Yoda was recently highlighted by historians Damien Kempf and Maria L. Gilbert on the British Library's Medieval Manuscriptsblog. Curator Julian Harrison, who runs the blog, also mentioned the drawing when he spoke to The Guardian about his job and the new popularity of illuminated manuscripts on the Web. It's an interesting interview — but we couldn't stop wondering: What about that Yoda guy?

"The Yoda image comes from a 14th-century manuscript known as the Smithfield Decretals," Harrison said, after we reached out to the British Library.

"I'd love to say that it really was Yoda, or was drawn by a medieval time traveler," Harrison continued. "It's actually an illustration to the biblical story of Samson — the artist clearly had a vivid imagination!"

The volume is also known as "The Decretals of Gregory IX with gloss of Bernard of Parma," and it was created in southern France between 1300 and 1340. Decretals, we learned today, are collections of papal letters that compiled decisions (decrees) on church law and doctrine.

We're not suggesting that this decretal might be one of the anthropological antecedents (or to the layman, "sources") that Star Wars creator George Lucas used to enrich his stories of a galaxy far, far away. But the resemblance is striking — those ears! And after all, Yoda was supposed to be around 900 years old.​

For some good reviews:

• Star Wars and the Ancient Religion - Ligonier Ministries
• 'Feeling The Force' - Star Wars and Spiritual Truth ...

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[MehGuy]

They did a great job with this flick but you can see it's all about the popcorn and fun and I think the overall plot of this new trilogy will be pretty shallow. Which is fine with me.

I just finished watching the Force Awakens and I thought it was a pretty underwhelming film. No kidding the film is a rehash of Star Wars: A New Hope. It was magical the first time, not so much the second. I am not sure why everyone is congratulating J.J. Abrams with hitting a soft ball pitch. The film deserves less than a 92% on rotten tomatoes.

The only good thing I can say about the film is that it doesn't seem to be the tumblr feminist propaganda that I've seen many others complain about. Sure Rey is a little over powered and maybe a little Mary sue-ey.. but it's not like the Star Wars franchise hasn't done this with male characters.

The cliff hanger was pretty good too. And I really do hope Luke is Rey's father and he has a more prominent role in the second film. Son and daughter side by side. But next time do something new.. lol.

 

[awitch]

I just finished watching the Force Awakens and I thought it was a pretty underwhelming film. No kidding the film is a rehash of Star Wars: A New Hope. It was magical the first time, not so much the second. I am not sure why everyone is congratulating J.J. Abrams with hitting a soft ball pitch. The film deserves less than a 92% on rotten tomatoes.

The only good thing I can say about the film is that it doesn't seem to be the tumblr feminist propaganda that I've seen many others complain about. Sure Rey is a little over powered and maybe a little Mary sue-ey.. but it's not like the Star Wars franchise hasn't done this with male characters.

The cliff hanger was pretty good too. And I really do hope Luke is Rey's father and he has a more prominent role in the second film. Son and daughter side by side. But next time do something new.. lol.

It was more like a reboot of the original trilogy, but I think it was meant to get the fan base back on board after the prequels. I hope they do some new stuff in the next one, too, but I think it's mostly confirmed that Rey's father is an un-introduced character.

I thought she was over powered as well, and I predict she will turn to the dark side at one point.

I'm more excited about Jyn Orso at the moment in Rogue One

 

[MehGuy]

It was more like a reboot of the original trilogy, but I think it was meant to get the fan base back on board after the prequels. I hope they do some new stuff in the next one, too, but I think it's mostly confirmed that Rey's father is an un-introduced character.

I thought she was over powered as well, and I predict she will turn to the dark side at one point.

I'm more excited about Jyn Orso at the moment in Rogue One

Which I see no reason for. Get the fan base back with original content.

At least Han Solo died, lol.

And if they were going to take anything from the first film they should have taken the slower pace. Hard to be immersed in the atmosphere when everything is moving too quickly.

It would be interesting if they made the film a hard R.

Don't give me the film to redirect because I would have made it bloodier and more raunchy, lol.

 

[awitch]

Which I see no reason for. Get the fan base back with original content.

At least Han Solo died, lol.

And if they were going to take anything from the first film they should have taken the slower pace. Hard to be immersed in the atmosphere when everything is moving too quickly.

It would be interesting if they made the film a hard R.

Don't give me the film to redirect because I would have made it bloodier and more raunchy, lol.

No way they could go R with so many kids wanting to see it. They'd only make half a billion dollars

Based on the trailer, Rogue One looks more like a darker, serious war movie rather than the fun space opera adventure.

Sounds like you're looking for more of the Dead Pool version

 

[MehGuy]

No way they could go R with so many kids wanting to see it. They'd only make half a billion dollars

Based on the trailer, Rogue One looks more like a darker, serious war movie rather than the fun space opera adventure.

Sounds like you're looking for more of the Dead Pool version

Lol, well I want to at least see Luke's butt in the next film.

Never seen the trailer for Rogue One until now, but this movie looks like it will be much better than The Force Awakens.

I will have to say the Force Awakens has some beautiful cinematic shots. Nice to see state of the art special effects from 2015, and compare them to state of the art special effects from 1977.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

No way they could go R with so many kids wanting to see it. They'd only make half a billion dollars

Based on the trailer, Rogue One looks more like a darker, serious war movie rather than the fun space opera adventure.

Sounds like you're looking for more of the Dead Pool version

Good point...

 

[Gxg (G²)]

No way they could go R with so many kids wanting to see it. They'd only make half a billion dollars

Based on the trailer, Rogue One looks more like a darker, serious war movie rather than the fun space opera adventure.

Sounds like you're looking for more of the Dead Pool version

Apparently. we'll again see Darth Vader..

Darth Vader will appear in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
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Not really respecting how much focus goes to his character of late.....is there anything new?