A New Hope: Not a New Story

Fantasy has been the topic of movies and books for years. The world of make believe is what allows us to imagine great and wonderful things. From the time we are small children, we are filled with fantastic ideas of dragons and unicorn and all sorts of mystical and magical creatures. This began the creative process of imagination and the ability to dream of different places and different things. We bring this knowledge and enjoyment of the unknown into our adult lives. As adults we still love the idea of the unknown and the possibility that it could exist one day. That is what makes us so enthralled with sci-fi movies. The biggest blockbusters are often movies with an element of fantasy. However, in STAR WARS, A New Hope, I do not believe that it is the fantastic places, people and things that draw us in. It is the underlying ideas of hope, faith, family, romance, adventure, and a search for our true self that rings true to our minds. We see Luke Skywalker hoping for the opportunity to seek adventures far beyond his Tatooine, desert prison. All humans wish for more in their life. They wish to move onto bigger and better things. Obi-Wan Kenobi poses a quandary for Luke. Luke is torn between his obligation to his family and his want for more with the addition of the information that he comes from a great Jedi warrior. We have all had to make choices between what we want and our obligations to others. George Lucas thrills us with the possibility that all living beings no matter how mundane their existence all have the same basic tenants that they must adhere to. By showing us that the protagonists’ find success in an outer space setting allows us to dare to believe that we could one day fly our own X-Wing Fighter.