Along time ago in a galaxy far, far away… The words itself are enough to take us to a distant world, far, far away. On planet Earth in the Milky Way galaxy, these words have made a generation of cinema lovers wonder and dream about all the marvellous mysteries of the universe. The words are the now legendary opening shot of the movies of George Lucas’s space opera franchise Star Wars . After a decade, the world will experience it yet again on December 18 with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens , the seventh movie in the epic saga. For those not in the know, ‘Force’ is a mystical energy field created by all living beings that binds the movie galaxy together.
There are numerous fans in Kerala too, for whom The Force Awakens has been the most awaited film for some time now. Merryn John and her husband, Kishore Mohan, from the city, are two such fans. Graphic designer Merryn believes that it is the familiar tale of a ‘chosen one,’ destined to save the universe, which makes the series work for the larger audience. “Lucas was genius enough to expand a universe with a story that resonates with a wide population,” she says. While Kishore, an animation artist, thinks it is the endless possibilities of the immensely diverse universe of the saga that pulls the audience in.
The first six Star Wars movies portray the story of Anakin Skywalker a.k.a. Darth Vader in the backdrop of the rise and fall of the tyrannous Galactic Empire. Darth Vader is considered to be one of the greatest movie as well as comic book villains. He is, arguably, the most revered character in the Star Wars universe and has become a cult icon like the franchise itself. “Vader is a conflicted character. He isn’t just black or white, but someone having many nuanced shades of grey,” says Merryn.
Comic book artist Roshan Kurichiyanil says that it was the character transformation of Anakin that initially hooked him to the Star Wars .
“I had never experienced a story taking such a turn ever before. Then, later I learned about the effort put into the making of the first movies and that made me a hardcore fan. I also became a huge fan of Ralph McQuarrie, the conceptual designer and illustrator who designed some of the main sets and several lead characters such as Darth Vader and Chewbacca,” he adds.
The first movie Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope set a golden standard for big-budget special effect movies with several remarkable improvisations. The John Dykstra-led effects team revolutionised the technique of motion controlled photography to create an effective illusion of size using miniatures. A sophisticated camera system was developed for this purpose called Dykstraflex, named after the chief developer.
Actor Ahmed Sidhique says that he was taken aback by the special effects when he first saw the series eight years ago. “The first three movies are older than me, but the special effects looked pretty good and never felt tacky at all. Even if we are watching these movies after seeing some of the recent special effects movies, Star Wars will hold on it’s own. That’s the magic I feel,” says Ahmed.
In every way Star Wars was a trailblazer for heavy special effects based movies. If it was the ingenious works of effects technicians that brought a whole new universe to life, then it was the epic, enchanting score of John Williams that put tons of emotion into it. Kishore believes that Star Wars is among the greatest works of the legendary composer.
He says, “If people like me are humming the tunes while driving on the streets, I got to say that Williams did a brilliant job. My callertune on Merryn’s phone is Darth Vader’s theme ‘Imperial March.’”
It has been 10 years since the last Star Wars movie. But that is not the only reason why fans of The Force Awakens are looking forward to it. The movie is a sequel to the original trilogy that came out between 1977 and 1983. That means the much-loved old lead trio of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are back in the fray!
After 38 years and six movies, the ‘Force’ is stronger than ever among the fans. Star Wars has become a cult that boasts a huge emotional attachment to millions around the world.
The story of Daniel Fleetwood from Texas puts this beyond all doubt. After his doctors informed him there wasn’t much time left for him to live, cancer patient Daniel’s dying wish was to watch The Force Awakens . In late October his wife, Ashely, and thousands of fans got to work, using petitions, videos and other social media tools, to catch the attention of Disney Studios and director J.J. Abrams. It worked and Daniel got his dying wish granted. He watched the movie on November 5 and passed away a week later.
May the Force be with you.
