Cinephiles across the globe celebrate 4 May as Star Wars Day. The film franchise, which has emerged as a phenomenon since its inception in 1977, continues to be a study of cinematic brilliance. George Lucas created his pastiche saga where his cinematic universe comes alive, a “long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away.” Lucas’ work continues to demand a prominent space in contemporary pop culture despite changing times and generations. His expansive work of art has probed countless studies, theories, and dissections over its thematic relevance, aesthetics, and contribution to filmmaking.

Star Wars: A study in pastiche  

George Lucas did not shy away from pushing the boundaries of creativity and exploring the liberty offered by the fantastical. In a world of make-belief, everything is possible and palatable. Star Wars is not a pop phenomenon in isolation, it is a pastiche project which proudly references and fuses several artistic creations and schools of thought. Literary influences of Joseph Campbell, Flash Gordon, and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings are palpable in the franchise. Apart from being a melting pot of references, the film franchise also blends different genres and religious beliefs.

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Lucas’ Star Wars cannot be contextualised within the domains and subtexts of a single genre. It has traces of mythological epics and Greco-Roman lore of gods and war heroes in its characterisations, like that of Luke Skywalker, and its setting of a “long time ago.” The project also heavily hinges on Westerns with its salons and gun fights, elevated by Han Solo’s persona and fashionable cowboy hat. With its fairytale-like elements of saving the trapped heroine, the saga picks up from multiple genres while also defying their tropes. For example, Leia Organa is no damsel in distress; she is a rebel leader. More evidently, the franchise draws heavily from sci-fi and fantasy genres, curating a pulpy space opera.

Of East and West: Religion and the ‘force’

Taking the pastiche further are the religious sentiments and the concept of the ‘force.’ Apart from just Western beliefs, the universe of Lucas also brings together several Eastern religious beliefs and schools of thought. Star Wars finds inspiration in Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Pantheism, Gnosticism, and others.

Several scholars have argued that the Jedi Order finds notable inspiration in the real history of the Knights Templar of the early 12th century. Research reveals that French knight Hugh de Payne created the Order in 1119, consisting of knights from all over Europe. These knights primarily patrolled the roads and protected pilgrims in the new Christian states in the Holy Land. In the first film, Obi-Wan Kenobi described the Jedi Order, which worked independently, “For over a thousand generations, the Jedi knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.” The following titles revealed how the Jedi Order also bore a resemblance to a monastic order.

The Knights Templar’s downfall started in the 14th century after King Philip IV of France had many of the Order’s members arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and declared them traitors. The influence of this history on the Jedi Order and the subsequent plot of Sith leader, Sheev Palpatine, who created the Empire and rekindled the dark order, needs no further dissection.

Lucas’ cinematic world is driven by the ‘Force,’ which is like an omnipresent energy that guides the world and the beings. It’s transcendent and metaphysical, which is often personified. The ‘force’ has two counterparts- the ‘good side,’ which is just referred to as the ‘force,’ and the eponymous ‘dark side.’  The concept of the ‘force’ has been studied vis-à-vis Pantheism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Several studies have compared the concept with Zen philosophy, and the concept of the ‘Chi’ (the life force) and the ‘Tao’ (the path). Moreover, the idea of striking a balance, while acknowledging the Yin-Yang philosophy, also goes against it. While there is an acceptance of the dark side, the meaning of balance for the Jedi is the triumph of the light over the dark.

The Republic breeds the Empire: Referencing history

Star Wars is inherently political. It not only references history but also expresses its dissatisfaction with the politics of the times in which it was created. Lucas’ first film came in line with the highly public Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. Talking about how the events impacted his project, Lucas said, “When I first started making A New Hope, it was during the Vietnam War, and it was during a period when Nixon was going for a third term – or trying to get the Constitution changed to go for a third term – and it got me to thinking about how democracies turn into dictatorships. Not how they’re taken over where there’s a coup or anything like that, but how the democracy turns itself over to a tyrant.” Moreover, critics also believe that the birth of the Empire in the franchise from the Galactic Republic is also a reference to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Empire.

The cinematic world of George Lucas’ Star Wars opens myriad discourses, with pastiche being only a small aspect. The iconic franchise paved the way for technological advancements in filmmaking and modern sciences. Moreover, its landscape, aesthetics, and architecture continue to baffle viewers. Apart from critical enquiry, one can safely assume that Star Wars will continue to find space in popular culture, and cinephiles will continue to say, “May the force be with you.”