May the Force be with me

There’s a lot of hype about the new Star Wars movie. Despite that, I actually feel like I want to see it.

It’s strange, because I didn’t see either of the last two movies, mostly because of my complete lack of desire to do so. I was definitely a fan of the original trilogy, though, at least when I was younger. I was 12 when the first film came out, and I remember the lines wrapped around the theater and down the block, which was something I’d never seen before. Or since, at least to that extent. I went to see it 3 times, which was the only time I’d ever seen a movie more than once on the big screen (that record, such as it was, was eclipsed the following year by Grease, which I saw 4 times). I had a poster on my wall, a t-shirt that I wore with pride, and a bit of a crush on Princess Leia. Also, I wanted Chewbacca to be my best friend. Sure, that’s all pretty mild compared to some kids that I knew, and certainly compared to the fan culture that’s since emerged, but I’ve never been much for watching things 5000 times, or collecting lots of stuff, or (heaven help me) role-playing. I loved the movie, is all I’m saying.

I also loved The Empire Strikes Back, and I agree with the critical consensus that it’s the best one. (And the crowd's reaction to "I am your father!" was the strongest I've ever heard in a theater.) By the time of Return of the Jedi my ardor was waning, and as with many others, the cloying cuteness of the Ewoks and hokeyness of the ending put the final nail in the coffin for me.

When the original was re-released in theaters in 1997, I went to see it (I hadn’t seen it since 20 years earlier) and I was baffled by the fact that I actually found it sort of boring. Had I changed that much in 20 years? Had I simply gained insight, or had I lost the capacity--seemingly infinite in childhood--to become immersed in a fantasy world? A bit of both, I think, but sadly more the latter.

So now I’m equally baffled by my desire to see Revenge of the Sith, especially since I missed the first two parts of the story, which I still do not plan to watch. I think it’s partly because I was there at the beginning, and now I want to be there at the end. There’s always something satisfying in completion. There’s also the sense--because Star Wars has become so embedded in our culture and its characters so iconic--of participating in some great social ritual. (There was a post on Albuquerque Craig’s List from some guy who was trying to get people to come to the midnight showings on opening day, saying he wanted to make it “the best line party ever”, and for a moment or two I actually considered it. I think it was mostly the fact that his unabashed delight in his own Stars Wars nerdiness was so endearing.) Darth Vader in particular has become a cultural icon (wasn’t he voted the greatest movie villain of all time or something?), so it’s almost like there’s this need to understand his genesis that’s arising from the collective unconscious or something. In any event, I guess I’m going to see the movie.

Plus, Chewbacca’s in it! And I still sort of want him to be my best friend.