Campbell and Star Wars

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Joseph Campbell my foot, says writer Stephen Hart. Apparently Star Wars traces its origins to early 20th Century pop science fiction, and not from Campbell’s dubious “cookie cutter” mythology.

In any case, Campbellian or otherwise, Anakin and Amidala can go and have their sci-fi teenage romance flick. I have absolutely no intention of paying money to see Episode 2. I made that mistake with Episode 1, and I’m not making it again. Nuh-uh. Forget it.

Comments

  1. Eileen says:
    2002-04-11 at 00:04

    Hahaha. =) I also read that salon.com article and I thought Hart was hilarious. =)

    I share your sentiments about the Star Wars franchise, which a bona fide member of what I call the “Franchise Group,” which include Batman, Disney, etc. Let’s hope LOTR will never be a member.

    I tried to study Joseph Campbell’s concept of mythology — “tried” being the operative word — for my thesis. Boy, was I ever sorry I even thought of that idea. At the risk of sounding arrogant, Campbell’s concept of “comparative mythology” sounded like the prototext for all the New Age-y books that have come out in the market today, you know, those with titles such as “Unlock the Goddess in You!” or “You Can be the Hero Who Saves Your Own Life!”

    Sounds a lot of hokum to me –and not mythology! =)

  2. Mark says:
    2002-04-11 at 05:07

    Ey Pau! Word is Episode 2 is the ‘best ever Star Wars movie ever made’ or so some critic claimed. I’ve seen the trailer and I’m not holding my breath. The Ani and Obi Wan dynamics felt like *shudder* a buddy cop tandem. The fight scene look cool though so I might watch it to ogle at the cg effects. Padalhan na lang kita ng vcd galing greenhills hehe. :)

    (BTW, look out for William Shatner in Showtime. He stole the scenes from Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. He was hilarious. )