Ok, to look at Star Wars (both the original three movies and the prequel trilogy) we have to ask ourselves two distinct questions: Why and How? Both question revel rather interesting answers, depending on who exactly you ask.
As mentioned before, the original movies were like a medieval movie gone hi-tech. Not to quote the OP, but he made the point. It was exactly that. Now we ask why? Why was it done that way? Because its a space movie. Love, heroism, victory, defeat... its all there. Its a very classic good/bad movie. You can't demean or dissuade the fact that they are masterpieces. The how... well... not very hi-tech devices and technology provided the next step. There is nothing from that time frame that even remotely compares. And to talk of Ewok parties or the relevant changes in character... leave that to archetypes (http://www.youth.gc.ca/yoaux.jsp?lang=en&auxpageid=1104&flash=0/).
Now we come to the prequels. Do I find it as a caste system? No. I find it a very feudal system. Kings, peasants, a galactic council. Its all very Arthurian in role. I do not see the Jedi as a type of master class, but rather the effect of a very hardcore role of seeking out potentials, weeding out the weak and training the strong. Jedi served as guardians, as mediators, and near the end, as denizens of control. The prequel trilogy was another very space drama movie. The why answers everything. Lucas made the movies the way he wanted to, because of the demand of answers. We may not agree with him. And thats the how. He did it the way he visioned. There are hundreds of writers who write stories, all of which are licensed by Lucas, about the Star Wars world after ROTJ. So Lucas wrote and directed the prequels as he saw fit. Don't agree with him? It doesn't matter, because its his story.
Compare and contrast. 456 vs 123. No comparison. Only because they are different stories for different people. Who cares about the visual masturbation, the introduction of midiclorians, the illicit use of JarJar to make people laugh or vomit, or Ewoks dancing in the night. Arguing over it reminds me of Dante and Randall arguing over the better ending - Empire or Jedi. Its all up to who is talking.
Slashdot Mirror
As mentioned before, the original movies were like a medieval movie gone hi-tech. Not to quote the OP, but he made the point. It was exactly that. Now we ask why? Why was it done that way? Because its a space movie. Love, heroism, victory, defeat... its all there. Its a very classic good/bad movie. You can't demean or dissuade the fact that they are masterpieces. The how... well... not very hi-tech devices and technology provided the next step. There is nothing from that time frame that even remotely compares. And to talk of Ewok parties or the relevant changes in character... leave that to archetypes (http://www.youth.gc.ca/yoaux.jsp?lang=en&auxpageid=1104&flash=0/).
Now we come to the prequels. Do I find it as a caste system? No. I find it a very feudal system. Kings, peasants, a galactic council. Its all very Arthurian in role. I do not see the Jedi as a type of master class, but rather the effect of a very hardcore role of seeking out potentials, weeding out the weak and training the strong. Jedi served as guardians, as mediators, and near the end, as denizens of control. The prequel trilogy was another very space drama movie. The why answers everything. Lucas made the movies the way he wanted to, because of the demand of answers. We may not agree with him. And thats the how. He did it the way he visioned. There are hundreds of writers who write stories, all of which are licensed by Lucas, about the Star Wars world after ROTJ. So Lucas wrote and directed the prequels as he saw fit. Don't agree with him? It doesn't matter, because its his story.
Compare and contrast. 456 vs 123. No comparison. Only because they are different stories for different people. Who cares about the visual masturbation, the introduction of midiclorians, the illicit use of JarJar to make people laugh or vomit, or Ewoks dancing in the night. Arguing over it reminds me of Dante and Randall arguing over the better ending - Empire or Jedi. Its all up to who is talking.
Fiend on.