From Heath via the The New Yorker, who described the Star Wars saga as:
“a morality tale in which both sides are bent on moral cleansing, and where their differences can be assuaged only by a triumphant circus of violence.”
Find me a heroic epic in the history of the world that isn’t a violent morality tale. Besides, applying the same standards of intellectual criticism to Star Wars as one would any other motion picture is somewhat like deconstructing the Brothers Grimm or Santa Claus. Trix are for kids; there are things that should not be taken so seriously, and that goes for the fanboys as well as the critics. Ding that, get a f@cking life, Skippy.
And to the startlingly elitist, effete author of that review in The New Yorker, who referred to Lucas’ work as “an art of flawless and irredeemable vulgarity,” I simply say, “well, duh.” Of course Star Wars is common and uncultivated in its sentiments. It’s the 21st Century equivalent of going to the circus: one goes to see strange, new things and feats of amazing skill, not for subtlety or nuance. Few things are as vulgar as the circus (Cirque du Soleil the notable exception), but if you can’t enjoy the circus, then you’re just a little less of a human being for it. I also take much exception to the “unredeemable” part. Star Wars gives children a far better morality play than anything else I was exposed to as a child, and this new trilogy attempts to illustrate the roots of evil: attachment, pride, greed. It gives kids a break from simplistic Western notions of good and evil and delivers a healthy dose of Eastern thought into their malleable minds. I defy you to find a better epic morality play for young people.