Ten years ago this month, in May of 1999, came the much-anticipated release of The Phantom Menace, Episode 1 of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Some of the more fanatical fans of George Lucas' visionary franchise were determined to be first in line at theaters around the country-or at least among the first hundred in line. Many of them camped outside of cinemas for weeks, huddling in tents against the elements until the doors swung open on that first night.
Filmmaker Tariq Jalil wandered up and down the lines outside of theaters, and ducked into Star Wars conventions and comic book collector stores, filming, interviewing, "exploring my generation's obsession with Star Wars." He released the results of his exploration as a documentary called A Galaxy Far Far Away. The "10th Anniversary Special Edition," with deleted scenes and bonus material, is out now on DVD.
Whether in costume or in mufti, the Star Wars fanatics-a class separate from those of us who merely found the films enjoyable or even mildly thoughtful or inspirational-were a motley crew indeed. Along with the irrationally exuberant throngs of geeks, Jalil discovered a belligerent minority who must have embraced the dark side somewhere down the line. "It was pretty clear that some of these people weren't dealing with a full deck," Jalil offers. And yet, others had reasons for their devotion that were touching-children of bad homes who understood the dynamic between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, even a dwarf who admired Yoda because he never judged anyone on their appearance or size.
Some of the most thoughtful comments came from veteran director Roger Corman, who said that many fans were drawn to Star Wars because it allowed them "to participate in a myth." Others pointed out that the Star Wars saga followed the classic hero's quest by readdressing themes that began in ancient sacred texts and continued through literature and myth across time and space. After the moral quandary of Vietnam, the counterculture and Watergate, Star Wars said that individuals can make choices between good and evil, freedom and oppression. It lionized the good.
With considerably greater craft than most of his sci-fi predecessors, Lucas transposed archetypal heroes and villains into galactic space, refashioning ancient myths for an age of science. But several commentators in A GalaxyFar Far Away worried that extreme fandom became an escape into a secondary or half-existence, far far removed from the actual experience of life. One Generation Xer interviewed for the film pointed out the obvious: The enormous expenditure of time spent waiting in line week after week for a movie could have been invested in building a better world.
As for The Phantom Menace itself, only the most zealous partisans left the theater entirely satisfied. Even most people who liked the movie (and were able to overlook the much-maligned Jar Jar Binks) were unmoved in comparison to their response to the original Star Wars trilogy. Although the cash flow was mighty, The PhantomMenace launched a cycle that eroded much of Lucas' luster. He might have been better off had he left fond memories of Star Wars alone.
