By the time that you get to ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and see the backdrop that is used for Anakin’s near demise before his rebirth as Darth Vader you can see an obvious depiction of a fiery hell. It is more like something created by Dante, than what you would expect to see in a batman or science fiction movie. If you think back to some of the scenes and characters in the series of six films then it will not be very long before you come across some sort of religious symbolism or reference. There have even been many people who, whilst filling out questionnaires, have named their religion as being ‘Jedi’. Perhaps this is taking things a bit too far but it is a very good example of how deeply Star Wars has touched some people.

The effect that the movies have had on the film industry should not be underestimated. The original ‘Star Wars’ made a good deal of its rival movies look laughable on its release. The special effects really were cutting-edge and many other films of that period just could not compete. The science fiction film world needed to catch up very quickly and it knew it.

When the first three films in the sequence are watched today they still sit quite comfortably alongside their contemporaries. They are not dated and are still highly enjoyable for all ages. Now they are being enjoyed by a new and younger generation. That this is possible is a true testimony of their quality and depth.

The impact that ‘Star Wars’ had on its release was far-reaching and not just restricted to the world of film. It has affected many things over the last thirty-two years since its first appearance in cinemas. Not only is just about everyone on earth familiar with such characters as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, C3PO and Obi-Wan Kenobi but a huge amount of the population could give you actual facts and figures to do with the characters.

With the release of the original Star Wars film we were witness to a sort of mass hysteria. All of a sudden it was everywhere that you went. It was the first chain of movies to create a gigantic franchise in its wake. The excitement over this ground-breaking film was not just restricted to children; many adults were also caught up in it all as well. The film seemed to hit upon a nerve in many people. Essentially it is a fairy-tale set in space but it contains many other elements within it as well. Romance and adventure are present as you would expect them to be but there is more to it than just that.

There are very clear distinctions between good and evil, light and dark. It is full of religious references and influences. ‘The Force’ in itself is something that is clearly of a spiritual nature. The teachings of Yoda, a Jedi Master, in the later Star Wars films are obviously very Buddhist in their style and content.

Nowadays the genre has been encapsulated within the general
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In 1977 when George Lucas released ‘Star Wars’ a type of mass star wars costumes hysteria overcame the general public. His film was expected to do well but not to the degree that it did. Everywhere that you looked or went it was all around you. The movie captured the imaginations of both children and adults alike. It was a unique and magical time in the history of cinema.

Prior to ‘Star Wars’ there had been some very good science fiction films but none of them had contained the same ‘specialness’. It was a film that could be enjoyed over and over again by anyone and everyone. Even people who had previously avoided the realms of science fiction movies found it hard to resist its charms. The results of a poll conducted in the United States showed that not only had virtually every American seen the film but that many had sat through it for five or six times.

Whilst ‘Star Wars’ helped to launch the career of actors such as Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford it also included old favourites Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness. At the time, the movie pushed the boundaries of special effects to new heights. In the successive films these limits were raised still higher.

‘Star Wars’ hit on a nerve in society. It managed to contain so many things which were universally appealing to cinemagoers. There was romance, adventure, an array of strange creatures and some very memorable (if not immortal) characters. You would be hard pushed to find anyone, from grandparent to child, who had not heard of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia