VarsityPuppet 1,085 Posted January 13, 2017 So, I joined a Facebook Group for Star Wars fans which mostly posts pretty funny Star Wars memes, shows off lightsabers and we discuss ridiculous unsubstantiated theories like Snoke is Krennic, Snoke is Mace Windu, etc.. But discussion started around this particular image that was posted: Nothing particularly wrong about that. However, the point came up that there is a case to be made that film titles could possibly refer to multiple things in the movie. Almost like a... GASP a THEME Example 1: The Phantom Menace can refer to the Sith, who are quite literally a threat that lurk in the shadows, waiting to strike. But also, a point could be made that Anakin Skywalker is the Phantom Menace - a threat that is sensed but unseen, and an important point in his story is that he turns into Darth Vader, who is quite literally a menace. Example 2: Return of the Jedi, makes sense as a reference to Darth Vader, who in his act to save his son, returns back to the light side, thus denoting the Return of the Jedi (Anakin being the titular Jedi). Of course, the more common interpretation is that Luke, who has finished his training, has marked the Return of the Jedi. Valid points, but people are starting get idiotic on FB (I know, what a surprise), so I thought I'd take the conversation here. How do you interpret the Star Wars film titles? What symbolism, good or bad, have you found in the films? Try to back it up with evidence with quotes from the film or comparisons to other media. Play Nice Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMegaBeast 3 Posted January 13, 2017 Episode IV : After blowing up the Death Star, a symbol of the Empire, many planets that lived under the Empire's opression saw that they could fight back. Thus, a New Hope for the galaxy, a New Hope to to be free again, as in the Republic days. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VarsityPuppet 1,085 Posted January 13, 2017 Episode IV : After blowing up the Death Star, a symbol of the Empire, many planets that lived under the Empire's opression saw that they could fight back. Thus, a New Hope for the galaxy, a New Hope to to be free again, as in the Republic days. Yes! Great! I love it! A New Hope, could obviously also be the Death Star plans (a point driven home by Rogue One) and victory over the Empire in destroying the Death Star is a natural extension of that! On top of that, Luke Skywalker is the one who destroyed the Death Star, so he also quite literally A New Hope for the Rebellion! So many layers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
134340Goat 116 Posted January 13, 2017 Oh, this is so my thing All of them seem to have at least a double meaning, and the PT and OT carry their own subtler consistencies while Episodes I, IV, and VII, being the beginnings of trilogies, also have something they carry Menace Attack Revenge All evily sounding, ominous Hope Strikes Back (Yes, it refers to the Empire, but look at the wording alone) Return All words on the opposite end of the fence Now, a look at the first entry of each trilogy. By definition, the main protagonist, who is not necessarily the main character, is the one whose actions drive the plot and push it forward. When you analyze the PT, you'll find that, surprisingly, Palpatine is the main protagonist. Luke for the OT obviously, and it seems Rey is shaping up as the ST's heroine The Phantom Menace - it's Palpatine. The unseen figure heading everything A New Hope - Luke is the new hope of the galaxy and the Rebellion The Force Awakens - As in, Rey discovers and accepts her Force-sensitivity And of course, as the opening post points out, things like Return of the Jedi do indeed mean two things - Anakin's redemption, Luke bringing back the Jedi by officially becoming one. Revenge of the Sith as in both Palpatine claiming personal revenge for the Sith and the Sith order itself at last coming back to prominence It goes even further than this. At least so far. I hope Episode VIII and IX titles keep up this trend The Phantom Menace / A New Hope / The Force Awakens - Three word titles referring directly to the trilogy's main protagonist and setting the tone for what the trilogy will be like Attack of the Clones / The Empire Strikes Back - Describing a military offensive by the galaxy's dominant force Revenge of the Sith / Return of the Jedi - A significant shift in the Force and its users Anyways. Normally I'd say more, but this isn't JCF, so 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VarsityPuppet 1,085 Posted January 13, 2017 Maybe just nitpicking, but wouldn't Palpatine be the Antagonist? I only say that because antagonist usually refers to "the bad guy" while also technically being the one working against the protagonists goals. Add to that it's hard to actually pinpoint a main "good guy" protagonist hero for the trilogy, (Is it Obi-Wan? Is it Anakin? Is it R2-D2?), and I totally get where you're coming from. This is a really strong start to this thread. I'm glad I brought this here. KEEP IT GOING! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
134340Goat 116 Posted January 13, 2017 Maybe just nitpicking, but wouldn't Palpatine be the Antagonist? I only say that because antagonist usually refers to "the bad guy" while also technically being the one working against the protagonists goals. Add to that it's hard to actually pinpoint a main "good guy" protagonist hero for the trilogy, (Is it Obi-Wan? Is it Anakin? Is it R2-D2?), and I totally get where you're coming from. This is a really strong start to this thread. I'm glad I brought this here. KEEP IT GOING! In terms of storytelling, protagonist and antagonist are not necessarily hero and villain, respectively, and the role of main character is also separate from those The PT is unique in that the villain is, by definition, the protagonist behind the curtain, and there is no antagonist until the last 30 minutes or so (being Obi-Wan and Yoda) due to the way Palpatine set up the war such that he's pushing both sides 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newbiemodder 37 Posted January 13, 2017 I've always thought of the SW chapter titles as the underlying "current" or theme of the movies. It never even occurred to me to associate them with any one person or event. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadMan 103 Posted January 13, 2017 The Phantom Menace for me was always associated with Anakin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eauxps I. Fourgott 81 Posted January 14, 2017 Well, I'd say that The Empire Strikes Back refers to much of what happens in Episode V, not just the Hoth attack. At any rate, there's Vader's trap on Bespin and the capture of Han Solo. The Empire doesn't really suffer any defeats in that movie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
