Film Final

Alex Moehn
Film 301
Film Final
Star Wars Phone Home

Science fiction films like Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977, United States and Guatemala) and E.T. (Steven Spielberg, 1982, United States) are two films where the alien “other” and humans pose a threat to each other. Whether it is the alien other posing a threat to the human race or the humans presenting a threat to the alien other these two movies show how the challenges that the human race and the alien other face through threats and the anxieties of the gender roles they put on each other. E.T. and Star Wars portray these challenges on different levels for example, E.T. looks upon Elliot as a proctor unlike in Star Wars where Luke and the Rebels face threats posed on them by the Imperial replicant armies of Storm troopers. These and other challenges can be viewed throughout these two movies.

Science fiction films have been depicting the alien “other” in many real and surreal ways. The best examples of how these films have incorporated the alien other in different ways can be seen in the movies Star Wars and E.T. In E.T. the young boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), discovers a lost alien which he names E.T. and throughout the movie they become closely bound friends. Elliott’s bond with E.T. can be considered as a caretaker or father figure for him whom in return Elliott is able to build a friendship with E.T. The alien E.T. opposes the stereotypical science fiction films in the aspect that aliens usually pose a threat to the human race. Spielberg was able to transform this stereotype into a bond of friendship which has not often been used in past science fiction movies. Looking at the movie Star Wars it not only tells a story about the epic battle between the Republic and the Rebellion, but the movie incorporates the threat the alien “other” poses to human race. In Star Wars the human, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), is challenged by the alien other to progress in manhood and defeat the Empire. In Cornea’s text she observes “Luke Skywalker’s rite of passage into adult manhood basically involves him leaving the private/domestic matriarchal space of his youth to make his entrance into the public arena of aggressive, patriarchal, power politics” (2). Cornea is stating that Luke starts to enter manhood by developing his powers of the force and being transformed into the galaxy’s hero to rid it of the evil Empire. On Luke’s path to becoming a hero he is to overcome the challenges presented by the alien other. Luke and his companions are given help from his android C-3PO and his robot R2-D2. R2-D2 was able to transfer Princess Leia’s message from her to Obi-Wan, which was first intercepted by Luke. By Luke receiving this message he in a way is challenged by the robot to help save the Princess and the Republic. On the other hand Luke has to defeat the alien other like Storm troopers and Darth Vader to complete his heroic task of saving the galaxy. With both Luke and Elliott taking on a heroic role in their movies they are able to overcome the challenges the alien others present.


In both E.T. and Star Wars the humans are defined as Heroes, but are portrayed on different levels of significance. Luke Skywalker throughout Star Wars is out to defeat the evil Empire and bring back order to the Republic. The hero aspect in Luke is created and builds up more and more as the movie progresses from the start where the audience is introduced to Luke as a young boy working for his Uncle. Likewise in E.T. Elliott is a hero figure towards E.T. by helping him return home. In E.T. the main goal for Elliot is to protect his alien friend and in the end return him home away from the threat humans may pose by taking him away. Elliott can be viewed as a protector and a father figure to E.T. In most science fiction movies aliens have posed a threat to humans, but in E.T. Elliott has to protect E.T. from the human threat of the government taking him. Like I mentioned before Spielberg created a movie that opposes the traditional alien threat to humans. Taking a step back from the hero aspect, in Star Wars there is another way humans are defined. Looking at the Empire, Darth Vader and the Emperor can be defined as rulers over their human and replicate, Storm troppers, armies.


This illustrates the power that humans have over robots and replicants by the Empire producing mass replicant armies they are able to challenge the galaxy by taking over. Looking at the Republic Luke is then challenged to destroy and overcome these replicants on his way to become the hero. In both movies humans take dominance over the alien other. These movies exemplify that humans have control in the universe or even on earth regardless if aliens pose a threat to the humans. Not only in Star Wars and E.T. are humans in power but gender plays a role in the leadership positions.

Gender plays a large role in both movies whether it is the hero’s like Luke and Elliott or the authority of power like Darth Vader are all characterized as male. Star Wars is an excellent example of how the male is portrayed as human dominance whether viewing the Empire or Republic. Even the aliens represent the male figure which can be seen by their clothes and voices. Not only do the roles of men dominate the lead roles and the alien figures, but the women are depicted in less important roles.
This can be seen in Star Wars by Princess Leia being the only main female character she has to earn the role of dominance rather than Luke and Han Solo who are given their power from the start of the movie. By this I mean the movie starts off by her being captured by the Imperial Army. As the movie progresses Leia gets rescued from being a prisoner and starts to develop dominate characteristics as the men do. She undertakes these characteristics right after her rescue when she has to partake in fight scenes. In these scenes the audience can see Princess Leia shooting a gun and participating in group decisions with Luke and Han Solo. As stated in a article about Princess Leia “Lucas does his best to present Leia as a damsel in distress but the plot does not allow it to be so” (3). Princess Leia throughout the movie is able to convert from being the damsel in distress role to holding a dominance role.

This development shows the female progression of women’s equality with men throughout the progression of the movie just how women fought for equal rights in the United States. This is demonstrating the unequal rights for women compared to men that America used to face and still faces today. A struggle much like in our culture were women were once second class to men and over the years fought for equal rights can be shown in Star Wars.


Not only does Star Wars portray a strong gender role, but one can view this in E.T. In E.T the main character Elliott is a young boy who has to endure a father figure towards his friend E.T. Stated by Cornea “the oedipal crisis, at least for the male child, is based upon the recognition of difference and separateness from the mother and thereby involves a sense of loss and lack upon entering the oedipal realm of the father” (2). By Elliott taking on a father role the movie is able to depict the dominance and leadership that males are often portrayed as possessing in movies. Cornea states that the male roles are protectors and leader as portrayed in E.T. by Elliott taking care of E.T.

In both Star Wars and E.T. the human race is challenged and defined in different ways whether it be through the male or female gender role. Also throughout both movies the audience can see that humans are defined by both Hero’s and leadership roles over the alien others. Whether viewing the gender roles or the hero/leadership roles played in the movies they are dominated by the male gender. Also both movies show that the human race has control and power over the alien other.

Endnotes
(1) Christine Cornea, “The Family Films,” Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007) 114.

(2) Christine Cornea, “The Family Films,” Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007) 117.

(3) Harper, Leigh. "Movie Characters That Change Gender Roles." Helium Jun 2005 5. Web.10 May 2009. .

Works Cited
Cornea, Christine. Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. New Brunswick: Rutgers Universty Press, 2007.
"E.T: The Extra-Terrestrail (1982)." IMBD. IMBD. 23 Mar 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/>.
"Star Wars (1977)." IMDB. IMDB. 23 Mar 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/.
Star Wars. Dir. George Lucas. Peft Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. 1977. DVD. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.

Visual Essay 2

The Weapon of a Jedi Knight

The use of weapons in films has been around since the first silent film The Great Train Robbery where guns were used to The Watchmen which was released this year. Our American culture has been experiencing weapons in films throughout our film industry in every film genre from comedy to western to science fiction. In the film Star Wars: A New Hope (George Lucas, 1977, United States and Guatemala) the weapons in the film were not only incorporated throughout the movie, but the guns and weapons were tremendously enhanced and improved through special effects. During the late 1960’s and early 70’s science fiction films were looking for new ways of depicting themselves. As stated by Christine Cornea in her book Science Fiction Cinema she states “the science fiction film was busy reinventing itself: both the speculative and fantastic components of the genre” (1). Star Wars was able to highly contribute to this “reinventing” by the use of technological special effects. With the use of special effects Star Wars was able to enhance and give audiences a new edge of how special effects put them in the fantastic world of technology and science fiction.

Star Wars was the first movie to introduce the special effect of the lightsaber to science fiction films. The lightsaber gives a revolutionary change to the way sword fights are fought with a more fantastic science fiction aspect. The lightsaber consists of a handle and with the press of a button illuminates a bright energy of light which takes the place of the ordinary metal blade of the sword. This light that creates the lightsaber is not actually real but computer enhanced from a tube of aluminum that is in place temporarily during filming then it is digitally developed into the bright colored lightsaber. The lightsaber is not only a special effect which helps give Star Wars a clear separation between the real world and the fantastic, but it’s a new way of perceiving sword fights with a science fiction stand point. When audiences view the battle scenes or use of the lightsaber they are set outside the realm of a tradition fight with metal blades where actors receive bloodshed and the “cling” noise of the blades connecting. Instead the lightsabers produce visual engaging fight scenes and sense of the technology advance in the space future. As Scott Bukatman in his article “Zooming Out: The End of Offscreen Space” he states about the importance of technology in sci-fi films, “science fiction has been an essential part of technological culture for more than a century” (2). The lightsaber in Star Wars is a perfect example of what Bukatman is stating by the use of technological special effects in the sense that the film was able to develop a more fantastic science fiction sense. Not only does the lightsaber assist the special effects of the weapons in Star Wars but the guns used widen the human vision of the technological advances in science fiction.



Besides the main highlighted weapon in Star Wars, the lightsaber, the guns used in the film are also given a special effect spin to them. Unlike the conventional guns in our culture and word that shoot bullets the guns in Star Wars shoot rays of lasers. This way of enhancing the bullets through special features and turning them into laser rays does a tremendous amount for the science fiction genre and the fantastic world. Audiences are able to escape the real world of shooting scenes of bullets with a light show of scenes with laser rays being shot; also it’s something that our culture isn’t accustomed to. It’s not every day Americans see people getting shot by laser rays. This effect is also visually attracting to audiences because they are able to see who is shooting and being shot at unlike the traditional gun where one hears the shot and waits for it hit. Having this technological advance of laser rays in place of bullets provides a stronger sense of technology in science fiction just like Bukatman states about the strong relation between science fiction and technology.

Looking at a larger scale of guns the Death Star has a massive gun on it which shoots green laser beams which destroy entire planets. This special effect also places audiences into the fantastic realization that there could be technology that could diminish whole planets. This sets audiences outside of the real world into a film with highly incorporated technologies such as the special effects of the weapons.


Star Wars is a science fiction film that was able to reinvent the fantastic world from the real world through technological special effects like the lightsaber and other weapons. These weapons that took on new special effects were able to help enhance the realism of the fantastic narrative by giving human items a science fiction spin. Even though this is one way special effects gave Star Wars a fantastic science fiction spin it clearly shows that technology advances in special effects which boosts the films distinction between the real world and the fantastic.

End Notations
(1) Christine Cornea, “The Family Films,” Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007) 81.
(2) Scott Bukatman, “Zooming Out: The End of Offscreen Space,” The New American Cinema. (Durhman: Duke University Press, 1998) 252.


Works Cited
Cornea, Christine. Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007.

Lewis, Jon. The New American Cinema. 3. Durhman, NC: Duke University Press, 1998. Print. (Bukatman 252).

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Mellencamp challenges the arguments regarding Bukatman’s ideas on virtual technologies and immersive experiences in numerous different ways throughout his text. He uses The Matrix as in example of how his ideas are different from Bukatman. Bukatman discusses how science fiction films are incorporating more and intense special effects which eliminates and creates a simple narrative. Whereas Mellencamp refers to the narrative in The Matrix as “central” and “fashioning new forms…and narratives in which conventions of cause-effect logic, like reality itself” (90, 91). Disagreeing with Mellencamp Bukatman refers to narratives in movies like The Matrix as playful. In the article it states that special effects in the digital age are helping enhance the narrative which disagrees with Buktaman that narratives are being dulled down due the special effects. The Matrix seems to be more of a game then a tradition film, because the audiences are put into the virtual computer world of Neo and we are absorbed into his world. The reason it is not a video game because we are unable to control the outcomes of the movie and the actions Neo partakes in.
According to Baudrillard a hyperreal is “the product of an irradiating synthesis of combinatory models in a hyperspace without atmosphere” (170). In similar terms it is the imaginary real. In The Matrix humans are unable to actually send their bodies into a computer world, but we can hack into computers and use computers by knowing the proper knowledge to use computers. The Matrix is using hyperreal by instead of having a movie with people sitting at their computers it sends them inside a computer world, creating an imaginary real.

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Dona Haraway defines a cyborg in her chaper “A cyborg Manifesto” as a cybernetic organism. She goes one to state that a cyborg also “is a hybrid of machine and organism, and a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction” (475). Cyborgs relation to the Western tradition is that is has no origin story unlike in the Western tradition where we are able to see traditions like racism, male-dominante capitalism, and progress which are all traditions audiences are able to view in Western traditional movies. The idea that cyborgs bring nontraditional thoughts and ideas into science fiction movies through the use the imagination rather than tradition allow cyborgs to not follow the Western tradition.

The three boundary breakdowns that give cyborgs their political potential would be the boundary between the human and animal; the animal-human and machine; and the physical and non-physical. The boundary between the human and animal over the last couple of centuries has become almost less necessary. With advances in Biology and evolutionary theory Americans have realized as Haraway states “produced modern organisms as objects of knowledge and reduced the line between humans and animals” (477). The boundary between animal-human and machine over the years has grown more together in the way that machines are acquiring more human like characteristics. A good example of this would be the Terminator who is a machine taking on human looks and characteristics. Lastly the boundary between the physical and non-physical is considered very imprecise for us as Americans. Cyborgs, cybernetic organisms, have not only broken off from the Western traditional ideas, but changed the way people view the boundary breakdowns of cyborgs.

Alex Moehn
Film 301
Mid-Term
Star Wars Phone Home
Science fiction films like Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977, United States and Guatemala) and E.T. (Steven Spielberg, 1982, United States) are two films where the alien “other” and humans pose a threat on each other. Whether it is the alien other posing a threat on the human race or the humans presenting a threat on the alien other these two movies show the challenges that the human race and the alien other face through threats and the anxieties of the gender roles they put on each other.

Science fiction films have been depicting the alien “other” in many real and surreal ways. The best examples of how these films have incorporated the alien other in different ways can be seen in the movies Star Wars and E.T. In E.T. the young boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), discovers a lost alien which he names E.T. and throughout the movie they become closely bound friends. Elliott’s bond with E.T. can be considered as a care taker or father figure for him which in return Elliott is able to build a friendship with E.T. The alien E.T. exemplifies against the stereotypical science fiction films in the aspect that aliens usual are posing a threat to the human race. This movie was one that objected the normal alien versus human controversy. Spielberg was able to transform this stereotype into a bond of friendship which has not often been used in past science fiction movies. Looking at the movie Star Wars it not only tells a story about the epic battle between the Republic and the Rebellion, but the movie incorporates the threat the alien “other” poses on human race. In Star Wars the human, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), is challenged by the alien other to progress in manhood and defeat the Empire. In Cornea’s text she states about Luke “Luke Skywalker’s rite of passage into adult manhood basically involves him leaving the private/domestic matriarchal space of his youth to make his entrance into the public arena of aggressive, patriarchal, power politics” (2). Cornea is stating that Luke starts to enter manhood by developing his powers of the force and being transformed into the galaxies hero to rid it of the evil Empire. On Luke’s path to becoming a hero he is to overcome the challenges by the alien other. Luke and his companions are given help from his android C-3PO and his robot R2-D2. R2-D2 was able to transfer Princess Leia’s message from her to Obi-Wan which was first intercepted by Luke. By Luke receiving this message he in a way is challenged by the robot to help save the Princess and the Republic. On the other hand Luke has to defeat the alien other like Stormtroopers and Darth Vader to complete his heroic task of saving the galaxy. With both Luke and Elliott taking on a heroic role in their movies they are able to overcome the challenges the alien others present.

Alex Moehn
In both E.T. and Star Wars the humans are defined as hero’s, but are portrayed on different levels of significance. Luke Skywalker throughout Star Wars is out to defeat the evil Empire and bring back order to the Republic. The hero aspect in Luke is created and builds up more and more as the movie progresses from the start where the audience is introduced to Luke as a young boy working for his Uncle. Likewise in E.T. Elliott is a hero figure towards E.T. by helping him return home. In E.T. the main goal for Elliot is to protect his alien friend and in the end return him home away from the threat humans may pose by taking him away. Elliott can be viewed as a protector and a father figure to E.T. In most science fiction movies aliens burden a threat to humans, but in E.T. Elliott has to protect E.T. from the human threat of the government taking him. Like I mentioned before Spielberg created a movie that opposes the tradition alien threat on humans. Taking a step back from the hero aspect, in Star Wars there is another way humans are defined. Looking at the Empire, Darth Vader and the Emperor can be defined as rulers over their human and replicant armies. This illustrates the power that humans have over robots and replicants by the Empire producing mass replicant armies they are able to challenge the galaxy by taking over. Looking at the Republic Luke is then challenged to destroy and overcome these replicants on his way to become the hero. In both movies humans take dominance over the alien other. These movies exemplify that humans have control in the universe or even on earth regardless if aliens pose a threat to the humans. Not only in Star Wars and E.T. are humans in power but gender plays a role in the leadership positions.

The gender role plays a large role in both movies whether it is the hero’s like Luke and Elliott or the authority of power like Darth Vader are all characterized as male. Star Wars is an excellent example of how the male is portrayed as human dominance whether viewing the Empire or Republic. Even the aliens represent the male figure which can be seen by their clothes they wear and by their voices. Not only do the roles of men dominate the lead roles and the alien figures, but the women are depicted in a less important role. A prime example of this is during the scene at Java’s Hut when Princess Leia is chained down by Java so she can’t escape. This is demonstrating the unequal rights for women compared to men that America used to face and still faces today. Much like in our culture were women were once second class to men and over the years fought for equal rights can be shown in Star Wars. Princess Leia started off the movie being captured by Vader and in Return of the Jedi where she is taken to Java’s Hut where she was treated as second class. Throughout the rest of the movie one can see the progression she makes to become equal with men by partaking in fight scenes. In these scenes the audience can see Princess Leia shooting a gun and participating in group decisions with Luke and Han Solo. Princess Leia shows the female progression of women’s equality with men throughout the progression of the movie just how women fought for equal rights in the United States. Not only does Star Wars portray a strong gender role, but one can view this in E.T. In E.T the main character Elliott is a young boy who has to endure a father figure towards his friend E.T. Stated by Cornea “the oedipal crisis, at least for the male child, is based upon the recognition of difference and separateness from the mother and thereby involves a sense of loss and lack upon entering the oedipal realm of the father” (2). By Elliott taking on a father role the movie is able to depict the dominance and leadership that males are often portrayed as in movies. Cornea states that the male roles are protectors and leader as portrayed in E.T. by Elliott taking care of E.T.

In both Star Wars and E.T. the human race is challenged and defined in different ways whether it be through the male or female gender role. Also throughout both movies the audience can see that humans are defined by both hero’s and leadership roles over the alien others. Whether viewing the gender roles or the hero/leadership roles played in the movies they are dominated by the male gender. Also both movies show that the human race has control and power over the alien other.

Endnotes
(1) Christine Cornea, “The Family Films,” Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007) 114.

(2) Christine Cornea, “The Family Films,” Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2007) 117.

Works Cited
Cornea, Christine. Science Fiction Cinema: Between Fantasy and Reality. New Brunswick: Rutgers Universty Press, 2007.

"E.T: The Extra-Terrestrail (1982)." IMBD. IMBD. 23 Mar 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/>.

"Star Wars (1977)." IMDB. IMDB. 23 Mar 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/.

Star Wars. Dir. George Lucas. Peft Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. 1977. DVD. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.

According to Barbara Creed in the movie Alien the “mother” is perceived as a threat. The “mother” represents figures like the treacherous mother, the oral sadistic mother, and the mother as primordial abyss which create images of fear and the idea of the unknown in audiences. The fear is created when images like the all-devouring vagina and the toothed vagina are depicted into the aliens. This is portrayed in Alien because the “mother” uses males as hosts for the reproduction of their eggs. This threatens the male society in the fact that they die after the birth of the alien they are hosting. The concept of abject explains the unknown by securing the boundaries between the human and non-human through the concept of good and evil. The threat of evil and the human form the mother takes creates an evil and good image of the alien.
The “primal scene “or the image of sexual reproduction and birth is shown in scenes throughout the movie Alien. Creed explains that the idea of sexual production between a male and female is discarded in the movie Alien. The first example of this would be in the opening scene when an alien is born, breaks out, of Kane’s chest. An example like this shows the difference between the human and non-human ways of reproduction. The audience derives both fear and pleasure from the mother figure in the movie Alien. The fear of death derives in the audience when the aliens are born; also the mother brings pleasure to the audience when she puts on her seductive act.

Sobchack states that there is a cultural shift that occurred in the 70’s and 80’s that changed the representation of the alien view. This shift was in both mainstream and marginal American sci-fi films. As stated by sobchack about the shift “To maintain not that aliens are like us, but rather that aliens are us” (pg297). This new postmodern view had the country changing the view of aliens as human with a friendlier aspect rather than the “unknown” that sci-fi films have previously depicted aliens. Examples would be movies like the Terminator where the Terminator takes a human form but is really a robot or E.T where the alien takes on a more friendly and protective roll. This cultural shift in the 70’s and 80’s was because of the more peaceful atmosphere the country was in compared to the paranoia from the 40’and 50’s. Movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing are good examples of films from the 50’s that illustrate paranoia and fear. The country started to escape the paranoia of warfare, radiation, and nuclear war after World War II and the Vietnam War when the country could relax again. With the country out of war and the fear gone in the people sci-fi movies had to interest audiences in a different approach. This is why the cultural shift and the shift of the alien view changed in films in the 70’s and 80’s.

Afro-futurism would be the cultural struggles that African-Americans have dealt with and incorporating in a technological future. Dery defines this term by “African-American signification that appropriates images of technology and a prosthetically enhanced future” (pg 180). This concept can be seen in movies like Brother from Another Planet and even in comic strips like Milestone “Media’s Hardware.” In these examples there are both technological and futuristic features in the films, also both show the cultural struggle African-Americans have been through or go through.