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.
