(You said not less than one paragraph, don't hit me)
"Wars not make one great."
A single line uttered by a artificial puppet that perfectly encapsulates the counterculture spirit that inhabited the franchise from its inception. The line is almost thrown away at our plucky young hero on his quest to find a "great warrior." Unbeknownst to him (and the audience) he is face-to-face with the revered mystic, but his preconceptions with strength and The Force, which of course mirrors our own preconceived notions of such concepts, cannot allow him to see this truth yet. Wars do not make an individual great, conflict does not breed glory and reverence. As the identity of the shrunken green hermist is revealed to the hero, so is the reality of The Force, a reality that should always remain at the core of the series. "A Jedi uses The Force for knowledge and defense,
never to attack." And there at last, the philosophy of the Jedi is laid before us, simple and bare. This is the ideal hero of the franchise, one who eschews a gun. A weapon that can cast down enemies from afar, but at most a lightsaber. A weapon that can only be used in close proximity, when lethal defense is the only option.
The Jedi is the antithesis of the prototypical Hollywood hero. And as the most powerful and wise Jedi, Yoda's small frame and fail manner visually represents the scope of The Force and its quintessential adherent. For a Jedi, victory is not achieved through the literal application of force. Violence is not the means by which they count success. The doling of death is not how they accumulate respect. The prototypical action hero is all these things, cloth in the knowledge that righteous violence results in might over the violence of evil. The means through which either side achieves victory is not a debate, only their rationales. For the Jedi, the very means through which you battle evil
is the struggle. It is the victory to be own. "A Jedi uses The Force for knowledge and defense,
never to attack."
"But tell me why I can't..."
"No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today.Clear your mind of questions."
This is not a debate. This is not a grey area that requires exceptions and pontification. The Force is for knowledge and defense. It should never be used to attack, non-violence should always be the first resort and only discarded after the last full measure has been taken. In the end, the OT concludes not on a physical victory, but a philosophical one. The struggle Yoda instilled into Luke in that moment when he first uttered that, "Wars not make one great." His physical victory was complete, his foe was vanquished. But, he was on the verge of losing the true struggle of a Jedi and the franchise. The struggle with oneself and of violence. Here, the student becomes the Master as he discards his weapon, placing faith in the internal good of his wayward father. Trusting in The Force. And, it is only by throwing away his weapon is the final victory achieved.
Again, these ideals and themes that reside within the core of the series reflect its counterculture spirit as a rebellion against the studio system. A system that worshipped the Hollywood Action Hero and the new cynical view of the world. Recall
Dirty Harry, the foul talking, rebellious, anti-authority cop who resolved every dispute with the barrel of his gun, rights be damned. Audiences cheered as he blasted away thugs who were far too low to ever be deemed worthy of a trial, cussed out the political hacks who dared try to reign him in or criticize his tactics. This is the American Hero...until Star Wars. Here, the series presented a new hero. Unfortunately, over the years the flashy visuals and whiz-bang sci-fi action tends to cloud over the crux of the series. Too many moments are spent dreaming of battles between iconic characters, power levels are discussed, lightsabers measured. Yet, too often is forgotten that the true battle in all Star Wars is fought internally and through the philosophical means by which the characters seek to achieve victory. That the best battle, is the one that never has to take place.
In the end, the Master will recall upon this most important lesson again as he gives A New Hope to an entirely new generation of the galaxy.
Favorite Film: Empire Strikes Back
