Star Wars (BFI Film Classics) - Softcover

Brooker, Will

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844572773 ISBN 13: 9781844572779

Publisher: British Film Institute, 2009

Synopsis

The release of Star Wars in 1977 marked the start of what would become a colossal global franchise. Star Wars remains the second highest-grossing film in the United States, and George Lucas's six-part narrative has grown into something more: a culture that goes far beyond the films themselves, with tie-in toys, novels, comics, games and DVDs as well as an enthusiastic fan community which creates its own Star Wars fictions. Critical studies of Star Wars have treated it as a cultural phenomenon, or in terms of its special effects, fans and merchandising, or as a film that marked the end of New Hollywood's innovation and the birth of the blockbuster.

Will Brooker's illuminating study of the film takes issue with many of these commonly-held ideas about Star Wars. He provides a close analysis of Star Wars as a film, carefully examining its shots, editing, sound design, cinematography and performances. Placing the film in the context of George Lucas's previous work, from his student shorts to his 1970s features, and the diverse influences that shaped his approach, from John Ford to Jean-Luc Godard, Brooker argues that Star Wars is not, as Lucas himself has claimed, a departure from his earlier cinema, but a continuation of his experiments with sound and image. He reveals Lucas's contradictory desires for total order and control, embodied by the Empire, and for the raw energy and creative improvisation of the Rebels. What seemed a simple fairy-tale becomes far more complex when we realise that the director is rooting for both sides; and this tension unsettles the saga as a whole, blurring the boundaries between Empire and Republic, dark side and light side, father and son.

About this title

About the Author:

WILL BROOKER is Director of Studies of Film and Television at Kingston University. He is the author or editor of many books and articles on poppular culture, including Batman Unmasked: Analysing a Cutural Icon (2000), Using the Force: Creativity, Community and 'Star Wars' Fans (2002) and The Blade Runner Experience: The Legacy of a Science Fiction Classic (2006).

Review:

'Another day, another Star Wars book, but this one does a rare thing concentrate on the film itself rather than its mythos. There's thoughtful stuff, suggesting SW continues Lucas' development as an experimental filmmaker and arguing that Lucas is rooting for both Empire and rebellion.' - Empire

'For once, a scholarly study that doesn't tut and moan about merchandising and the death of New Hollywood...Its clear, concise arguments include a taut dismissal of the prequels that doesn't resort to Binks-bashing.' - Total Film
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About this edition

• Publisher: British Film Institute
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1844572773
• ISBN 13: 9781844572779
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96