Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

The Constructed Past in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Nostalgia in the Star Wars Films

Zicheng GengLimai Chinese-American International School*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Star Wars (1977-2019), directed by George Lucas, is a science fiction (fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes) saga that takes place in the outer space universe. The whole story is an intergalactic adventure surrounding the ongoing battle between the Jedi Order, which represents the bright side and the Sith Order, which represents the dark forces. Despite that were massive number of studies done on them as films of science fiction, few have looked at Star Wars from a perspective that would categorize them instead as nostalgia films. According to Fredric Jameson, a theorist and critic of North American culture and literature, the nostalgia film is a separate category (from historical films) that does not directly employ historical objects but exhibits a resemblance of them to reflect a longing for the historical past. Combining sections from the Star Wars films with Fredric Jameson's theory on nostalgia films, this essay attempts to explore the purpose of George Lucas blending elements of the past with futuristic designs and seeks to argue that nostalgia was the intended overall atmosphere of the franchise.

Keywords: Star Wars; science fiction; futuristic designs; nostalgia films
Published: July 31, 2024
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/39/20242198
Volume: CHR Vol.39
pp. 7-10
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