An Analysis of Pastiche of Old Styles in Star Wars (1977)

Abstract

Star Wars (1977) is a fantastic post-modernist film that offers audiences an unparalleled space adventure while conveying director George Lucas's vision of society. Remarkably, as a science fiction film, Star Wars constitutes a variety of artistic styles from a bygone era, which this study argues were Lucas's primary means of expression. This paper examines the old fashions of Star Wars from the perspective of artistic style through Fredric Jameson's theory of "pastiche". The conclusion is that he builds a new mythology through the pastiche of old art forms in a context where Americans have lost faith in the old mythology, and he also argues against the use of dehumanising technologies such as nuclear weapons. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the Star Wars series and the postmodernist culture of the United States.