The Ring Theory

[KyleKartanMG]

A great view about the rymes and poetry of the SAGA and how all is connected in some way shape or form.

http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/

[Bandersnatch]

^That's awesome. Thanks for sharing!

[Much Softer]

Good evening, everyone. This is my first (and quite possibly the last) post here after years of... say, clandestine presence .

KyleKartanMG: thank you so much. The essay you linked is nothing short of fucking brilliant and while I don't think it's going to impress prequel-haters (they'll always find other good reasons for resentment, like wooden acting, Jar Jar or whatever), I'm really glad there is finally a place where we can see the big picture, the whole story as it was conceived by Lucas. Since my profession is closely linked with storytelling, I "truly, deeply love" and admire GL's work - it's enertaining, visually compelling and, as it turns out, much deeper than some of us expected.
What a glorious night .

However, the real question is: Is there anything JJ Abrams can do to connect the seventh episode to a closed ring of previous six? My guess is he can't and does not intend to.

[KyleKartanMG]

I totally agree. This is great work and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The way the author discribes and puts his theses are extraordinary and proof GLs genious.

I will always love the STAR WARS Saga and the Prequels have a special pleace in my heart as they where MY growing up STAR WARS. To read something like this is so refreshing and entertaining in contrast to all the stupid hate and bashing these extraordinary movies get.

[dromag]

Thanks for sharing! Amazing read, helps put everything in the saga in perspective.

[CoGro]

I love Star Wars, but I couldn't get past the first page. Incredibly slow-developing piece that is really just trying to find ways to prop up the PT.

Are there mirrored situations in the PT and OT? Yes. I don't think it needed a 10,000 word essay when the echoes and callbacks are clear as day to anyone paying attention in these movies.

[Bandersnatch]

Yeah, it's a long read, and I'm only half way through it, but there are some things here that I had never thought of before.

It's best to read this essay one section at a time at your own pace. It's turning out to be well worth it, for me anyway.

[mike klimo]

Wow. Thank you guys SO MUCH for taking a look at the essay. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

CoGro, please stick with it. While many of us have noticed echoes between the films over the years, this is something else completely. And the films (and Lucas) really deserve some serious critical attention for this. This is a monumental cinematic achievement. I'm trying to shout this from the rooftops to anybody who will listen. So, I would be extremely grateful for any help spreading the word...

Much Softer: I printed out your comment and hung it up. I really don't know what to say.

And then there's the million dollar question: Does JJ Abrams know about this? Or has the far too humble Lucas decided to keep this one to himself? Maybe Coppola, Scorsese, and some other close friends. I'm dying to know...

Thanks again guys.

MTFBWY

[Bandersnatch]

You are most welcome, Mike. Thanks for writing this thing. I can't imagine how long it took you to do this.
It really has me looking at the whole Star Wars saga in a new light, and I'm one of the old school fans.

[mike klimo]

Believe it or not, it took almost two years. Now, I need a vacation. If only I could go to Hawaii with Spielberg...

[Bandersnatch]

Believe it or not, it took almost two years.

I believe it.

After all that effort, the folks at Lucasfilm should read it.

[dromag]

Believe it or not, it took almost two years. Now, I need a vacation. If only I could go to Hawaii with Spielberg...

With all the work and research you put into this I'm sure you need one. I didn't stop reading until I finished it. I'd love to sit down with GL for a half hour. He really is a master storyteller even if some people don't agree with his filmmaking choices.

[KyleKartanMG]

What annoys me is that some people are trying to put the stuff mike mentiones in the essay as kind of convincidence! They claim that there is no intent behind the stuff. Which obviously is NOT the case!!! Its obvious, by the sheer number of examples, that those are choices made during the writing and production process of the movie.

I do love the prequels and will defend this movies to death. They have their reputation because of some naughty bitter fans who can't accept the fact that they have grown out of STAR WARS and Lucas hasnt told the story they made up in their mind. Thats why they scream out their hate every time they have the opportunity to.

Mike: THANK YOU for this essay! It's AWESOME GREAT work and displays the true genious of STAR WARS and George Lucas.

[CoGro]

I do love the prequels and will defend this movies to death. They have their reputation because of some naughty bitter fans who can't accept the fact that they have grown out of STAR WARS and Lucas hasnt told the story they made up in their mind. Thats why they scream out their hate every time they have the opportunity to.

No. It's because of:

- TPM's pacing, lack of interesting characters, wooden acting, misuse of possibly interesting characters (Maul) and generally boring narrative.
- AOTC's unlikeable lead character, poor dialogue, disappointing choice to shrink the galaxy and make Boba a clone, butchered musical score, embarrassing treatment of the 3P0 character. (EDIT: forgot to add the ridiculous Sifi-Dyas "mystery" which was never resolved in the films).
- ROTS gets a pretty good wrap with the general fanbase and people forgive its flaws because it does a lot of things right. It's technically a far better made film than it's predecessors.

What people need to get over is this idea that FANS of Star Wars went into Episode I looking to hate it and are now this disgruntled bunch spewing hate for the hell of it every chance we get. There are absolutely some morons who just point to Jar Jar and Yippee! to bitch about the prequels, but those aren't the reasons they are lesser-made films than the OT. I might be old, but I'm not disgruntled. I loved Clone Wars (indeed, Anakin was a better character on a cartoon than he was portrayed in the films) and am already digging Rebels. Star Wars is still awesome if the storytelling is well-conceived.

You know what would have been more genius than finding ways to connect the PT with the OT rather than this ring theory? Building a story filled with exciting characters, drama, good dialogue, and emotional weight. Not to mention the technical flaws littered throughout the PT re: musical score.

[Alexrd]

Building a story filled with exciting characters, drama, good dialogue, and emotional weight.

That's what he did.

[The_Somnambulist]

Indeed.

Thanks for thoroughly laying out this theory, mike. I'm not a completely stranger to it but I've never seen it covered with such depth and scholarly rigor. Had a blast reading it!

[mike klimo]

Thanks again guys, I really can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that so many people are taking the time to read it--and starting to see ALL of the Star Wars films for what they are...a work of staggering genius.

CoGro, you and I could talk for hours. I'd love to buy you a beer. I'm actually working on another piece that will begin to address many of the common criticisms levied against Star Wars in general, and the prequels in particular. And I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised at what I found out during my research. It really does help to put things into perspective when you dig up all the stuff that was written about Star Wars from the late 70s and early 80s. It makes me wonder whether the spirit of Pauline Kael and all the others are living on in the hearts and minds of many of the prequel bashers.

And the reason I began to write the second piece around the same time as I started the first is because I fully predicted a great deal of the response to the Ring Theory to be of the "Yeah, that's nice but the movies still suck because of acting/dialogue/etc." variety.

But I actually love the discussion. I encourage it. I think there's a great deal we can all learn from it.

So everybody do me a favor and post a link to the Ring Theory on their Facebook page and tweet about it. Let's get the word out!

Thanks again and MTFBWY.

-Mike

[KyleKartanMG]

mike I cant wait for your second article. Your insights are great and very detailed. I love your view of STAR WARS. Please keep us informed about your forthcoming.

[royalguard96]

This was a brilliant essay. I thank you for all the time you put into it. As a writer myself, I appreciate the details you included. And, as a person who sees the PT on an equal plane with the OT, it's nice to see the PT get some legitimate, detailed analysis in the positive for once.

Great, great work!

[E_CHU_TA!]

I feel like a putz for missing this article last month. Mr. Klimo takes Kevin McLeod's article "Did George Lucas change cinema with ‘Star Wars’ prequels? to a more comprehensive and tangible level. Awesome.

I would only add a couple points. Specifically, the analysis could go a little deeper into the ideas of repetition and the parallels of the Fett and Skywalker family. Here was my take on those two items from awhile ago:

The use of parallels is a literary and cinematic tradition. (I think the more common term for parallels is “juxtaposition.” In the TPM DVD commentary, Lucas himself describes the parallels as “rhymes” and compares them to musical notes which are played in varying degrees to create different but similar sounds.) But, parallels for the sake of parallels wouldn’t hold up that well if they didn’t tie into larger concepts. As I have stated before, the reoccurring themes and sequences are really an extension of the mythological and historical iconography in the Saga. As Lucas is an ardent admirer of Joseph Campbell (and as Campbell was an ardent admirer of Carl Jung), he is deeply interested in concepts and symbols which repeat through differing cultures. Moreover, myths are communicated as ideas and stories that are passed down from generation to generation through re-telling. The repetition in the Saga storyline mirrors the repetition in myths through world cultures. Also, putting it another way, GL is retelling the same story in a different way much like myths get retold by new generations

The parallels require active viewership by the audience. As the each parallel varies in their degree, the viewer has to actively discern its context in the chapter they are viewing and compare in the relation to the other moments. (As Obi-wan and Qui-Gon discuss at the start of the entire Saga, one has to be mindful of both the immediate action and larger picture if you are to appreciate the full story.) While some parallels are not significant and merely done to give viewers a familiar grounding, others relate back to the larger ideas of morality and human nature and may lead to questions. (For example, why did Dooku turn out to be a refined old gentleman who is evil while Obi-wan turned out to be refined old gentlemen who he is good? Also, in looking at the parallels between the Fett’s and Skywalker’s, it makes you wonder if in a different life it would be Luke firing cover shots at Boba as he walks into a trap set by Jango.)

Overall, if you take the Saga’s story on the surface, it’s fun and can hold up against or surpass other similar genre films. However, what makes the films transcend beyond escapism is the depth of the story and the intelligent point-of-view of its creator. Even though the prequels are more detached and bookish than the predecessor films, they help elevate the overall Saga and add to the richness of the six part story.

Regarding the Fett’s, I can only explain Lucas' mindset. The Fett’s inclusion in a prequel film was due to Lucas’ acknowledgment of fans’ appreciation for the minor character and his feeling that Boba’s death in ROTJ was dramatically wrong (listen to the DVD audio commentary.) Therefore, he wanted to make the Fett’s central to the overall story, show all their gadgets in use, and give at least one Fett a proper death. One aspect that gets unappreciated is Lucas’ elevation of the Fett’s to the same level of the Skywalker family. Specifically, the character of Boba Fett is set up to be parallel of both Anakin and Luke. He is a parallel to Anakin in that he only has one father and becomes orphaned through violence. He is parallel to Luke in that he follows the path of his armored father and, in the OT, there is the danger that Luke will follow the path of his armored father. Jango’s headless flop and Boba’s moment with his father’s helmet are not a superficial image parallels, but thematic links. When Luke beheads the ghostly Vader (just like Jango), it’s his father’s helmet which clues Luke into his own inner darkness.

One criticism I now have about the "Ring" of the Prequels is that the circle is not fully complete. The Clone Wars series was used to fill in the blanks on key plot points that were left open in episodes 2 and 3.

[KyleKartanMG]

http://www.starwars.com/news/parallel-j ... d=17689819

Author of the Ring Theory writes for SW.com! COOL!

[yarq]

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[yarq]

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