Revenge of the Sith = Bush Administration

[Geek_Girl]

I just watched Revenge of the Sith where Lucas draws very obvious parallels to the Sith and the Current administration. The moral/theme of the film is about the fragility of democracy and how good intentioned people could be deceived into war so the Sith can gain power.


Here are some lines from the movie.
<snip>
When Padme is talking to Anakin

PADME: What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?


When Palpatine the Sith Lord give his speech to the Senate

PALPATINE: In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.

There is a loud, sustained CHEER from the Senate.

PADME: So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause . . .


Confrontation between Anakin and Obi-wan

ANAKIN: Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do. I have brought peace, justice, freedom, and security to my new Empire.

OBI-WAN: Your new Empire?

ANAKIN: Don't make me kill you.

OBI-WAN: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic ... to democracy.

ANAKIN: If you're not with me, you're my enemy.

OBI-WAN: Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes. I will do what I must.

</snip>
Script

[BattyDem]

1. "Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes."

I guess it's true then ... * is Vader! :evilgrin:

[Geek_Girl]

5. I kind of see it as

* is Palpatine and the US is Anakin. Anakin gets seduced by the Darkside because he is afraid of losing Padme and thinks the only one that can help save her is Palpatine.

Much like how the Americans voted for * because they thought he could keep them safe from terror.

[BattyDem]

9. That's an interesting take on it ...

thanks for pointing that out. :toast:

[BrendaStarr]

16. Right wing radio all over it

The other day the neighbor's radio was blasting something from hate radio loud enough for me to "enjoy" it too.

The host was whining about RotS.

And about how "liberals were putting messages into movies".

But, apparently they were able to make the connection very easily, so um.. the shoe must fit.

I mean we could point out that Lucas is just making a movie.

If they are drawing parallels to real life, then don't blame Lucas.

[Jon_da_brockman]

2. Just saw it today

and the "absolutes" line hit me the most.

[Must_B_Free]

4. This one was the most in-your-face to me

PADME: What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?

[TahitiNut]

3. Well, when the storm-trooper's boot fits, ...

:evilgrin: Perhaps some neocons' skulls will explode?? Denial has its limits.

[Stand and Fight]

6. Star-trooper?

You mean to say storm trooper or clone trooper, right? :evilgrin:

[TahitiNut]

10. (oops!) Yes.

I don't seem to be able to post anything more than a smilie without seeing the need to edit. I should probably put a permanent 'edit warning' in my sig.

[Stand and Fight]

11. Naaaa....

You're one of the best DUers we have around here -- plus that line was damn funny!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Just saw it tonight

and I thought those same lines really stood out. The Republicans ARE the Sith. Wonder if the Freepers will notice?

[Geek_Girl]

8. I can't see how anyone not notice

It was like Lucas was hitting people over the head. But Freepers are pretty dense.

[Roxy66]

12. I just saw it too....wow, I even laughed a few times at the obvious

parallels. I live in a very red county of Oregon..and when I accidently laughed a few times I knew I was the only one noticing....I felt so out of place. Like I was in the "Twilight Zone".

[Geek_Girl]

13. I Live in a red area too

I saw a few faces coming out of the theater that didn't seem to happy. They were red neck types, I wonder if it was because they got the political message or if they where somber because of the dark ending.

[Roxy66]

14. Kick

[fortyfeetunder]

15. Though another jumble of the term "sith"

yields the name "shit"

Which comes close enough for me....

[renoray]

17. Phantom menace had a better line...

"Is that legal?"
"I WILL MAKE IT LEGAL"

is such a great and overlooked line. That came out before 9/11/01.

Episode 1 - an elusive series of manufactured crisises intended to distract and divide and conquer a completely oblivious Republic.
-Check

Episode 2 - a fictitious prefabricated war is used to grab power.
-Check

Episode 3 - A removal of the checks, balances provided by those that seek to uphold the law. A complete removal of all public opposition. Evil is recognized for what it truly is, only it is too late to stop it. The last autonomous thinkers are eliminated from the ranks.
-A work in progress

Episode 4 - The appearance of a government is no longer needed and done away with completely. The former republic now freely commits acts of genocide without hesitation.
-Coming soon?

For the most part I think Lucas isn't imitating current events, current events are imitating Lucas.

[LightningFlash]

18. But look at it this way..

It's waking everyone up!!! This movie is VITAL and definitely, came at a proper time.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050518/BREAKINGNEWS/50518023

Ohio scandal gets bigger.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Star Wars and Senator Lautenberg today

Yes kiddies you guessed it... Senator Frist became Palpatine

:evilgrin:

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. This is "example #3" in this thread on how the Bush admin is portrayed

in TV and movies - this is STRONG CRITICISM and we should take heart from it. Even the NY Times review of this movie had a long section on the parallels with the Bush Adminstration - excerpt in the thread.

Here's the thread - I hope you'll add a comment:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1792922
Thread title: “Funny but important - Ridicule/criticism of Bush Admin in MOVIES and TV”

[Geek_Girl]

21. I went over to the Freeper Site Last Night

To see the reaction to the movie. It seems they really liked the movie and don't understand why it's anti *.

They just don't get it. It's obvious Lucas wrote this script to be a slap in the face to the current administration but there to dense to even figure that out.

[LightningFlash]

22. Well its like the book says...

Evil often ends up agreeing with evil by default, so there'd be no reason to criticize it. That's my take.

[Nevernose]

23. Not sure the parallel was intentional

He wrote the srcipt at least three years ago, and the plotting was definately done closer to ten years ago (and began something like 30 years ago).

IMO, Lucas just copied every fascist's rise to power -- Caesar, Hitler, you name it. After all, how many times have we (the human race) fallen for the same old shit?

[Geek_Girl]

24. Actually Lucas had this to Say at Cannes

<snip>
CANNES, France (CNN) -- "Star Wars" director George Lucas says that although he wrote the original film during the Vietnam War, his six-part saga could apply to the war in Iraq.

''In terms of evil, one of the original concepts was how does a democracy turn itself into a dictatorship,'' Lucas told a news conference at Cannes, where his final episode had its world premiere.

''The parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable.

</snip>
Full Story

Lucas was obviously influenced by what happened in Vietnam. I'd bet the dialog and lines in the script were revised to draw parallel to what is happening today in Iraq.

[Nevernose]

28. He was on TV three days ago

DENYING any similarities! I'd give you a link if I could remember the channel, but I have a memory like a sieve. I swear to you, though, that George said just DAYS ago that any similarities between "Sith" and the Bush administration were purely coincidental, despite what he also said at Cannes.

Personally, I'm pretty sure that GL is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, but I also know he has a nasty habit of taking completely different stances on things from one day to the next (at least regarding Star Wars).

There very well could have been some script revision, but would it have been necessary? Is there really that much of a difference between Hitler's rise to power and *'s?

[Geek_Girl]

29. He may of said that its coincidence

Because he's being diplomatic.

But I don't think it's a coincidence. I don't remember any literal reference to the republic as a democracy in any of the other films and Palpatine depicting himself as a defender of democracy.

[renoray]

30. There is a reference to democracy in Episode 2

In attack of the clones, Palpatine gives a speech where he says "I love democracy. I love the Republic" as he is being given his "emergency powers" (patriot act).

[Geek_Girl]

31. I must of missed that line

I only saw episode 2 once and I didn't care for it but I thought Episode 3 was great.

[bridgit]

25. i don't want to give the bush admin that much credit...

but the reference to tyranny was clearly there. if the faces of the bush admin are on it, oh well. they wanted their cake, wouldn't shut the hell up till they got it, now they have it and they don't want to eat it. bad babies all imo

[Catchawave]

26. Hayden thinks so :)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7750917/

[Geek_Girl]

27. He Should Know

He's plays the main character of the Movie. But I'm sure the mental midgets in freeptard ville will still be as clueless as ever.

<snip>
When the Ottawa Sun asked Christensen if the flick “takes metaphoric shots at the war-mongering politics of U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and the two George Bushes” the star answered: “Absolutely.”
</snip>
Link

[johnaries]

32. Lucas wasn't writing about *, he was drawing from history:

from Rome, from France (Napolean), and from Germany. Any similarities between the current administration and those historical references are just a coincidence (and a very frightening coincidence).:scared: