Cnut the Great posted:

The interesting thing about the Separatists is their droids. Because the Separatists are supposed to be the Republic's individualistic, organic, Dionysian id, and yet they make use of a centrally controlled army of mechanical soldiers.

But the funny thing is, this actually makes sense: Since the nature of the Droid Army is contrary to the Separatists' own fundamental nature , it represents a weak point which can be exploited. And indeed that's how the Trade Federation is defeated in Episode I, and how their successors the Separatists are defeated in Episode III: their droid army is shut down in one fell swoop after the central command system controlling them becomes compromised (ironically, both times by Anakin Skywalker).

Similarly, the communitarian, utilitarian, Apollonian superego of the Republic, represented by the Loyalist government, somewhat paradoxically makes use of an army of organic clones whose main benefit is in their ability to act creatively as individuals. This clone army ends up being the Loyalists' weak point just as the droids ended up being the Separatists'. Because the clones were individuals, the Jedi came to genuinely trust them and consider them their friends. This ends up being the downfall of the democratic Loyalists, as their last champions, the Jedi Knights, are gunned down by their comrades after a verbal command from Darth Sidious turns the clones unexpectedly into automatons.

It all ties into the concept of yin and yang, represented by the taijitu symbol:



Both the Separatists and the Loyalists contain contradictions within themselves, just as yin contains yang and yang contains yin. This is actually a good thing, because it gives each faction an edge over the other. Thus, neither one can ever fully dominate, and balance is maintained between them.

In Episode I, the balance of the universe has not yet been upset. Both factions still contain contradictions. The Naboo, representing the Apollonian faction of the Republic, nevertheless utilize starships with distinctly Dionysian (artistic, organic) design sensibilities:



Likewise, the Trade Federation, representing the Dionysian faction of the Republic, nevertheless utilize starship with distinctly Apollonian (technological, utilitarian) design sensibilities:



Neither side deals in absolutes. Everything is balanced.

But then the war comes, and suddenly the balanced, complementary symbol of the taijitu is twisted into an absolutist dichotomy with one rigid dividing line between absolute light and absolute dark:



Thus the Loyalists reject the Dionysian aesthetic of the Naboo and instead adopt the aesthetic of the Trade Federation, becoming fully Apollonian in the process:




By the time of Episode III, we see that both sides have now morphed into absolutist caricatures of themselves. The Apollonian Loyalists now utilize starships with increasingly Apollonian design sensibilities...



...and the Dionysian Separatists now utilize starships with increasingly Dionysian design sensibilities:




By the end of Episode III, the Separatists have been conquered, replaced by Dionysian Rebels with Dionysian starships...



...and the Apollonian Loyalists have been usurped, replaced by Apollonian Imperials with Apollonian starships:



It's the same old conflict being waged between the same two absolutist factions--only now the Dionysians are the virtuous ones and the Apollonians the wicked ones, whereas before the inverse was true. Despite the inherent virtue of their cause, the Rebels' struggle is doomed to fail so long as they strive to overpower and replace their enemies with the use of force. Something else must happen in order for peace and justice to truly prevail.

And so it isn't until Darth Vader/Anakin Skyalker--the half-mechanical/half-organic, half-Apollonian/half-Dionysian being--restores balance to the universe by destroying Sidious--the cancerous sower of discord between Apollo and Dionysus--that the absolutist factions of Rebel and Empire can be dissolved, and the galaxy once again united in the complementary, non-absolutist form of the taijitu.


Anyway, I know all this may sound kind out of "out there" to some people, but it's actually straight out of Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy:


While it's almost certain that Lucas himself has read Nietzsche, it's also worth nothing that Nietzsche was a huge and central influence on Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey--both being, of course, huge influences on George Lucas and on Star Wars in particular.

Cnut the Great posted:

It's the same old conflict being waged between the same two absolutist factions--only now the Dionysians are the virtuous ones and the Apollonians the wicked ones, whereas before the inverse was true. Despite the inherent virtue of their cause, the Rebels' struggle is doomed to fail so long as they strive to overpower and replace their enemies with the use of force. Something else must happen in order for peace and justice to truly prevail.

And so it isn't until Darth Vader/Anakin Skyalker--the half-mechanical/half-organic, half-Apollonian/half-Dionysian being--restores balance to the universe by destroying Sidious--the cancerous sower of discord between Apollo and Dionysus--that the absolutist factions of Rebel and Empire can be dissolved, and the galaxy once again united in the complementary, non-absolutist form of the taijitu.

SuperMechagodzilla posted:

I don't know if you noticed this, but Greivous coughs because he is a pair of damaged lungs loosely attached to a metal frame.

AndyElusive posted:

I found it annoying and ridiculous that after Obi-Wan pries open Grievous's chest to reveal his vital organic components that Grievous just acts surprised, makes the worst noise ever, comes across as embarrassed like he just got his pants pulled down and doesn't immediately like, close it shut again.

Just gets shot in his big stupid heart by an uncivilized weapon.

Steve2911 posted:

A good third of those reviews focusses on just how blind and idiotic most of the characters are.

Harime Nui posted:

Obi-Wan in the prequels is still cooler and smarter than basically all of us

Harime Nui posted:

Actually, let's talk a bit about why I won't see Force Awakens


This is why I won't see Force Awakens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pd6yO-jBRo

It's just one theater, right? Well my one ticket for that one theater should mean a lot less. gently caress Disney for this seriously.

Harime Nui posted:

Thanks, but not happy people are missing my most important post

Phylodox posted:

I didn't miss it. Unfortunately, I'd already seen and really enjoyed The Force Awakens. Twice. But rest assured, when I buy the Blu-Ray I'll know to feel really bad for Quentin Tarantino, so there's that, at least.

Cnut the Great posted:

RBA Starblade posted:

I'm at work and can't watch videos, what is it?

RBA Starblade posted:

It is an incredibly trivial thing but it always bugged me how in Episode 1 the space blockade is a ring around the planet. That doesn't seem that hard to deal with.

Phylodox posted:

Well, good luck not seeing any movies that involve stupid, petty Hollywood fuckery.

Or, to simplify it, movies.

Transferrins posted:

Idk if it was their intent but it's easier to get to space from the equator of a planet so that would be the best place to start blocking people in.

quote:

Basically, Quentin Tarantino thought he had a deal with the Cinerama Dome theater in L.A that they would screen Star Wars for the first half of the holidays, and his movie would get the weeks after that. However, essentially Disney is so rich and powerful that they didn't have to honor that contract, and they said to the theater "hey, it'd really gently caress you if we pulled Star Wars, better just let us run through the whole holiday season" and the Cinerama Dome company was like "well, poo poo" and so Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight didn't get screened in this theater after its premiere night on December 5th; and you gotta understand Quentin's an L.A boy so to him this Cinerama Dome, which has 70mm film projectors already, is like, his theater, he thinks of it as the big premiere theater, and its run is denied him in his own hometown so Disney can make a few more bucks---I mean this is a fairly arty venue so it is just a fistfull of bucks that's at stake here. It's pathetic, and mean on Disney's part.

Basebf555 posted:

I mean its a dick thing to do but is it really a boycottable offense? Disney's probably toppled governments before and had people assassinated and poo poo, this seems like small potatoes.

Phylodox posted:

Won't someone please think of Quentin Tarantino?!?

Neurolimal posted:

Unfortunately no, that would have been pretty cool though. These were the designs before they realized time was running too thin to make another expressive puppet that could handle Maz's scenes, the finished design plays up her role of observation and advice:

Cnut the Great posted:

It's a planetary invasion force. You don't attack the capital of a planet first.

Harime Nui posted:

They didn't have to do this but they basically ruined Quentin Tarantino's christmas. So just as the Vikings got hosed by the hand of God for ruining the christmas of Eli Manning, gently caress these guys.

Harime Nui posted:

You have literally never not gone to bat for a Marvel/Disney thing so seriously, here, in this instance, where Disney has blatantly just plain screwed someone over for money, can you find it in yourself, to not be that guy, I says in my movie announcer voice

Harime Nui posted:

I am asking you don't make light of this

Phylodox posted:

I don't even have to. It makes light of itself. Howard Stern makes light of it right there in the video you posted.