Not So Long Ago in a Galaxy Not So Far Away : Cold War and the Original Star Wars Trilogy

Lázár, Bence István (2018) Not So Long Ago in a Galaxy Not So Far Away : Cold War and the Original Star Wars Trilogy. BA/Bsc, Szegedi Tudományegyetem.

PDF 2018_Lázár_Bence_István_AVLDQS_SZ.pdf Hozzáférés joga: SZTE designated computers only Download (666kB)

Abstract

This paper aims to present the historical context the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope from 1977, The Empire Strikes Back from 1980 and Return of the Jedi from 1983) was created in and draw parallels between the movies and the extradiegetic world. By this, the goal is to show the correlations of facts and fiction by proving the cultural significance of the original Star Wars movies, the impact they created and how they provide a picture of the US in the late period of the Cold War under the guise of a simple blockbuster. In order to accomplish this, the first chapter – after an introduction – surveys the historical aspect. By analyzing critical periods and aspects of the Cold War, the thesis demonstrates how Star Wars deals with them. After the historical overview, the second chapter deals with the technological advances made during the Cold War, especially related to the Strategic Defense Initiative, and how Star Wars used futuristic ideas to create the weaponry and the intradiegetic world of the movie. Moving from the exact to the abstract, the third chapter takes a look at the extra- and intradiegetic world from an ideological stance, looking at the driving ideas of the US and the USSR, comparing them to the ones that can be found in the films, and also considering the religious aspect of both worlds. The final chapter – before the conclusion – is about the impact of the movies, how it was welcomed among critics and viewers and how it marked a new path for Hollywood. Finishing up, the conclusion gives insight into the legacy of the trilogy and the current life of the franchise.

Institution

Szegedi Tudományegyetem

Faculty

Faculty of Arts

Department

Amerikanisztika Tanszék

Discipline

Humanities

Specialization

anglisztika

Supervisor(s)

Item Type:	Thesis (BA/Bsc)
Subjects:	06. Humanities
Depositing User:	szerkesztő BTK
Date Deposited:	2019. Apr. 26. 13:28
Last Modified:	2019. Apr. 29. 06:39
URI:	https://diploma.bibl.u-szeged.hu/id/eprint/74454

Actions (login required)

View Item