Oedipal Readings of 2 Films

Michael Hauge observes, "All successful contemporary films draw on situations that have been explored before" (27), and, in fact, even the most original fiction draws strength from some familiarity, either of character, storyline, or theme, in order to involve the audience. Myths and legends provide some of the most potent sources of inspiration, and the Oedipus myth has proved particularly enduring.

At his birth, Oedipus' parents are told that it was his destiny to one day murder his father and marry his mother. The

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g, and Lucas understands this well. He says, "I'm telling an old myth in a new way. Each society takes that myth and retells it in a different way, which relates to the particular environment they live in" (Moyers 93). Instead of following the original plot points to the letter, he focuses on following the essential structure. Oedipus knows he is destined to kill his father. Luke discovers this destiny in himself, knowing first that he will eventually have to overcome Vader and then discovering that Vader is his father. This discovery makes the earlier knowledge that much more heartbreaking, but it changes nothing. Luke will still have to kill Vader in order to follow the path he has chosen. The fact that Vader is a part of him makes his destiny more tragic but does not alter it. Shifting the mother figure to a sister figure is also an interesting twist on the original story. In their face-to-face confrontations, Vader soon begins to use Leia as a weapon, as well. In fact, Vader's threat to turn Leia to the dark side if Luke will not himself surrender finally gives Luke the impetus to deliver the final, murderous blow. The triumph of son over father is one of the most powerful themes in the Oedipus myth. This vanquishm
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Approximate Word count = 2822
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)