Aren't many sci-fi movies, not just Star Wars, basically westerns in space?
Well, Outland certainly is...
Star Wars is like a western because, er, there's a scene in a bar, I guess. Apart from that? Not really. It's more of a fairy tale, and a little bit of a WW2 movie. I think some people say "western" to mean "the good guys are very good and the bad guys are very bad," but that's not a defining characteristic of any genre. By that logic, I could say that Spider-Man is a western in NYC with superpowered people who wear strange outfits, but does that actually tell you anything? It's just extending the definition to the point of meaninglessness.
Westerns are about frontiers. And order versus chaos, and personal loyalties and ethics, and what you do when there's no authority telling you what to do. Star Trek at least had a western premise -- exploring the unknown. Star Wars is about rescuing princesses and toppling evil empires and joining well-established revolutionary forces. Not so much a western.
Not so much a western.
Good to know. I retract my question, as I don't wish to start a kerfluffle.
(For the record, I hate Westerns but tend to love Sci-Fi. And now I know why that can be so.)
::takes off kerfuffle shoes, with no little regret::
Yojimbo's based on Red Harvest and Fistfull of Dollars is based on Yojimbo.
Right, but the point was,
Star Wars
is based on a handful of Asian pictures, not on their western/Western siblings. Although now I have a vision in my head of Clint Eastwood with a sword, and that is entertaining.
Strega, your comments are interesting. Last year I had an extended discussion on LJ about TV shows in space never being about contested settlements. They always skip that part and go straight to the warfare.
Missy, kerfluffle shoes are so Out for autumn fashions. You best give them to Goodwill.
Missy, kerfluffle shoes are so Out for autumn fashions
I hate Autumn fashion. As soon as the Winter brouhaha boots are in stores, I'm all over them. In the meanwhile I have to make do.
On the other hand, my arch-support brogans of whining complement any outfit.
my arch-support brogans of whining
For those with plantar fasciitis of the soul?
I love my sandals of false superiority, and I intend to wear them until it's so cold that my toes can't stand it any more.
plantar fasciitis of the soul?
Exactly. My soul is all tired and worn-out and fallen.
