Sith Lord Dubya


Star Wars creator unlikely to spend any time in the Lincoln Suite of the Whitehouse.



George Lucas has probably dealt George W Bush a heavier blow with a few well-placed words in Episode III than all the "Rebel separatists" -- anti-demagogues, 911 theorists, anti-war and Green groups -- could with all their efforts combined.

By equating Dubya to the Dark Sith Lord Darth Vader (above), Lucas has, for once, firmly nailed his colours to the flag far more subtly than sledgehammer attacks such as Fahrenheit 911. (And if Dubya is Vader, that leaves Dick Cheney as Palpatine/Darth Sidius.) A century after people forget the lies that were Alaskan Oil, Halliburton, 911, Afghanistan, and Iraq, they will be watching Episode III and drawing the inevitable conclusion.

When Vader says to Kenobi "You are either with me or my enemy" it is a not-so-thinly veiled reference to Bush's first State of the Union in 2001 when he said in hallmark Texan style, "you are either with us or against us".

Just in case an audience member is still in any doubt what they just heard, Lucas' voice intrudes again, as if to say "yes, you heard me right", when Ben replies: "Only a sith deals in absolutes".

Even the otherwise passive Padme gets a shot in: "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause", while distressing on the state of the Republic to Bail Organa, who will raise her daughter, Leia.

Although Lucas justifiably maintains the political undertones predate Bush -- the draft of the first movie dates back to the early 70s -- it is clear he tweaked the characters and their lines to encapsulate contemporary issues.

More fundamental than a few pointed lines, Sidius/Palpatine's plot to destabilise democracy through a phony war directly harkens to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Will so many contemporary references date the movie?

Not likely. History is redolent with examples of phony emergencies used as excuses for war.

WWI, Pearl Harbour, VietNam, and Panama are just a few examples in the last 90 years.

It's a sure-fire winning ploy that other presidents will employ and their citizens will cheer; at least, at first.

Some don't like politics invading their film fantasy. They regard it as uncouth. Others feel threatened by a belief system they don't share.

All this reaction to just a few lines and a fictional political milieu is breathtaking.

But it proves Lucas shifted a boulder with a pebble -- his most stunning achievement to date.

Will historians in 20 years look back at May 19, the launch of Episode III, and say that was the date that the Bush presidency began to turn?

Posted: Sat - May 21, 2005 at 11:43 AM          

©