Star Wars was written and directed by George Lucas and was released by Twentieth Century Fox in 1977. A science fiction tale, Star Wars centers on the journey Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) makes from innocent young man to noble Jedi Knight. Skywalker eventually teams up with Hans Solo (Harrison Ford) in an effort to save Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the treacherous Darth Vader (David Prowse and James Earl Jones). A classic tale of good versus evil with dazzling special effects, Star Wars ushered in the era of the blockbuster. The film grossed over $450 million in United States theaters alone. It inspired Lucas to create his own studio, Lucas Films Ltd., and produce several sequels and prequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), and Attack of the Clones (2002). Star Wars also inspired a spin-off industry of merchandise, from models of x-wing fighters to Pez candy dispensers, that generated over $4 billion in sales. The film earned seven Academy Awards.

Some critics charged that Star Wars reproduces racial stereotypes in its representations of both human and alien diversity. No recognizable actors of color are employed in the film, and only a few are in the sequels. James Earl Jones, a black actor, provides the voice but not the performance of Darth Vader. Nevertheless, some count Star Wars as a landmark film for both its innovative use of special effects and its problematic racial politics.

Bibliography

Campbell, Richard, with Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos. Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 2d ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2000.

Sobchack, Vivian. Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film. 2d ed. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1997.

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