It's hard to imagine that back in 1971 when the idea of Star Wars, a sort of spaghetti western in space, was pitched to Universal, that such a film almost didn’t see the light of day. Even though it had been greenlighted along with American Graffiti as a two film deal, the initial scripts were rejected. George Lucas had to fight for its very creation with rewrite after rewrite and wondered even after it was complete whether it was worth it to continue.
So how did this worrisome experiment turn into a multi-billion dollar empire and cult classic still thrilling people? Well like Walt Disney, Lucas knew that good moviemaking started with a great story. No film becomes as memorable as Star Wars on special effects alone. People have to care about the subject matter, relate to it. Themes such as fighting the establishment, death, friendship, betrayal, and redemption are timeless subjects that live on. They draw us into the film, instead of strictly being spectators in our seats.
Star Wars is considered science fiction, but like its adversary Star Trek, the George Lucas universe had foreseen many real technological breakthroughs. These innovative achievements showcase the vision that went into making the films and how the future would come to pass. Here are some examples:
In Empire Strikes Back, Luke loses his hand in the battle with Lord Vader at the Cloud City. He is seen later in the film getting a new hand put back on. Inventors like Dean Kamen (of Segway fame) have created a bionic arm that provides amputees with functional fingers where they can pick up and manipulate things much easier. While still not as agile as Luke’s arm, they can go a long way to helping the handicapped be able to do tasks that before were quite difficult if not impossible.
Darth Vader is known for the heavy breathing sound of the ventilator that was built into his suit. It was in essence a portable iron lung that allowed him to breathe and to allow him to function. However, there was no such thing when Star Wars was filmed, at least not in that form.
Many people think when they hear the phrase iron lung, a person enclosed in a long tube that provides muscular support to the lungs. The machine would literally force their breathing and these people were required to stay in this tube for the rest of their lives. Most were polio victims, but was needed for anyone with paralyzed chest muscles.
Fortunately, polio was all but eradicated and a new method developed which allowed air to be pushed and pulled through the mouth instead of through the chest. Iron lungs were phased out, but they are still in use by at least 30 people in the US who require the more efficient method of the iron lung.
This is where Darth’s suit becomes a reality, sort of. A device that could be worn on the upper body that serves the same function as the large tube apparatus. This allowed freedom for those that needed the power of an iron lung and wanted the freedom to see new places, even if it was in a wheelchair. While not for every patient, it did help to bring some quality back to their lives.
And finally, the light saber. A company came up with a 1 watt laser that can burn through objects like the weapon of a jedi knight and has the same kind of handle. The only trouble is that it doesn’t stop after 3 to 4 feet, so it can actually injure someone a mile away. And it can cause permanent blindness if shined in one’s eye. But it is a very usable tool. However, when the manufacturer wanted to call it a light saber, Lucas put a stop to it because of its dangerous nature.
There are more examples, but these are just some highlights of the technology that started in Star Wars as fiction that became reality
