Why Disney understands the force...and Lucas didn't

Nope. The midichlorian aspect always existed. Hence why Luke Skywalker was always seen as having the potential to be very powerful in the Force just because his father was. It was simply spelling it out and driving home the point that made the concept too much for some. But then they missed the fact that this coldness on behalf of the Jedi was part of the narrative that Lucas was telling.

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiight, so you're saying the guy who invented Star Wars and the force doesn't know how the stuff he invented works.....??!

 

However, you cannot deny that Lucas' perception and narrative framing of the force is different in the prequels when compared to the originals. The Force as presented in Disney's new movies is more akin to that originals. The prequel version constitutes New Age religious atomism (the scientifically verifiable force: midichlorians), the Force in the originals is the Heremetic and Gnostic version of the Force. That's also the Disney version.

To claim that Lucas' perception and use of the Force as a narrative tool has always been the same is simply not true. Einstein's early thoughts on relativity were different from his later ones. Furthermore, relativity theory doesn't function as a narrative instrument: the Force does. This might even explain Lucas' invention of Midichlorians. His narrative demanded the discovery of very Force sensitive boy. What better way to show that extreme force sensitivity than by showing it in a positivist context: you can measure it which for an audience equels absolute verifiable truth.

I definitely prefer the heremetic and gnostic version of the Force to the positivist new age one. The Force is something which is revealed when you open your eyes and mind to it, it is a hidden truth and alternate perception of what in narrative is alleged to be the 'true reality'. It is not something you can 'measure', it's ontological.

 

Agreed.

 

For Han "that's not how the Force works"

 

Agreed. Thats why the midiclhorinans will never be mentioned again ( I hope so).

 

But the whole idea of the midichlorians (despite actually existing in some sense during the OT and now ST with the continuation of the Skywalker bloodline - genetics) was to show that the Jedi had become too detached from the living force. It was a large part of the narrative that people at first didn't understand but then as Lucas showed the demise of the Jedi and mistakes they made - it all made sense.

Now of course, the non-scientific presentation of the Force in the OT is favourable and makes for a "better film". But that wasn't something Lucas put much stock in for the PT, he had a story he wanted to tell and by the maker, he was going to tell it, warts and all!

And now Disney have taken over and it just so happens that in terms of telling more enjoyable stories with a more spiritual portrayal of the Force, it coincides with the narrative going in that direction. "The Jedi" have learned their lessons about the living force and being too "cold". So the talk of midichlorians in unnecessary now in-universe as well. Though again, it's signature is still there due to the story of the Skywalker bloodline.

 

That makes sense. I hadn't considered that what you suggest would have been Lucas' intention. I thought it was just a narrative tool to show for an audience how "force sensitive" Anakin really is. It is the end of the 90s, the highpoint of modernity's positivism: no better way to show an audience 'proof' by presenting Anakin's force sensitivity as scientifically verifiable. Though I very much prefer your interpretation: the more we move from 1 to 9, the more heremetic and gnostic the force becomes. Just like all our Jedi characters at the end of their lives get a better understanding of the workings of the Force, ultimately becoming one with the force.



I remember the researchstation which Obi Wan uses to verify Anakin's midichlorian count from the Star Wars Identities exhibition. No better image to describe Jedi hubris than this monstrosity

 

While I have my problems with the PT, I never understood why fans went ballistic over Midiclorians. The Plot Point was essentially created to put a number on how powerful Anakin Skywalker is, sort of like saying 'Lebron James has an ultra high Basketball Midiclorian count' when he was 10 years old. I think Lucas was underestimating his audience because a great storyteller doesn't have to spell everything out as if he had shown how powerful Anakin through the movies then the point was made. The one key scene is when they take a Midiclorian count of him and Obiwan says that Anakin's is higher then Master Yoda's, so it is essentially telling the audience this 10 year old boy is more gifted then the Head Jedi Master.

 

bang on. GL felt the need to highlight how 'off the scale' Anakin was, and midi.. ugh i can't say it, was the way he went about it.

- Yoda (ESB)

- Kenobi (ANH)

these descriptions have always been enough for me, and always will

Living force... cosmic force... meh

 

Yes, and (as you well know) the midichlorians reference also set up something beyond that -- something truly special...

The Sith Legend of Darth Plagueis​

 

I think there was definitely a strong element of what you say above. As soon as he went with the chosen one idea, he kind of had to find a way to qualify it in universe. Essentially, he had to bring the genetic element to the foreground. But it is their over reliance on the science and their own power rather than the living Force that I feel the midichlorians represent narratively and I really believe Lucas wanted to present that to us. People (not you) were just too hasty (as ever) to find fault and criticise before actually trying to figure out the meaning behind it all. That's why I love the PT. I can see they're not brilliantly made films. But they're rich. There is a lot going on.

Oh my. If Luke found this during his search for Jedi lore, never mind Ben Solo, this alone probably explains why he felt the order should end!

 

Albert Einstein did not make anything - he discovered something and could explain it accurately.



George Lucas wrote a story line within a separate galaxy/universe and had these mystic people who could control/access an "energy field surrounding all living things" as Obi Wan explained in ANH.

This combined with the explanation from Yoda,Vader and Palpatine suggested that only some could do what they were doing with the force (after training and guidance to attune themselves to this "force" as it'd come to be called).

It did not say that there were only certain people from certain bloodlines who could do so.

Skip to PT and we get the midichlorian "explanation" which perhaps did not need explaining as the idea of a mystical force being inside all living things but more present in some life forms was pretty much good enough.

Even though I thought the midichlorians idea was not needed,it also did not preclude anyone from being force-sensitive and set up any special bloodline ideas.

Skip to ST and we have Rey who is not only force sensitive but attuned and seemingly needing not much training to do what others before her needed training and time from those who had studied to do.

Luke did not do a lot of training but then he was being set for a specific task and not a life-long service to the Jedi Order (that was dead) so his strong connection in the force helped that along (plot device of course for the whole Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader redemption arc).

I do not see anything wrong with either GL or Disney's expression of force abilities myself as it would be arrogant for anyone to think that the limits of what a force wielder could do with the force has been all shown and nothing more to see.

As a writer in a fictional world,a thing like the force allows for the best part of storytelling - imagination.

Which brings me back to Albert Einstein:

 

And here is a needless reply!

 

The OT was lightning in a bottle. Lucas is absolutely responsible for giving that to us. But following that, I think Lucas didn't know where to take things. We all know the manner in which the PM script was written.....

But to say he didn't understand the force, and even for modern haters of the ST to say Disney doesn't understand the force......doesn't make sense.

The force is a storytelling tool in Star Wars. It is flexible, and usable in whatever manner the writer sees fit for their story.

 

completely agree

i'd like to hear more