There is no known date for when the ancient Greeks or Romans first shared their stories about gods, monsters and heroes. But for the modern myth known as Star Wars, that date is May 25,1977, when the original movie opened in theaters and kicked off a global phenomenon that spanned films, TV shows, novels, comic books, toys, lunchboxes, bed sheets and more. Even today, Star Wars remains an enduring touchstone (检验标准) of pop culture. Critically praised or not, the movies continue to be a big hit.
And just as we know when the mythology began, we also know who invented it: writer-director George Lucas. His inspiration, he told TIME in 1977, was “all the books and films and comics that I liked when I was a child… My main reason for making it was to give young people an honest, wholesome fantasy life, the kind my generation had.”
No one could predict just how much Lucas’ creation would catch on — not even Lucas himself or the film’s star Mark Hamill, who played young hero Luke Skywalker. “I had no idea it would be as successful as it was,” Hamill said in 2017, marking the original film’s 40th anniversary. “I just thought I would be a fan of this even if I weren’t involved.”
Before Lucas created Star Wars, he had an even more ambitious goal — to blow up the ways of Old Hollywood. And he did. Star Wars introduced a new era of moviemaking, one that saw the development of amazing special effects and the tools to achieve them. After this legend, filmmakers felt free to bring their wildest ideas to life in totally realistic ways that left audiences thrilled.
Why did Star Wars become such a powerful force? Hamill credits its ability to satisfy the human need for escapism. “People value the idea of going away to some happy place,” he said, “whether it’s Oz or Narnia or Middle Earth or Hogwarts. I think it appeals to children of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6 or 60. It appeals to the optimistic young idealism that I think every person has, however buried it might be.”
【小题1】What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．People should keep digging into the history of ancient myths. |
| B．More products associated with Star Wars have been created. |
| C．Some people’s criticism of Star Wars made it less popular than before. |
| D．Star Wars is more successful in the business field than in the entertainment field. |
| A．To break the old rules and traditions of making films. |
| B．To appeal to the optimistic young men to pursue their dreams. |
| C．To encourage other filmmakers to bring their wild ideas to life. |
| D．To offer young people an as good and healthy fantasy life as he had. |
| A．it meets people’s pursuit for a place to escape |
| B．it symbolizes the beginning of the modern myth |
| C．the special effects offer amazing viewing experience |
| D．the main actors in this film are very popular among the public |
| A．inspire people to be optimistic and ideal |
| B．introduce the basic information about Star Wars |
| C．recommend the talented writer-director George Lucas |
| D．criticize the fact that Star Wars is not as well made as before |
