Was thinking today about Star Wars and some of my theories re: settings indicative of the actions that take place there with regards to the mythological and psychological significance.

This is a theory I've had for some time. For instance, Tattooine.

In one of the many interviews I've seen with George (it was either the one with Bill Moyers or the American Masters show, don't remember which), George says simply that Tattooine is the "home" place, with all the earth tones and such. I don't see it that way, and I think there's more in it than George intended.

Tattooine is a desert planet. The land does not allow life to grow, it's land that is intrinsically incapable of supporting life -- sand. (Ignore the details for the moment, I know there's places on the planet where they have oasis or whatever, and I'll get to the mushrooms on the vaporators in a moment). What is happening in TPM? Anakin and Shmi are slaves -- they're unable to live a life of positive change. They're not allowed to "grow" as people. The entire environment of slavery is antithetical to growth of the spirit. This carries through in AotC. Anakin took his chance to leave Tattooine with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and he found himself in an environment that allowed him to grow -- the Jedi. Shmi also managed to find a life with the Lars family, but it was a limited life. This is symbolized by the fact that she'd gone out that morning to harvest mushrooms that grow on the vaporators -- an oasis of moisture in a limiting environment. Anakin in a sense outgrew his life as a Jedi, symbolized by his frustration with Obi-Wan. They gave him what he needed but it wasn't enough.

What are the Sandpeople and the Jawas? In neither case to you see living faces or individuals, which would symbolize a living presence. With the Sandpeople you see these metal tubes and bits and the wrappings around their heads, and they all look alike. The Jawas only have the glowing eyes, and they all look alike. They're not a living presence. They're more like static functions of Tattooine itself, cogs in the wheels of Tattooine, part of the environment. They're negative influences -- the Sandpeople attack anyone that comes in range, the Jawas are scavengers who prey on other non-living entities (droids). The actions and actors on the Tattooine stage draw a peculiar picture -- it's a repressive, sterile environment wherein largely unliving actors continually hold back those who are trying to grow beyond the confines into a larger, healthier life. Watto, the Sandpeople, the Jawas, the Stormtroopers, Jabba, Uncle Owen. Curiously, the only people who seem capable of operating in this environment with any success have to take on seemingly repressive roles or masks. Obi-Wan learned to imitate the scream of a Krayt dragon to scare the Sandpeople away, and he'd learned their ways and how to live in the desert. Leia took on a disguise of a non-living, faceless creature in order to rescue Han from Jabba (the bounty hunter costume, with the droid-like metal mask). Han himself, encased in carbonite, survived because of it. In a sense it's a sort of underworld. A dead land where you have to take on the appearance of the dead in order to survive to come out in a larger world.

By contrast, think of Naboo. When Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jar Jar are in the bongo and surface at last in that canal in Theed, Jar Jar's first words are, "Oh, this is loverly." Theed is a sort of heaven, all the beautiful architecture and order and flowers, sunshine. And yet it's being invaded by -- you guessed it -- faceless, soulless machines, commanded by forces motivated by greed. It's demons storming heaven. In the battle scenes, you've got a completely organic army of Gungans facing an army composed entirely of droids, in a living, green, lush environment. And the living organic side won. Naboo is a place entirely on the higher orders of life -- learning, culture, art. The entire place is about growth. That's why Padme's plan worked, because her begging the Gungans for reconciliation and help in the battle fostered growth for both cultures. Her actions were in accord with the environment, not in opposition.

Coruscant is entirely indicative of Palpatine's entire character. A purely unliving world, center of the known galaxy where all roads lead, with a kind of false beauty covering a rotting core. There's nothing living on Coruscant except the people. You don't even see plants in the Jedi Temple. Everything is artificial, technological, and thus malleable. Palpatine is the spider at the middle of it all, like a political sculptor.

And shall I get in to the entire symbolism of the color scheme on the first Death Star? Ever notice that the only colors besides black and white is red (of the Emperor's guard)? Because -- surprise! -- to the Empire it's a black and white world! And what was the first target? Alderaan! A planet of green, lush, growing things, center of peace in the galaxy... you get the picture. What was going to be the second target? Yavin, with even more green, lush growing things, housing a bunch of people intent on eliminating the repressive influence ... you get it, don't you? What places did we see on the Death Star in ANH? A control room. A prison block and a cell. And a trash compactor. A bottomless chasm that blocked the means of escape. A hangar that held the Falcon captive. And a tractor beam that prevented escape.

Staffed by bunches of guys in identical armor, many of whom were identical clones, commanded by officers who at the very best could be described as faceless bureaucrats. And Vader the most faceless of them all.

And did you notice that no two Jedi dressed alike? They were all different.

I could go on and on and on...

George is smarter than he knows.