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D. A. Houdek |
Deb Houdek Rule |
Web designer - Science Fiction author - Civil War historian - Genealogy researcherWelcome to my personal website! |
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"Star Wars" is "Dune"
by D. A. Houdek
I wrote this on the Heinlein Forum bb in 1997.
The Star Wars trilogy is really just a modified, flashier version of DUNE.
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The Novels:
Star Wars by George Lucas
The Movies: Dune (Sci-Fi Channel Mini-series)
The strongest presentation for each story is the original--for Dune it's the book, for Star Wars it's the first movie (later renamed Episode IV: A New Hope)
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We have Luke in the role of Paul Atreides, the young man of destiny, both tied
to desert planets. They are the kwisatz haderach. Luke's future is in his genes
("The Force is strong in my family.") and as unavoidable as Paul's was to him.
Like Paul, Luke has to learn and explore his odd new role as a being unlike
other humans. Both Paul and Luke had to come to terms with being parts of worlds
that those around them couldn't see and didn't understand.
The Rebels are the Fremen fighting the Empire and the Emperor. Darth Vader is
the Baron, the outward symbol of evil. The Baron as Paul's grandfather is Vader
as Luke's father, the necessary, unbreakable link between the good and the evil,
as well as the necessary warning to Luke/Paul of the dangers of following the
path of evil to the dark side of the Force.
Duncan Idaho is Han Solo, and Leia is Alia. Will, in later sequels, Leia be
tortured and unable to cope with her Jedi powers as Alia was hers?
Jabba the Hut is actually Luke's son shifted back in time after he's taken on
the sandworm skin, ala Paul's son, Leto, who evolves into a sandworm.
The first film had a decided homage to Dune, in the shot of the sandworm
skeleton that C3PO walks past. The modified effects of that critter in the hole
in the sand did rather resemble the sandworms in the movie version of Dune,
didn't it?
And a response I wrote to the debate that followed:
Alia played a fairly significant role near the end of the 1st Dune book. It's
in the 2nd book that her similarities to Leia are easier to visualize because
she's older (and hung up on the Duncan Idaho/Han Solo character). However at
that point she's losing her grip. The Leia/Alia comparison is probably the
weakest I make (ever notice their names are almost anagrams of each other?),
however, there they are; both sisters of the guy with the power and both with
that power themselves. Leto's sister in the 3rd book may make a better Leia
parallel. She also married one of the Duncan Idaho clones.
None of the characters in either story, Dune or Star Wars, is an _exact_ carbon
copy of the other. I merely point out many parallels between them.
With the Duncan Idaho character and Han Solo, it's their appeal to the females
in which I find the similarity. Duncan and Han both are rather roguish and
brazen amidst casts of characters who are serious and restrained.
As for the defining moment for Luke and Paul...
"And he could look ahead--the most terrifying direction--to see where it all
pointed.
"I'm a monster! he thought. A freak!
" 'No,' he said. Then: 'No. No! NO!' " (from DUNE)
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