Tropes on Tropes on Tropes

So I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but this was the first time I had ever seen Star Wars.  Honestly, if it wasn’t for this assignment, I probably would have gone my whole life without seeing it.

All I have to say is thank goodness for Dr. MB because this movie has filled a void in my life I didn’t even know existed.  That might be a little over dramatic, but still!

Granted, some parts were a little strange to me.  Like Storm Troopers riding weird dinosaurs through the desert.  But overall I was really impressed with the special effects considering the movie was filmed in ’77.

As I was watching, the one thing that kept running through my head was why this movie has become such an icon in pop culture.  What makes it so timeless and beloved decades after it was released?  And I think I figured it out.  The movie is composed of nothing but tropes.  But in the best of ways.

While watching the movie I took the liberty of listing all the major clichés that I found and came to a grand total of eight tropes used in the film.

1.       In the beginning credits the audience is told that there is a galactic civil war occurring, fulfilling the classic good vs. evil cliché. 
2.       Luke Skywalker is the classic young man who is bored with his simple life and wants to find adventure.
3.      As with most movies, there always has to be the cute “pet” figure that everyone loves.  In this case it’s a droid named R2D2.
4.       C-3PO plays the classic comedic relief, adding that much needed sense of humor to an otherwise heavily action-filled movie.
5.       There is the standard tension/struggle between the teen (Luke) and his parents (his aunt and uncle).  For instance, Luke wants to go to the academy while his uncle needs him to stay at the farm.
6.       There is the wise man (Obi-Wan Kenobi) with a white beard and a robe who aids the young hero in his journey. 
7.       The hero (Luke) loses his entire family to the “bad guys” and leaves to start a new life and seek revenge.
8.       The hero rescues the damsel in distress (Princess Leia).  Though Luke rescued her in that one instance, it’s pretty safe to say that Leia is the most badass princess I know.

So with all of these classic clichés going on in the movie, it’s no wonder Star Wars is so beloved.  Though on the surface the story line is futuristic, the meat of the plot is composed of stories that we are all extremely familiar with.  Lucas takes the commonplace and puts a much needed spin on it, resulting in one of the most iconic movies of our time.