“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda
“What religious echoes can be found in this quote?” asks Juan Contreras of the memorable line spoken by the Jedi Master in the “Star Wars” anthology. Contreras is the instructor and creator of the summer special topics class, “The Films of Star Wars,” now under way at The University of Akron.
Students don’t have to be a fan to take the 3-credit class, but they are required to watch all seven films.
As they do, Contreras asks them to examine elements of classic mythology, historical references and religious motifs used to tell the story in the movies created by George Lucas.
“We also look at the production value of “Star Wars,” what contributions “Star Wars” made to the film industry and also what kind of marketing powerhouse that it became eventually,” says Contreras. The self-proclaimed “Star Wars” geek is the interim general manager of Z-TV, the campus television station, and a lecturer in the School of Communication.
School of Communication lecturer Juan Contreras leads a discussion during a session of “The Films of Star Wars” class he is teaching this summer.
Students don’t just talk about their favorite special effects or characters. Contreras says the film series lends itself to much deeper study.
Touching on many topics
“Because it is its own universe that has played out over decades, “Star Wars” lets you analyze religion, politics, gender, ethnicity and race,” explains Contreras. “In addition, we look at how media enterprises use marketing techniques, and how communities relate to the content and share their experiences through the Web and social media.”
Emily Drapp, graduating this summer, is a communication major who wants to work in media production. She watched all the films for the first time to get ready for this course.
“It’s really helping me to learn how to tell a great story,” she says.
Sitting next to her is Clay Wyers, a junior majoring in computer science. He loves the films. What has surprised him in this class is learning “how many connections to past history” Lucas incorporated into the “Star Wars” stories.
Tools of storytelling
Contreras is not surprised. “We look at both the technical and cultural tools that storytellers can use in film today that serve the same function as those classic myths did for the Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians in ancient times.”
The class also addresses how filmmakers craft their stories with the tools available to them in their time. “Today, those tools can include the Internet, video and social media,” says Contreras.
He hopes to teach the class again next summer.
And, in case you are wondering, Yoda takes after Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Taoism, Conteras points out. “A serene and focused mind is vital to the training of both the Buddhist monk and the Jedi knight.”
Media contact: Lisa Craig, 330-972-7429 or lmc91@uakron.edu.