The Star Wars Series

The Aesthetics of Star Wars

First of all, what are aesthetics? Aesthetics to some is just as simple as the graphics in a game for example, or a visual representation of something. It goes further than that however. Aesthetics aren't just what we see visually, it is also based on the appreciation of the art form and is even a branch of philosophy that analyses the essence of the art and beauty of the piece itself. It is a tool to enable artists and its viewers to communicate with the piece through emotional responses.

Although the order in which the movies were released, the series is one of the most notable and in my opinion, one of the best movie series I have ever laid eyes upon. But what makes this extraordinary piece beautiful? At the beginning of each  film, you are presented with the famous, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." followed by the the logo and a prologue of the film. We then see the beautiful planets we can identify as alien. We can always tell that we are looking at a new planet when we view the environment the scene is set in. 

The opening music, by John Williams, has to be one of the most iconic pieces of the Star Wars universe. Without even seeing the screen (who would want to look away though?) you would know that you're about to be immersed into a Star Wars movie and the prologue before the action starts. More on the audio side, every sound you hear in the SW universe is unique. You will always hear these sounds you have never heard before, for example, the sounds of the blasters or even the roar of Chewbacca. No same sound will be used for the same alien or blaster for example twice. Each and every alien you see will have their own unique language and you will hear many of them talking in their native tongue along the way. You can tell that great detail has went into the making of each audio clip used in the series. All having their own unique characteristics to make the world feel more real and you can immerse yourself into the world of Star Wars through the feeling generated by movie. I personally am always excited when a new title is released and I have to watch it as soon as they hit the theater.

One great thing SW has done, besides everything, is that is displays a more 'lived-in' feel. In some movies a lot of what you're looking at will look as if it is all new and shiny. This can be seen by the dirt and sand on a troopers armour, or ware on X-Wing fighters the Rebels use. In some of the SW movies they do have new and flashy eye-candy but most stick to the lived-in feel. In my opinion, they did very well making the world seem more realistic in the sense of showing wear and tear on armour and crafts. Throughout the years the visuals have improved, more than just the obvious technological upgrades, but the world itself has also improved. While some have stayed close the original look or even have been kept the same, you can see that some have been changed majorly. For example, the storm trooper armour looks more fierce and intimidating in the later movies.

All in all, the overall aesthetics of the star wars series is definitely one of the best movie series and has the greatest immersive feeling. Luring you into the amazing world, pleasing the eye with the lived in feel and satisfying audio from everything in the universe from the space crafts to something as small as the native animals.