One Roguish Entry

Wow. I’ve just read WellOKThen’s untitled entry. Deep stuff. By comparison, this intentionally keep-it-light submission now seems hopelessly inadequate.

In fact, it’s highly appropriate to say: ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’

As a child of the 70s, to me Star Wars always meant both the original 1977 film and the trilogy. (In much the same way that Hawaii refers to both Hawaii and Hawaii.) It wasn’t until the 1990’s prequels that Episode IV became widely known as A New Hope.

That didn’t sit well with me.

Not that I had to contend with the change; that’s a part of life. Not that suddenly the original trilogies were episodes four to six; the scroll had always dubbed them so. No; what I didn’t like was the title.

A New Hope.

I found it weak. Vague. Lacking.

You know where you are with The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi. Even The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of The Sith and The Force Awakens are bold subtitles which elicit a sense of adventure, danger and derring-do. But A New Hope left me empty and unenthralled.

Until Rogue One, arguably the best film of the franchise.

There is a line which imbues the words ‘a new hope’ with power and expectance. (I’m not saying what the line is, who delivers it or when: no spoilers here.) Suddenly, Episode IV’s subtitle was pertinent and exciting.

So thank you to person who wrote that line for instilling in me, a then 40-something man, a sense of wonder and joy that reminded me of the pleasure and fantasy of my youth.

And thank you to you too, for staying with me through this tirade. I hope I didn’t keep you from something important.