After our class discussions on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its use as an allegory, I got to thinking about other movies that could have employed the same method. Some further research revealed theories about Star Wars and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz being essentially the same story. Although created in completely different eras, the resemblance between the two works is startling.

Once I found out about the theory I was curious to see if any images had been created representing the story book and science fiction movie. Sure enough, I stumbled upon an artist rendering by Denis Medri of what he calls “Oz Wars.” The image depicts Dorothy walking somewhere with a Wookie, who represents the lion, a cross-over between C3P0 and the scarecrow, r2d2 as the tin man, and Toto mixed with Darth Vader.

There are two levels of similarities between these two works: the characters and the allegory they represent. The main protagonist in each story, Dorothy and Luke Skywalker, both leave their home with their Aunt and Uncle in search of something. On their journey both have a companion with them. For Dorothy, Toto takes this position and for Luke it is R2D2. The interesting part about these companions is they cannot communicate directly with the protagonist but both help move the story along.

Then there are the three companions the protagonists meet along the way. In Star Wars, Han Solo is searching for wisdom in the same way that the Scarecrow is hoping to get a brain. The Lion’s quest for courage is replicated in Chewbacca the Wookie’s search. Both also happen to be furry creatures. Finally, while the Tin Man is looking for a heart, C-3PO desires love among all things. There are also unnamed sources of evil in both stories, represented by the flying monkeys and Storm Troopers of Darth Vader’s forces.

Beyond the realm of the similarities in characters, both the story book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the film Star Wars, both have a secondary allegorical meaning. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, whether intentionally or not, serves an allegory for the Populist movement in the 1890s and early 1900s. With the gold standard mimicking the Yellow Brick Road, the silver shoes showing the Populist solution to economic troubles, and the Cowardly Lion representing William Jennings Bryan among other things, there is clear evidence to the allegorical nature of the story book.

To the same tune, George Lucas the creator of Star Wars, has come out in recent years stating that the film, originally aired in 1977, was meant to represent the Vietnam War in many ways. While the film did not make it to the screen before the conclusion of the conflict, the screenwriting process took place at the height of the fighting. Many have said they can see the resemblance of Han Solo to a guerilla on the run from the Viet Kong. It also has followed suit that during most of the releases of future Star Wars films since the original film, America has been involved in some form of armed conflict, most recently in 2005 when Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith premiered during the United States controversial involvement with the war in Iraq. While L. Frank Baum may have unintentionally written about Populism and George Lucas outright says he is presenting an allegorical film, it is clear to see the similarities between these two works.

http://denism79.deviantart.com/art/Oz-Wars-182287947