Religious Themes in Film

Lesson 5: Star Wars: The Godfather of Archetype Films

“I am your Father:” Fathers, Sons and Sacrifices

Sons Killing Fathers

Campbell devotes an entire section to sons who need to “kill” their fathers, either metaphorically or literally, in myths. Read 126 – 149.

Certainly, the theme comes up in many stories. Remember Oedipus who kills his father and unknowingly sleeps with his mother. Freud uses the term Oedipal to define the jealousy that a son feels toward his father.

The final test in Luke’s adventure is to face and kill his father. Yoda emphasizes that only by doing this can Luke become a real Jedi. More importantly, both Obi-wan and Yoda say that this is the only way to save the galaxy, both spiritually and politically. Indeed, as Campbell says, the son must kill the father in order to kill the most dangerous part of himself. “For the ogre aspect of the father is a reflex of the victim’s own ego…” (129). Luke must kill his father in order to kill the side of himself that is tempted by the Dark Side.

In the section “Atonement with the Father,” Campbell sounds as if he is coaching Mark Hamill of the Star Wars films on the motivations of his character. “Whether he knows it or not, and no matter what his position in society, the father is the initiating priest through whom the young being passes on into the larger world… there is a new element of rivalry: the son against the father for the mastery of the universe…” (136)

In the end, however, (once again in the words of Campbell), “One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy.”

Indeed, in his battle with his father, Luke takes the Way of Jesus and surrenders passively. He leaves himself at the mercy of his enemies.

Campbell titles the section on the father “Atonement” and spells it out for the reader: “at ONE ment.” Luke’s surrender works, and Vader once again wants to become Anakin. He saves Luke and then, symbolically, asks that Luke to take off his mask: “The hero transcends life with its peculiar blind spot and for a moment rises to a glimpse of the source. The beholds the face of the father, understands – and the two are atoned.” (147)

Fathers Killing Sons

The subplot of Faramir and Denethor in LOTR also provides an advantageous death of the father. Although Faramir does not actually kill his father, it is not until his father’s death that Faramir can fully live out his life, freed from his father’s prejudices and expectations.

On the other hand, Denethor, the father, sacrifices Faramir twice in the final movie: once when he sends Faramir to face the powerful force at Osgiliath, presumably to his death; the second time when he tries to burn Faramir alive on his funeral pyre.

This brings us to a much more prominent theme in the Bible: the idea of a father sacrificing his son.

We see it in Genesis 22, when God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac (note the three-day journey to get to the place of sacrifice). And of course, that story serves as a parallel to God sacrificing his own son Jesus. (Note that Isaac carries the wood, just as Jesus carries the wooden cross: the tools of their sacrifice.) The act of sacrificing a son is the utmost sacrifice. Abraham agrees without argument to do it because he loves and fears God. God does it because he loves humankind.

Later, we’ll discuss this same theme when we watch The Omen. The Omen’s main plotline is how a father deals with the “command’ to sacrifice his son.

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