Contemporary Remythologization: the (re)conciliation of science and magic in “Star Wars”

Abstract

Gilbert Durand has identified that there is a process of return of the myths to a rst cultural plan in the West, at least since the late 19th century. The popularity of some lm and television productions released over the last four decades seems to con rm that this remythologizing process is not only underway but has already reached new levels in an era in which audiovisual media are in evidence. Based in Durand’s concept of imaginary, seen as an anthropological path, this article analyzes how the lm series “Star Wars” has contributed to this contemporary remythologizing process. The thesis hence explored is that, by upgrading the founding myths and archetypes in order to build its own mythology, “Star Wars” has tied up again some scienti c-technological elements, which gradually took part in the Western imaginary since the Age of Enlightenment, with some fantastic and magical ones, which were relegated to the underground and devalued ever since.