Star Wars Goes Philosophical and French in Depressing Reimagining

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
17,672
0
0
Star Wars Goes Philosophical and French in Depressing Reimagining


The battle against the Empire pales in comparison to the battle against the despair of the living.

It's often been said that, as good as it was, the sci-fi classic Star Wars would have been immeasurably improved if it had been a platform for popularizing the existential views of French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre.

Ok, perhaps "often" is too strong a word - "rarely," or maybe "never," would be more appropriate - but that hasn't stopped a group of sci-fi fans from mashing the two together in a short, depressing montage.

YouTube film makers, "One Minute Galactica [http://www.youtube.com/user/OneMinuteGalactica]" have taken some of Star Wars' pivotal scenes and replaced the original dialogue with French. Don't worry if you don't speak French though, because not only have they handily subtitled everything to make it easier to understand, the dialog is actually just nonsense and bears no relation to what the subtitles say. In the video's description, they say that nearly every subtitle is a direct quote from Sartre's work; the only exceptions are the very short utterances, like "I die," or "despair."

It's a hilarious juxtaposition, which is really quite the achievement when you consider how bleak the philosophy is. There's even the small chance it could be educational, although if you start to find existentialism appealing, it might be time to go and buy a puppy, or look at a rainbow, or something similarly uplifting.

Source: Nerdist [http://www.nerdist.com/2011/04/star-wars-the-existential-edit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=star-wars-the-existential-edit]





Permalink
 

DazBurger

New member
May 22, 2009
1,339
0
0
That is... So depressing!


Thank you for giving me a reason to add "The French" to my Hate-List...


Ill be off... Somewhere dark... Cutting my self...
 

matrix3509

New member
Sep 24, 2008
1,372
0
0
I can't say I EVER really agreed with existentialism (in fact I find most existentialists I know to be annoying self-assured tossers, but thats neither here nor there), but this is completely awesome. The parts where Luke looks on cluelessly as Obi-Wan talks to him were especially hilarious.
 

NihilCredo

New member
Jan 19, 2009
17
0
0
Don't worry if you don't speak French though, because not only have they handily subtitled everything to make it easier to understand, the dialog is actually just nonsense and bears no relation to what the subtitles say.
The dialogue is actually just French dubbing of the original. Though the voice actors are so stilted and horrible that I hope it's not the same version that was actually inflicted on French sci-fi fans in the 70s.
 

manythings

New member
Nov 7, 2009
3,297
0
0
HankMan said:
Well all I can say is: It exists, and I find it nauseating.

Naw, It was actually pretty funny with the juxtaposition
Despair!

OT: Is it just me or did it all seem so out of context that to managed to reenter context by another door?
 

endnuen

New member
Sep 20, 2010
533
0
0
Life begins at the other side of despair

and

One lives one's death
One dies one's life

are actually quite uplifting quotes.
 

Squilookle

New member
Nov 6, 2008
3,584
0
0
That started off pretty good and just got better and better- I loved the bit where the control room guy tells the pilots 'One lives one's death. One dies one's life' and Luke's just going 'whaaa?'
 

_Janny_

New member
Mar 6, 2008
1,193
0
0
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, I exist and that nauseates me." XD Ah, memories of when I read Sartre's "Nausea" story for philosophy class...
 

srpilha

New member
Dec 24, 2008
122
0
0
NihilCredo said:
The dialogue is actually just French dubbing of the original. Though the voice actors are so stilted and horrible that I hope it's not the same version that was actually inflicted on French sci-fi fans in the 70s.
Ah, but yes it is. Everyone here knows who Dark Vador is. Please do pronounce it with the appropriate accent. (I swear that's how they actually spell it)
 

Kiltguy

Lurker extraordinaré
Jan 23, 2011
252
0
0
The_root_of_all_evil said:
One wonders what Mrs. Premise and Mrs. Conclusion would think.
Made me think about Absurdism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism
 

Random Argument Man

New member
May 21, 2008
6,011
0
0
NihilCredo said:
Don't worry if you don't speak French though, because not only have they handily subtitled everything to make it easier to understand, the dialog is actually just nonsense and bears no relation to what the subtitles say.
The dialogue is actually just French dubbing of the original. Though the voice actors are so stilted and horrible that I hope it's not the same version that was actually inflicted on French sci-fi fans in the 70s.
Damn ninjas!

Having an experience with french dubbed material, It wouldn't suprise me if it was that version of the dubbing that they used in the 70s.
 

Kair

New member
Sep 14, 2008
674
0
0
matrix3509 said:
I can't say I EVER really agreed with existentialism (in fact I find most existentialists I know to be annoying self-assured tossers, but thats neither here nor there), but this is completely awesome. The parts where Luke looks on cluelessly as Obi-Wan talks to him were especially hilarious.
Why do you not agree that we exist because we think?

Do you not see reason, or is it just the personalities of many existentialists you do not like?
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
Kiltguy said:
The_root_of_all_evil said:
One wonders what Mrs. Premise and Mrs. Conclusion would think.
Made me think about Absurdism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism
That would be Episode Four: Upbuilding Discourses.

Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are.
Beedle beep?
Be that self which one truly is!
Beep?
I don't like you either
 

thylasos

New member
Aug 12, 2009
1,920
0
0
Random Argument Man said:
NihilCredo said:
Don't worry if you don't speak French though, because not only have they handily subtitled everything to make it easier to understand, the dialog is actually just nonsense and bears no relation to what the subtitles say.
The dialogue is actually just French dubbing of the original. Though the voice actors are so stilted and horrible that I hope it's not the same version that was actually inflicted on French sci-fi fans in the 70s.
Damn ninjas!

Having an experience with french dubbed material, It wouldn't suprise me if it was that version of the dubbing that they used in the 70s.
Better than Russian dubbing, at least.

Also: Existentialism doesn't have to be depressing... it can be a tremendously liberating philosophy.