When the “Star Wars” “special edition” trilogy of films returned to the big screen last year to mark its 20th anniversary, even creator George Lucas professed amazement at the numbers that flocked to theaters. No one should be surprised then that the new “Star Wars” exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum is already bigger than Han Solo’s ego.
I visited the museum on a rainy Friday two weeks after “Star Wars: The Magic of Myth” opened on Halloween and, judging by the excited crowds, the exhibit is aptly titled.
“Star Wars” has spawned a mythology of Homeric proportions. Of course, this being the late 20th Century, pieces of the myth can be purchased — for as little as $1.25 or as much as $6,000.
The experience, however, can be had for free. Dare I say, not to be mythed?
The 5,000-square-foot space on the second floor has been organized by curator Mary Henderson to follow the “Star Wars” time line, so characters appear in the order they were introduced in the intergalactic saga. Beginning with “Star Wars” (1977), continuing through “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) to “Return of the Jedi” (1983), the exhibit answers a question I’ve had for many years: What does Lucas’ attic look like?
He’s got great stuff.
There’s a white-gowned Princess Leia figure (she has four costume changes in all); Yoda, the Jedi gnome-mystic, in his own little case; Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various poses; and, of course, the villainous Darth Vader.
But the real kick is the presentation of all the wonderful supporting characters who made the trilogy truly exotic: Jabba the Hutt and his weird henchman in a Plexiglas diorama, Boba Fett, the Ewoks and the Wampa.
Henderson builds the mythology motif through 16 concisely worded wall plaques, relating the major episodes in the trilogy to elements of classical mythology in such staples as the Knights of the Round Table.
Luke’s quest, for instance, represents the classic Hero’s Journey that winds through the Call to Adventure (Leia, the captive maiden, transmitting a plea through R2D2), the Wise and Helpful Guide (Obi-Wan takes Luke in hand) and the Magic Talisman (Luke’s father’s light saber, taking the place of the Sword in the Stone of Arthurian legend).
Mounted around the exhibition gallery is much of the original conceptual art for the “Star Wars” films, including the magnificent concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie.
Some of the characters, costumes, props and artwork have been gleaned from the “special edition” films used in the re-release. One of the big hits from the souped-up “Jedi” is singer Sy Snootles, accompanied by his three backup singers. “Jedi” actually occupies the Wookie-share of space in the gallery, due to the variety of characters in that film.
I wandered through the gallery for about 45 minutes. Ticketing is based on an average visit of about 30 minutes, but there are no Imperial storm troopers prodding folks to move along or exit after a certain amount of time has elapsed. Most of the artifacts are displayed and labeled with crowds in mind, so I didn’t find myself craning my neck and straining to read about what I was looking at.
Having been almost universally disappointed by typical museum audio tours, which send one careening around a gallery like C-3P0 in an electrical storm, I was very pleasantly surprised by the Interactive Audio Tour version that the “Star Wars” exhibit offers. I rented what was essentially a compact-disc player with a backlit, easy-to-read keypad and a headset. All I had to do was punch in the number corresponding with any showcase. I could move at any pace and replay any part of the narration I wanted.
Through the narration by James Earl Jones (the Darth Vader voice) and interviews with Lucas and other members of the “Star Wars” creative team, I learned, among other things, that the inspiration for Darth Vader’s helmet came from those Japanese feudal samurai movies, and his metallic breathing noise was created by blowing into a scuba tank regulator. Lucas modeled Chewbacca after his pet at the time, a 130-pound Alaskan malamute.
Pumped up with “Star Wars” memories, I headed for the mall-in-the-hall. Although the gift shop is actually up a flight of stairs from the exhibition hall, there is no way to avoid it. Almost every sort of item that can bear a “Star Wars” image — playing cards, stickers, candy dispensers, bookmarks, T-shirts and ball caps, to name a few — can be found here, as can models, games and replicas of artifacts.
DETAILS ON `STAR WARS’ EXHIBIT
The exhibit: “Star Wars: The Magic of Myth” will continue through October at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, 6th Street and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Free same-day timed tickets are available from 9:45 a.m. in the museum lobby, limit four per person. Advance tickets available through ProTix (800-529-2440) for $2.25 each, plus a handling fee of $1 per order. There is a limit of 10 tickets per transaction. A 30-minute self-controlled audio tour is well worth the $4.25 charge (extra headsets are $3).
Getting there: The Washington Metro stop is L’Enfant Plaza.
Star tips: The exhibit includes a 27-minute video on the making of the “Star Wars” films, but the video is also being shown on a monitor in the lobby. Get your tickets and then watch the video in the lobby, so you avoid the crowded TV room in the exhibit itself. The Air and Space Museum is already one of the most popular museums on the planet, receiving 8 million visitors a year. If you cannot get there in the morning to queue up for the free tickets, it may be best to order them by phone. This is especially true if you have limited time in Washington.
Accessibility: The museum and exhibit are wheelchair accessible.
