PBS高端访谈:《星球大战》系列电影是如何取得成功的?

 JUDY WOODRUFF: Now the ever- continuing, and yes, inescapable saga¹ of "Star Wars", as the feature film, "Episode VII: The Force Awakens²," opens nationwide this weekend, including at some theaters tonight.

Jeffrey Brown has our look at what's become a touchstone of movie storytelling and money- making.

JEFFREY BROWN: We could say the force has reawakened. But for its fervent³ fans, and they are legion, it's barely taken a nap, not since the late 1970s.

They were out in force at the frenzied⁴, glittery, weird⁵ and wild Los Angeles premier⁶ earlier this week.

CHARACTER: Nothing will stand in our way.

JEFFREY BROWN: To see the start of a new trilogy for a series, franchise⁷, a universe that can seemingly go on forever.

In his article, "The force will be with us always", Adam Rogers of "Wired Magazine" refers to "Star Wars" as an example of a paracosm.

《星球大战》系列电影是如何取得成功的?

ADAM ROGERS, Articles Editor, Wired Magazine: A paracosm is in psychology⁸ terms, an imaginary world. In the case of the "Star Wars" movie, you can have a year zero and go forward and back and just set stories in the paracosm and people are familiar, oh it is a "Star Wars" story. These universes are designed to not end and not even begin. They can stretch 10,000 in either direction, "Star Wars" especially.

MAN: An adventure unlike anything on your planet.

JEFFREY BROWN: It all back in 1977.

Filmmaker George Lucas brought out the first "Star Wars," introducing the world of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Hans Solo and a host of other characters, human and decidedly not so.

C3PO: I am C-3PO, a human cyborg relations.

JEFFREY BROWN: Its enormous success, as Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday says, came as a surprise.

ANN HORNADAY, Film Critic, The Washington Post: They didn't think it would do much. Nobody thought it would do much.

JEFFREY BROWN: The expectations weren't low.

ANN HORNADAY: Expectations were incredibly how but Hollywood, I think, was so desperate for something consistent to work with like a model or template that they thought if they could just repeat and rebottle that lightning over and over again, that they would do it. So, that is why we have our superhero comic book franchise culture today.

JEFFREY BROWN: The beginning of the franchise.

ANN HORNADAY: Oh, absolutely.

CHARACTER: Here is a path to the dark side.

JEFFREY BROWN: The second trilogy unfolded between 1999 and 2005. And now, the story expands, in a film directed by JJ Abrams.

Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, the director explained he was reluctant at first to take it on.

JJ ABRAMS, FILMMAKER: I was only reluctant because: A, I love the movie "Star Wars" so much. I love the original trilogy. I was 11 years old when I saw the first one. It had a profound impact on me. And so, the idea of getting so close to something kind of scared me a little bit.

CHARACTER: I will show you the dark side.

JEFFREY BROWN: "The Force Awakens " introduces a new cast.

CHARACTER: I don't know your name.

CHARACTER: Finn, what's yours.

JEFFREY BROWN: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac.

While tying into the original trilogy with the presence of its stars.

CHARACTER: If I need this.

JEFFREY BROWN: It's a purposeful approach to casting that keeps the story moving in all directions.

ADAM ROGERS: Because characters can enter and then leave. In the "Star Wars" universe, that they are building right now, characters can die and that's OK because that is what happens in a real universe. And then new characters can come in and you can keep making movies about them.

JEFFREY BROWN: It's a story-telling and money-making power house. Disney bought the franchise in 2012 for a galactic $4 billion. Advance ticket sales for the new film have already broken records.

And investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts "The Force Awakens" will take in some $8 billion all together. The breakdown⁹, about $2 billion in global box office, and $6 billion in retail¹⁰ sales, new games and gadgets¹¹, of course.

MAN: You keep mac and cheese in here?

JEFFREY BROWN: But also branded mac'n cheese.

MAN: "Star Wars" Kraft macaroni and cheese.

JEFFREY BROWN: Data plan deals.

MAN: Because when data, it is your only hope, better matters.

JEFFREY BROWN: "Star Wars" dodge¹² caravan¹³ processions.

MAN: We're going to need more valets.

MAN: You can build the millennium¹⁴ falcon¹⁵ to defeat them.

JEFFREY BROWN: And a whole lot more, films and merchandising hands in hand.

ANN HORNADAY: Part of this generation's fascination¹⁶, it does have to do with the merchandising, and the toys and ubiquity of the projects, and then there was the Saturday morning cartoons. I mean, this universe, these characters and these narratives¹⁷ have taken all these different forms and these different platforms that you and I might not even be aware of, but it show carried generation after generation, so that we can arrive at this place and time.

JEFFREY BROWN: A loyal fan base in fact lives in this place and time, inhabiting the "Star Wars" universe, all across planet earth. You see it in Japan.

MAN: Hello, Tokyo.

JEFFREY BROWN: Australia.

MAN: So exciting. We're going to need your support.

JEFFREY BROWN: And Mexico.

JEFFREY BROWN: And millions more of us it seems are ready to go along for the ride with every any turn.

ADAM ROGERS: "Star Wars" transcends¹⁸ again in some ways. It becomes whatever we bring to it. It is western, it's science fiction, it's fantasy, it's philosophy, it's a family drama. It becomes a thing that all of us can connect to on some level.

JEFFREY BROWN: And the new film does it live up to the hoopla? Well, early reviews including from "The Washington Post's" Ann Hornaday are strongly positive — though I wondered aloud how much that even matters.

This movie sort of comes presold, right?

ANN HORNADAY: Yes.

JEFFREY BROWN: I mean, is it critic-proof? Does it — I hate to say it, to put it on you, but does matter what you say to anybody?

ANN HORNADAY: Probably not. And again, going back to how this changed the movies, that is another piece. It introduced that idea to a presold audience and that is increasingly what Hollywood has wanted over the last 20, 30 years, is something that comes ready made. They call it execution dependent. It's not execute — it does matter if the movie is bad or good but they will come because they are curious and they're loyal. So, you're probably right that the critics don't matter, but we'll try to make our presence felt anyway.

JEFFREY BROWN: She will have her work cut out for her. Disney plans to roll out at least five more "Star Wars" films over the next few years.

From a galaxy¹⁹ quite near you, I'm Jeffry Brown for the PBS NewsHour.

1 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

2 awakens   

v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• The scene awakens reminiscences of my youth. 这景象唤起我年轻时的往事。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The child awakens early in the morning. 这个小孩早晨醒得早。 来自辞典例句

3 fervent   

adj.热的，热烈的，热情的

参考例句：

• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
• Austria was among the most fervent supporters of adolf hitler.奥地利是阿道夫希特勒最狂热的支持者之一。

4 frenzied   

a.激怒的；疯狂的

参考例句：

• Will this push him too far and lead to a frenzied attack? 这会不会逼他太甚，导致他进行疯狂的进攻？
• Two teenagers carried out a frenzied attack on a local shopkeeper. 两名十几岁的少年对当地的一个店主进行了疯狂的袭击。

5 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

8 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

9 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

12 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

13 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

14 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

15 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

16 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

17 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

18 transcends   

超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过…

参考例句：

• The chemical dilution technique transcends most of the difficulties. 化学稀释法能克服大部分困难。
• The genius of Shakespeare transcends that of all other English poets. 莎士比亚的才华胜过所有的其他英国诗人。

19 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。