Houston — Darth Vader: heavy breathing, black helmet, evil. Yoda: small, wise, kind.
Characters and images from "Star Wars" have become universally recognized symbols of good and evil.
Darth Vader from "Star Wars"
"Star Wars: The Magic of Myth," an exhibit recognizing the film series' cultural impact, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, for the next three months.
"The exhibit is a representation of ('Star Wars' creator) George Lucas' interest in mythology," said Anna Cohn, director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. "It's an enriching opportunity for people to view this material in ways that are very fresh, very new."
The exhibit opened in 1995 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It was organized by the Smithsonian and Lucasfilm Ltd. It began its U.S. tour in September 1999, stopping in San Diego, Minneapolis and Chicago before coming here.
Both the Darth Vader costume as well as the puppet used to bring Yoda to life are part of the exhibit, along with about 200 other pieces from all four movies.
These include an 80-pound model of the Millennium Falcon, various costumes, including those of R2-D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca, and intricately detailed black-and-white and color concept drawings and story boards used during the making of the films.
Newly added to the exhibit for its Houston stop is the costume of Darth Maul, the villain from the most recent episode, "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace."
The exhibit is organized in the order the four "Star Wars" films were released. John Williams' rousing score is played in the background as visitors walk through the exhibit.
While most museums don't allow photographs to be taken of exhibits, MFAH officials are encouraging visitors to snap pictures of themselves with their favorite "Star Wars" characters.
Panels placed throughout the exhibit detail classical mythology themes and motifs present in the film series.
The museum has also put together a guide of other works currently on display that represent one or more themes found in the film series.
Visitors get a chance to learn some of the secrets used in making the films. And an up-close examination of many of the models and props reveals a certain low-tech quality to how many of them were developed.
The exhibit runs through June 24 before moving in July to The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, where it will remain through next January. The exhibit will be seen February 2002 through June 2002 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York City.
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