Part four up tonight of our five part series on the Magic of Myth (1, 2, 3 previously). Here's the analysis:

Exclusive to the Powerhouse Museum are elements from the penultimate film in the saga, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. There are over twenty materials here and the section is slightly larger than those featured in The Phantom Menace area, and a little more open. Most notably the section features full-scale versions of the speeder vehicles used by Zam Wesell and Anakin Skywalker during their chase through the skies of Coruscant toward the beginning of the film. Anakin’s gold-yellow speeder is the centrepiece of the section with Wesell’s green-silver-blue tinted one suspended above it, and around these are other objects from the film. There are also large screens hanging on the walls showing scenes from Attack of the Clones, including parts of the speeder chase and the love pledge between Anakin and Natalie Portman’s Padme Amidala at the arena on Geonosis. One of the most interesting displays is Zam Wesell’s leathery costume. It is much more sleek in design than the armour of either Boba or Jango Fett, animalistic and suggestively feminine. It shows a difference in styles between the bounty hunters, the effect more of a cautious stalker than a trained killer, and in its own way appears more professional and more menacing. To the right of this is Anakin’s speeder, and next to this is an archive terminal used by Obi-Wan Kenobi when attempting to find Kamino, glossy and more of a plastic material than true metal. There are also some costumes of the Jedi children seen training with Yoda in the temple. To the side of these is the execution cart used to carry Anakin and Padme out onto the arena on Geonosis at the end of the film, and infront of that Padme’s battle costume stands beside the Jedi Padawan outfit Hayden Christensen wore as Anakin for much of the film. Anakin’s costume appears different to those of other Jedi, featuring more leather and darker shades, richer textures, symbolic of the changes within his personality, the defiance and independence within his nature, showing hints of the transformation to come.

The Episode II: Attack of the Clones section is the last within the exhibition (besides the gift shop anyhow), but there are a few other attractions as well. Anthony Daniels and some other more technically orientated guests are scheduled to appear at the beginning of the exhibition, and there is also an interactive crossroads section that examines the impact Star Wars has had upon modern culture, detailing many examples of the extrapolations upon the films, including games which can be sampled. There is also another section which is presumably where the sessions of each of the films will be shown on five successive Sundays in November and December respectively during the latter half of the exhibit’s stay. The rest of the time this section continuously screens a thirty minute documentary The Magic of Myth. Designed in accordance with the underlying theme of the exhibition, the documentary explores the mythic roots of the Star Wars saga. It looks at the real-world and mythological inspirations of many of the ideas and images in the films and features interviews with, amongst other people, creator George Lucas, model maker Lorne Peterson, sound designer Ben Burtt, and composer John Williams. It is a similar documentary to the one that was broadcast nationally across the United States by satellite to registered schools on November 17, 2000 as a distance learning program, if not the same documentary.

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth’s stay in Sydney has so far opened to reasonable crowds. School holidays are around the corner and that is probably when it will prove extremely popular with families. It runs from September 18, 2002 through February 2, 2003. Like other Powerhouse exhibitions, The Magic of Myth is not just about history, mythology and entertainment and such themes, but also about the future and how it might be created. Lucas himself has said that he hopes the exhibit "will inspire young people who are interested in art, science, and computer technology to use their skills and imagination to create new worlds and pursue their dreams." Just where the exhibition will go once it has closed in Sydney isn’t clear. If it does not head back to a more permanent home in the United States then there is perhaps a chance its tour may be extended beyond Australian shores to some other countries, especially given the success of The Magic of Myth’s overseas counterpart, The Art of Star Wars; during its time at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland over 14,000 guests visited the exhibit in its first week.