There has probably never been a movie as eagerly anticipated as the latest in the Star Wars Series, Episode I. There are five months still to go before the release of the film, but already every smuggled-out picture of a prop, every casting decision, every bit of information, no matter how tiny, is being pored over for clues to the meaning of it all.

This never used to happen with movies. George Lucas didn't do it. Even Spielberg couldn't have ...