Because everyone loves a good story
The Shortcomings of Star Wars I-III, Part 2
Shortcomings? In Star Wars?? Preposterous!
Yes, my friends, it’s true; even Star Wars has some room for improvement. Last time, I tried to write about the shortcomings of Episodes I-III but got carried away with what I liked instead. But today I promise to admit several aspects that rubbed me the wrong way in the prequel trilogy. Join me, won’t you?
WHAT WORKED TECHNICALLY
Ok, you caught me—this is one more positive aspect of the prequels. (A whole post about negatives wouldn’t not be terrible, right?) Let me just say that, for all the things I don’t prefer about Episodes I-III, I can’t help but like them anyway, and I have a feeling that’s largely due to their stunning visuals. George Lucas really has been ahead of his time with technology from the beginning, and the prequel trilogy is solid proof of that.
While he was taking a break from directing for a few decades, he was busy with his other corporations like Industrial Lights and Magic, the company in charge of the visuals for Star Wars (and a massive host of other films). The development of computer generated images (CGI) even between Episodes I and III is amazing. While the grass battlefield in The Phantom Menace looks like the early days of video games, the broad scope of cities and skies in Revenge of the Sith looks spectacular.
Those developments took only six years, so consider how far the effects had come since Return of the Jedi in 1983! The last time we saw Yoda, he was a stiff puppet more akin to a Sesame Street character than a Jedi master. But the new Yoda is a boss! He’s slicing, dicing, and flipping around with his little light saber, challenging the Emperor himself. (Regardless, I still like the old Yoda better, even if his puppet mouth invites bad lip reading spoofs.)
But perhaps the crowning moment for Lucas’s CG is when we see Sir Christopher Lee zooming off on a tiny scooter. I mean, that alone is worth the price of admission.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK AS WELL
Story and Characters
Now, it would be easy to take cheap shots at these movies, but I don’t want to go that route. Instead, I’ll just make a few observations that struck me even from the first time I watched them. First, I must acknowledge a deep and abiding dislike of Jar Jar Binks. I know it’s nearly unanimous, but I had to say it. I can’t quite put my finger on why he bothers me so much, but it’s something like watching a clown bonk himself on the head and talk gibberish to get a laugh out of you, but you’re already an adult.
I don’t fault the voice actor; he was just following the script. And really, it’s hard to blame Lucas either. As a writer, sometimes things are just funnier in your head, and there’s no way to know how it will go over with a real audience. Regardless, I had to admit that I’m among the majority of fans who didn’t prefer the hapless little Gungan.
But does it surprise you that I also don’t care for Darth Maul? I know he’s supposed to be the ultimate villain in Episode I, but he has virtually no character development. We know next to nothing about him, he barely gets any lines, and we hardly see him until his duel with Qui-Gon. The best I can say for him is that he spends a lot of time on his makeup in the morning, and it shows.
Why on earth (or Naboo) is a mature, intelligent woman like Padme falling for a sassy, angry kid like Anakin?
Episode I gets a lot of flak for these and other reasons, but let’s talk about Episode II for a moment. My first impression after seeing it in the theater was the pendulum swing between flirting and fighting, flirting and fighting. And why on earth (or Naboo) is a mature, intelligent woman like Padme falling for a sassy, angry kid like Anakin? I mean, even Jar Jar would have been a better choice! At least he wasn’t brooding and violent. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
Acting
Aside from Jar Jar Binks, the most disliked aspect of the prequels may be Hayden Christensen’s acting. Next to the talent of Ewan McGregor, the poor kid can tend to look a little like a reanimated corpse. (I think it’s the glaring eyes and heavy lips.) Whether he’s flirting, yelling, or crying, most of his interpretation comes across like a junior high boy with a surplus of hormones. But seriously, what else could he do with some of those lines? And he was only 19 when Attack of the Clones was released, so let’s not be too hard on him.
For me personally, Episode I is the least enjoyable of the prequels. There’s Jar Jar, of course, and any lengthy racing scene can get a little tedious, but some of my aversion is also due to the pivotal role being given to a kid. No matter who he is, that’s a lot to ask from a child actor and an audience.Apparently, many people feel that Jake Lloyd, who played young Anakin in Episode I, gave a lackluster performance, and he seems to have taken the criticism pretty hard through the years.
But again, I think he deserves some slack. He was just a nine year old following the script and the directing. The story needed to include Anakin’s childhood, and so we find ourselves with Episode I. For good or for ill, it’s part of the series, so from now on I’ll try to focus on the positive aspects of The Phantom Menace. (Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon Jinn. Qui-Gon Jinn.)
TRUTHS AND LIES
No one would dispute that there are weaknesses in the prequel trilogy, and many a fan has vented very specific, thorough, and vehement criticisms of the films. If more of this you seek, look elsewhere you must. I want to end on a positive note.
Storywise, Lucas hit on some timeless truths in the first six films: the sins of the father often affect the son, great change can come from small resistance, and no one is past the possibility of redemption. I would even agree with the digression from fear to anger, hate, and then suffering. Where I disagree is when he seems to imply that the real catalyst of this downward spiral is love.
The prequel trilogy seems to display that the only thing to fear is love itself. Although the Jedi are encouraged to act on charity toward others, they are forbidden to have romantic attachments. When Anakin secretly breaks his vow of celibacy and brings about his own ruin, is his deception to blame? Seemingly, no. It’s because he loves Padme so much that he fears to lose her and would do anything to keep her. Although most of us wouldn’t go on a killing spree and dedicate ourselves to a Sith lord, we can probably relate to the crippling fear of losing loved ones. So what’s the solution?
It’s not, as Yoda advises, to let go of everything you fear to lose. To live a life without love can seem convenient and safe, but it’s not how we were designed. We were created in the image of God, to Whom the giving and sharing of love is integral. That doesn’t mean everyone has to marry; we can fulfill that design by loving friends, family, and those around us. But rather than letting love blind and destroy us, we must strive to love deeply and in healthy proportion to our love for a good God who isn’t struggling to hold evil at bay. Good will win, and love will remain; there is nothing to fear. That’s easier said than done, of course, but isn’t it a much better solution than monastic celibacy or dangerous, obsessive paranoia? I tend to think so.
WRAPPING IT UP
Thanks for joining me in this lengthy discussion about Star Wars Episodes I-III! I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, and I hope you have too. I’ll be continuing to write about George Lucas throughout the summer, but I’ll sprinkle in other topics here and there for the sake of my non-geek friends. For now, it’s another happy landing.
Today’s Question: What bothered you most about the Episodes I-III?
The Shortcomings of Star Wars I-III, Part 1
Ah, Star Wars Episodes I-III. Considered canon but not unanimously considered classic (or even decent), these controversial films still warrant discussion. But even though this post is called “The Shortcomings,” you’ll only find good stuff in Part 1; I saved all the Negative Nancy (and a little more good stuff) for Part 2. Don’t forget to check it out! Despite its shortcomings, there are still plenty of great aspects for fans to celebrate in Episodes I-III, so let’s begin there, shall we?
WHAT WORKED MUSICALLY
Now, if you read my post about Episodes IV-VI, you already know my obsession with John Williams. I raved about my love for many of his themes in the original trilogy, and I had to stop short so it didn’t take over the whole article. So this time around, I’ll mention a mere two songs from Episodes I-III that deserve our awe.
Across the Stars
A love theme for Anakin and Padme, “Across the Stars” is perfect. It begins in a wistful minor key as an oboe hauntingly spins the melody. Throughout the song, you can hear Anakin’s unsettled nature in the restless, foreboding strings undergirding the theme, and yet the harp delicately repeats the melody, suggesting the character and home of Padme, where “everything’s soft and smooth.” (Sorry, I had to.) These two aspects combine to form a tumultuous, triumphant theme that ends as it began: with a haunting, minor oboe foreshadowing a less-than-happy ending.
Duel of the Fates
On a completely different note is the masterful “Duel of the Fates.” Written for the light saber battle between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul in Episode I, the song is—dare I say—epic. I know the use of “epic” as an adjective is passé, but I couldn’t think of another word to describe the urgent, weighty, life-and-death feeling that this song conveys. And talk about restless! The strings and brass are constantly repeating the same five staccato notes as the chorale chants the melody. Several surprising chords and key changes signify a sudden shift of fortunes in the battle, while the intense vocals are reminiscent of one of my favorite classical pieces, “O Fortuna,” which bemoans the fickle nature of fortune. Despite a false ending earlier in the song, the real ending crashes to a halt in a jerky, stop-and-go explosion of cymbals. Please, just listen to it; the song is awesome.
WHAT WORKED STORY-WISE
Major Characters
First off, let’s just talk about one of my favorite Episode I-III characters, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I love Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of this young Jedi. His interpretation was spot on, his lines felt natural, and he was often the comic relief foil for Anakin’s…Anakinness. I love the character’s growth from Qui-Gon’s Padawan to the Jedi master who trains Anakin to his friend, mentor, and brother to his brokenhearted adversary. Despite the stilted awkwardness of several other characters, Ewan McGregor helps me believe in Obi-Wan and, consequently, in the films themselves.
Minor Characters
There are plenty of awesome smaller characters as well. One of my favorites is Dex from Dex’s Diner. This guy is such an accurate diner cook that I feel like I’d find him in the kitchen of any Waffle House in the country. Stubbly chin, filthy shirt, sagging potbelly, and plumber’s crack: all these details make him resonate with me. While this next one is a creature rather than a character, I love the iguana-dragon that Obi-Wan rides on when he’s searching for General Grievous in Episode III. Apparently there’s a name not only for the animal’s species but for the animal herself: she is Boga the Varactyl. (Maybe that needless bit of trivia will help you out on a game show one day.) I love her colors, her feathery head, and especially her call like an echoing seal. I want one!
Plot
And, finally, I do appreciate the portrayal of Anakin’s downward spiral. Although it’s sometimes clumsily executed, the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker is the whole point of the Star Wars saga, so Lucas covers some pretty important ground in Episodes I-III. We see him grow from a plucky, boastful slave boy to an arrogant, unstable teenager and finally to an angry, misguided young adult. His decline motivates his Vader-ness, but his origin justifies his ultimate redemption. I’ll say more on the acting in the next post, but the content of the films was necessary and helpful.
Quotes
Partly due to their release dates and partly due to stylistic choices, the dialogue in Episodes IV-VI can feel kind of dated today, more like classic comic books than natural conversations. Episodes I-III still have this feel to them, but Lucas did modernize some of the verbal and situational humor. Personally, I enjoy the continued use of “I have a bad feeling about this,” especially as it’s Obi-Wan’s first line in Episode I. Some jokes get better with age, and I think this is one of them.
The prequels’ dialogue also contains some (almost heavy-handed) foreshadowing. When Padme and Anakin are attempting to flirt in Episode III, he tells her that she’s beautiful because he’s so in love with her. She asks, “So love has blinded you?” He says that’s not exactly what he meant, but she smilingly replies, “But it’s probably true.” Given the way he’s about to lose his ever-livin’ mind and slay all the younglings in a loving attempt to keep her from dying, I’d say this is foreshadowing. Even before this, she confesses her love to him in Episode II by saying, “I’ve been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.” And just to keep up the trend, he practically kills her. Finally—the most tragically ironic of all—Obi-Wan remarks on Anakin’s impulsive behavior in Episode II by saying, “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be the death of me?” Ouch. Too soon, Lucas. Too soon.
WRAPPING IT UP
“Hey, wait! The article’s over, and you didn’t mention any shortcomings!”
Yes, I know. I got carried away, and the article would have been far too long. I had to split it for both our sakes. While more to say about this I have, for the next post you must wait. Until then, may the Force be with you.
Today’s Question: Who is your favorite Episode I-III character?
Check out the next post here!
PWD Goes Biweekly
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Past Watchful Dragons is going biweekly…at least for the summer.
That’s right—for now I’m scaling back on the number of posts I publish. It may be just for the summer, or it may be a long-term change; I’ll have to play it by ear this fall. While most of you probably won’t weep, wail, and gnash your teeth at this announcement, I’d still like to give you my reasons. But don’t worry; it’s nothing bad. In fact, the reasons are good!
WHY THE CHANGE?
Family
It boils down to two main reasons: family and future.
Family first. While I write about personal thoughts on this blog, I don’t usually write about me. So you may or may not know that I had my first baby, Isaiah Emmanuel, on December 20, 2018. What a joy! What a game changer! What a handful! It turns out that babies require a good bit of time. Who knew? And while he’s been getting plenty of love and attention (believe you me, this kid is spoiled), I find myself a little stressed at times as I try to get a post ready. Enter, my hubby, the Superdad.
Seriously, I couldn’t have picked a better guy if I’d tried. This man supported me through a looong home birth, diapered and carried Isaiah for the first couple weeks while I was healing, woke up with me every time I fed the baby so that he could burp him for me (!!!), and has continued to be the most loving, supportive, encouraging husband and dad I could imagine. (Maybe I should have saved this post for Father’s day?) What I’m trying to say is, I’m blessed, and I know it.
So most of these posts are due, at least in part, to daddy entertaining the kid while I frantically type in another room. And sure, that’s fine, but I’d personally like to make sure I do everything I can to be a good mom and wife. If that means spending a little less time stressing about a self-imposed deadline and more time taking walks and enjoying time as a family, then that’s what I shall do.
FUTURE
Now, after all that, you may think this second reason seems a little ironic, but I’d like more time to write. J What I mean is, I dream of writing books someday, but I need time to read more, brainstorm better, and actually start writing. I hate to admit how long it takes me to finish some of these posts, but suffice it to say that it’s not an off-the-cuff hobby for me. I’m a slow writer, an overthinker, and an obsessive editor (despite my numerous mistakes), so cutting down on the number of posts will free up a good chunk of time. While I’ll definitely be using much of that time for family, I hope to dedicate some of it to the pursuit of publication as well.
THANK YOU
As I wrap this up, I’d like to thank you for understanding. I hate feeling like I’m failing in a commitment, so I delayed this change for quite a while, but I know you won’t mind if your inbox is a little roomier in the coming months. Besides, most of my posts are long enough to split in half and read over the course of two weeks anyway, so let that be your plan if you miss me. J Thank you again, and I’ll see you in two weeks!
The Success of Star Wars IV-VI: Discussion
What do Tunisia, the California Redwoods, and the Hardangerjøkulen glacier in Norway have in common? Certainly not topography. Visually, they couldn’t be more different, which is exactly why George Lucas chose them as settings for each of his original Star Wars films.
That’s just one aspect of today’s discussion about the original Star Wars movies, one of my all-time-favorite trilogies. But while I love so much about them, the films aren’t flawless. That’s why we’ll be looking at what worked and what didn’t work, both in content and style. Plus, we have to talk about the music. We simply must. In fact, let’s start there.
WHAT WORKED MUSICALLY
John Williams’ Magic
I was 2 weeks old when Return of the Jedi hit theaters. My parents thought it would be a good idea to take their firstborn infant to see the conclusion to this cultural phenomenon on the big screen, and consequently my dad spent a good portion of the movie out in the lobby. I may have cried about some of the corny lines or maybe the death of that ewok, but I’ll tell you one thing: I sure wasn’t crying about the music. In fact, that must have been where my John Williams obsession began.
The man is a genius. Everything he touches turns to gold. I mean it! Have you ever considered what Star Wars would be like without John Williams as the score’s composer? I shudder to think of it. So how did George Lucas win the musician jackpot? He owes it all to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg had just finished working with Williams on the score for Jaws, and it was brilliant. At Spielberg’s suggestion, Lucas hired “Johnny” Williams to compose the music for Star Wars, and the rest is history.
Songs Too Good Not to Mention
While I could (and may) write a whole article just about the music of Star Wars, today I’ll have to settle for merely mentioning the supreme awesomeness of a few of the songs. Most iconically, there’s the Main Title theme at the beginning of the film as the yellow-toned story rolls into the distant stars. Even as you read that sentence, you’re hearing the song in your head. The variety of attitude within that song alone is brilliant. But then there’s the Imperial March. I mean, who else could have come up with such an unpredictable series of chords to yield that imposing, militaristic theme?
The Cantina Band song is pure fun—a jazzy little gem in the midst of classical orchestration. And I simply must acknowledge Han Solo and the Princess. The tension and beauty of the theme is a perfect encapsulation of their dynamic, and I may or may not (but definitely did) walk down the aisle to a string quartet version of this song. I wish I had time to talk about The Throne Room, Luke and Leia, Parade of the Ewoks, and so many more, but I’ll leave it alone for now. Just promise me you’ll give the scores a listen, and soon!
WHAT WORKED STORY-WISE
Plot and Quotes
While there are so many groundbreaking aspects of Star Wars, the story isn’t completely new. That’s not a criticism; it’s a fact about Lucas’s strategy and success. As I mentioned last week, Lucas used Joseph Campbells The Hero with a Thousand Faces to organize his plot for A New Hope, and that’s part of what made it so great. And it may have seemed like an odd choice for him to begin such a sweeping tale by following the antics of two bumbling droids, but that was a tactic he learned from one of Kurosawa’s films in which the story is told from the perspective of two peasants. C-3PO and R2-D2 aren’t heroes or villains; they’re melodramatic and plucky (respectively), and their hapless plight gives us a reference point in the grand saga. As much as I’d like to be Princess Leia and you’d like to be Han Solo, let’s face it: we’d be one of the droids. And that’s all right.
But Lucas and his screenwriters can take full credit for the quotable lines throughout the films, especially those coming from Han Solo. I mean, you can’t do better than, “You could use a good kiss,” “Never tell me the odds,” “I have a bad feeling about this,” and, “Fly casual.” But my favorite line is from A New Hope when Han is dressed as a storm trooper and is trying to bluff his way through the ruckus in the detention block. “Everything’s perfectly all right now. We’re fine…we’re all fine here…now…thank you. How are you?” The acting, the timing, the expressions—it’s a home run.
Sequel Successes
While The Empire Strikes Back is the darkest of the trilogy, it’s the favorite of many fans. There’s great tension between Han and Leia, we get to meet Yoda, everyone loves a good training montage like we see in Dagoba, Han becomes a lovely piece of wall decor in Cloud City, and of course there is the big revelation of parentage. Visually, Lucas did a great job of choosing contrasting settings, not just for Empire but for all three films. Deserts, swamps, glaciers, forests, asteroids, stars…it’s a feast for the eyes.
But my personal favorite really is Return of the Jedi. I can’t put my finger on exactly what makes it the best to me, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the Ewoks and the forest of Endor. I’m a lover of big trees and small critters, so even though there’s mixed opinion about the Ewoks, I’m still a fan. But the film also features such wonders as the strangulation of Jaba, the revelation of Luke and Leia’s relationship, the growth of Han and Leia’s love, the faceoff between Luke and his father, and the ultimate redemption of Vader. Others might cite a certain metal bikini as an important aspect of this film, but I’m pretty neutral about that. I think she’s more attractive dressed as a bounty hunter threatening Jaba to save Han.
WHAT WORKED TECHNICALLY
Those who were old enough not to cry through the theater release of these films will definitely remember the striking contrast between Star Wars’ audio/visual quality and, say, every movie before it. Sadly, I can’t fully appreciate that contrast because I grew up after other movies had begun incorporating similar effects. But by all accounts, Lucas’s use of new visual and audio technologies had thrust Star Wars into a league of its own. The sound effects painstakingly recorded and edited; the moving cameras to capture the perfect angle; and especially the ability to portray high-speed space chases, explosions, and battles were all passionately micromanaged by Lucas, the mother hen of all things technical.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK AS WELL
Edits
But to a perfectionist like Lucas, even this was not good enough. As technology improved throughout the years (with much thanks to his own companies), Lucas went back and tampered with the original trilogies, sharpening the quality and—controversially—tweaking content. And thus began the fan criticism over things like the unfortunate musical number in Jaba’s palace and the infamous “Han shot first” argument.
Was Lucas right to go back and fix what had already been released successfully and loved unanimously? Should he have stopped after sharpening the A/V quality? Would he have done well to simply apply his new technologies to the prequel films instead of imposing them on the original classics? Well, it’s not my place to say, and I certainly won’t drop any hints about my true feelings. Those were just hypothetical questions.
Story
There are, of course, some discrepancies between the original and the prequel trilogies. For example, when Obi-Wan seems not to recognize the droids, I’m surprised R2 didn’t zap him with his little lightning bolts. I mean, after all they’d been through together! Obi-Wan also says that Luke’s father had wanted him to have his old light saber, but last time Obi-Wan was with Anakin, the Jedi was slicing off his Padawan’s legs and leaving him to burn in lava. No sentimental handoff of family heirlooms there.
But here’s the thing: Lucas didn’t realize he’d be allowed to make more than one film out of his story, due to lack of funding and support. This, as he mentions in an interview, caused him to use up a lot of his good plot stuff in A New Hope. He killed Obi-Wan and blew up the Death Star. But is it just me, or does it seems like he was kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel for a crisis in Return of the Jedi? I mean, another Death Star? And with a similar weakness? At least he tried to up the ante (and the Ani?) by placing Vader and the Emperor on board.
WRAPPING IT UP
Anyway, as I re-watched Episodes IV-VI to prepare for these articles, I took plenty of notes. (Leave it to me to turn fun into homework.) I noticed other small issues like some corny acting, the stilted dialogue between Vader and Obi-Wan during their duel, and Yoda’s strange shift of personality in Dagoba, but I don’t want to nitpick an otherwise fantastic trilogy. (We’ll save that for the prequels. …Juuust joking.) Instead, I want to celebrate the success of Lucas’s fabulous films while simply acknowledging a few weak areas. Besides, there are plenty of other geeks out there who list very specific issues, so there’s no need to rehash it.
For now, I’ll leave you with this thought: despite any problems with the films, the original Star Wars trilogy will always be one of the most influential, groundbreaking, and enjoyable sagas of all time. I heartily applaud Lucas for his vision, and so should you. Now go make some popcorn and start watching Episodes I-III so you’ll be ready for the next installment!
Today’s Question: Do you have a favorite quote from the original trilogy?
Sources:
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/john-williams-and-star-wars/
The Success of Star Wars IV-VI: Backstory
Where were you when you first watched Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope? Were you in the theater? At a friend’s house? In your living room? It’s not the sort of thing you’re likely to forget.
For me, I was with my family at my Uncle David’s house back in the early ‘90’s. We were squished onto his couch and glued to his TV, which is how I’d watch all three films several times growing up. While I can’t remember my exact impressions as an elementary school student, I can say that the films’ cumulative effect helped weave the fabric of my personality, vocabulary, and memories. They’re just so darn quotable!
But what’s the story behind the story? How did George Lucas come up with the idea that would become the world’s most recognizable franchise? And is Star Wars technically science fiction? I’m going to answer all these and more in this post, so let’s get this backstory crackin’!
THE INSPIRATION
Inspired by Joseph Campbell
While the Star Wars movies had many aspects that were brand spanking new, I think their lasting popularity is due to what made them familiar rather than what made them novel. For example, one of the greatest influences on the films—especially A New Hope—was the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll remember the series I did based on his “hero’s journey” cycle. (I mean, the series was forever long. You couldn’t forget it if you tried.)
Lucas had read the book in college but had forgotten about it until he was editing his script for A New Hope. Campbell’s description of the familiar, 12-stage quest helped focus Lucas’s scattered ideas into one tidy story. Because the cycle is based on countless stories from mythology, history, and modern literature, plots based on it will resonate with us. That’s one reason why, despite its fantastic settings and alien characters, A New Hope is still so relatable.
Inspired by Flash Gordon
Other inspirations for the Star Wars stories were the TV shows, comic books, movies, and literature that Lucas had enjoyed while growing up. The Flash Gordon TV serial made such a big impact on Lucas as a child that he actually tried to buy the rights to the show before he created Star Wars. He’s thankful now (and so are we!) that he was denied the rights, because it would have turned his career in a whole different direction. Instead, he wrote the Star Wars stories with the characters, adventures, and style of Flash Gordon in mind, in a sense making a new version of his favorite old show.
Other Inspirations
In college, Lucas became smitten with Japanese films, especially the works of director Akira Kurosawa. The plot of A New Hope has similarities to Kurosawa’s films, especially The Hidden Fortress, and you can see the influence of the samurai when you look at the Jedi’s ancient weapon and technique, and their desire to keep peace. Even the Force seems to be a blend of Eastern mysticism and other new age philosophies. I think the films gained depth from borrowing certain aspects of this ancient culture.
Lucas also mentioned that he was influenced by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, especially in the portrayal of good versus evil. He saw Obi-Wan Kenobi as a parallel to Gandalf and Darth Vader as a version of the Witch King of Angmar. Great choice in inspiration, Lucas. I approve.
THE CREATION
Revising the Idea
So the inspiration for the stories took a long time and many sources, but how did Lucas create the trilogy itself? Well, first of all, he didn’t start out to make a trilogy; he wanted to make a children’s TV serial like Flash Gordon. He’d written quite a bit of plot, and knew he’d need to break it in pieces in order to show it all. But when he found that the studios wouldn’t support him in such a big undertaking, he was forced to shorten it to the length of one movie. He was expecting it to be a flop, so he used all the good plot points to make the film as interesting as possible: he killed Obi-Wan and blew up the Death Star. Then he found that people wanted sequels. Oops.
Lucas’s Directing Style
It was back to the drawing board for Lucas, and I mean that quite literally. Lucas is a visual thinker, so in order to write and direct the films (even though he didn’t technically write the screenplays or direct Episode V or VI), he would need to see the ideas drawn out on a storyboard. This helped him plan the content and even the angle of many shots. Sound a bit controlling? Perhaps. By all accounts, Lucas is a quiet, intense, visionary perfectionist.
He readily admits that his favorite part of the movie-making process isn’t writing, directing, or filming—it’s the editing. That, he believes, is where the real magic happens. You can spin decent footage into cinematic gold if you know what you’re doing in the editing room. And apparently Lucas has that Rumpelstiltskin touch, because his films are 24-carat. (That sounds like a really obscure pickup line.)
Making His Dreams Reality
So Lucas took his sprawling story, condensed it into one movie, and then re-expanded it into a trilogy. He sat through casting interviews, compiled a talented team both on and off the screen, and then got to work. I’ll touch on this more next week, but Lucas brought his unique vision to life through a combination of on-location filming and cutting-edge special effects. Looking at the original trilogy today, it’s hard to believe the sparkly explosions, fuzzy puppets, and stop-animation creatures were ever cutting edge, but Lucas was setting a new standard for film. Although the movies turned out to be only a fraction of what his mind’s eye had envisioned, they were still the best of their kind.
But What’s the Genre?
And what kind is that? The movies themselves, he clarifies, aren’t considered mere science fiction; they’re a branch of science fiction known as the “space opera.” Apparently that has nothing to do with large women wearing Viking helmets; it’s more like a “soap opera,” a story with plenty of relational drama and plot twists. A space opera “emphasizes space warfare, melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, and risk-taking,” all of which abound in Star Wars (3).
For Lucas, the stories aren’t about space as much as they’re about the dynamic between father and son. That, I think, is part of the reason the movies appeal to so many as opposed to, say, Star Trek. In Star Trek, the plots often hinge on unfamiliar beings and strange places; in Star Wars, the creatures and places are almost incidental to the real issues of family drama. (Although I admit it’s a lot cooler to learn who your biological father is when you’re dangling over the edge of a space station chasm in Cloud City.) This isn’t to say Star Wars is better than Star Trek. It’s really comparing apples to oranges, so eat whatever you have a taste for.
To Be Continued
Now that you’re an expert in the inspiration and creation of the original Star Wars trilogy, you’re equipped to critique next week’s post about what worked and what didn’t work in these classic films. The post will be chock-full of my own opinions, but I’d love to hear your opinions, too, even if they’re contrary to mine! For now, let me leave you with a question:
Today’s Question: When did you first see the original Star Wars trilogy? Do you remember your first impressions?
Check out the next post here!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_sources_and_analogues
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera
The Genius of George Lucas: A Brief Biography (Part 2)
We left off last week just as George Lucas had created his first successful blockbuster, American Graffiti, a movie that was much more accessible than his previous THX 1138. He seemed to have cracked the code for what the average movie goer wanted to see, and that must have buoyed his spirits a bit. But his spirits were about to get a whole lot more buoyant, because just on the horizon, A New Hope was dawning.
The Rise of an Empire
Isn’t this always the way with a massive success: the creator presents the new idea to countless publishers, studios, or patrons, all of whom think the idea is a recipe for failure? They play it safe and turn down the genius of their day, only to become less than a passing thought in these rags-to-riches biographies. This was certainly the case for George Lucas when he began what eventually became Star Wars.
Now that he’d directed a successful film, Lucas began looking for a studio to back him on his next adventure, a TV series for youth that would mix several old genres including science fiction and westerns. No one was interested in working with him on this seemingly risky idea, but a friend at 20th Century Fox finally went out on a limb for him. Lucas revised his original TV series idea to make it one film instead, and thus Star Wars was born.
Much to everyone’s shock and amazement, the film was an absolute smash hit. In fact, it made over $500 million more than it cost to make, and that was just during its first release! We’ll spend more time on what made that film so unfathomably successful in next week’s post, but for now, we’ll just agree that—whatever Lucas’s secret—he had struck gold.
A Talent for Technology
With that success under his belt and a hefty profit to show for it, Lucas felt the freedom to change his role for the next two movies; the first Star Wars film had been written and directed by Lucas, but he chose to hire other screenwriters and directors for the sequels. He was, however, the story writer and unofficial co-director of Episodes 5 and 6, not feeling comfortable to relinquish control entirely. In my humble opinion, Lucas does his best work in areas other than writing screenplays and directing actors, so this change was probably for the best.
So what did he do instead? He focused on developing the technical aspects of cinema. To that end, he began several companies including Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, and LucasArts. Through the years, he sold small branches of some of these to help pay the bills, although you wouldn’t think the guy in charge of Star Wars would have to worry about that. The fact is that Lucas went through a divorce in 1983, the year that Return of the Jedi was released, and that move took a toll on his savings. Even more significantly, he poured a lot of his profit right back into his companies in hopes of developing better technology with which to tell stories.
And at the end of the day, that’s where his real passion and talents lie: in creating ways to tell good stories better. Regardless of your opinion about his movies, Lucas’s impact on cinematic technology is undeniable. But that’s a statement I’ll have to prove to you in the following weeks as we see how his vision made possible movies like Star Wars.
Steven Spielberg and Dr. Jones
Although he had stepped down from directing for a time, Lucas’s impact on film continued. I think a big part of this is due to his friendship with Steven Spielberg, whom he’d met way back in 1967 and with whom he’d struck up a healthy rivalry and eventual friendship. They were always in competition with each other to see who could create the best film work, each one readily acknowledging when the other had hit the nail on the head. They have plenty of differences (their personalities, for example, come across as polar opposites), but they share a passion for making good movies. One result of this passion is the Indiana Jones series.
During the 1977 release of Star Wars: A New Hope, Lucas was hiding out on vacation with Spielberg in Hawaii. They got to talking about movies they’d like to do in the future when Spielberg mentioned his desire to direct something like the original James Bond films. Lucas replied that he had an even better idea: a 1930’s archaeologist and professor named Indiana Smith. Lucas summarized the idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark to his pal, and Spielberg was sold on everything but the name. Lucas conceded, and the two shook hands, agreeing to make a trilogy of films together with the newly-christened Indiana Jones.
Thank you, Lucas. Thank you, Spielberg. Thank you, Hawaii.
Retreat
Lucas stayed out of the director’s chair for about 20 years, during which time he kept busy at his craft. His desire to escape Hollywood’s hackneyed, stunting influence culminated in the creation of Skywalker Ranch, a technological mansion on a beautiful expanse of acreage north of San Francisco. He began purchasing and building back in 1978, the year after A New Hope was released. Today, this is where all the audio recording, mixing, and experimenting happens, although it’s now open to the (paying) public for visits as well. I’m sure he would love to have located more of his companies on Skywalker Ranch, but the other inhabitants of his county didn’t want any extra hubbub or fanfare. Sorry, George.
While Lucas must have spent a good deal of time at the Ranch during his hiatus from directing, he also spent as much time as possible with his kids. Lucas and his wife, Marcia, had adopted a daughter about two years before their divorce. Lucas fell in love with being a father and later went on to adopt two more children on his own. Even though his busy work schedule took a toll on his marriage to Marcia, he didn’t want it to jeopardize his role as father, too. He directed less partly so he would have more time to spend with his kids while they were young.
Return
But once they were older, he hopped back into the director’s chair (and screenwriter’s chair) for the creation of The Phantom Menace, which is Episode 1 in the Star Wars saga. What made him come out of hiding for that movie and its two sequels? We’ll discuss it more in depth in a few weeks, but the short answer is that he’d dreamed of expanding the original storyline to display the tragedy of Darth Vader, and he finally felt that he had the time, means, and technology to pull it off. He also contributed the story for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, but he didn’t direct it. That film was one of his last hurrahs before The Big Sale.
Selling It All to the Mouse
As we all know, Lucas chose to sell Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. While he’s been reported to have mixed emotions on the subject, a deal’s a deal. But why did he sell? For a number of reasons including his age and his desire to ensure that the stories and characters will be protected for decades to come. He feels that Disney has the financial and creative means to do justice to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and for all our sakes, I hope he’s right.
While he’s still a creative consultant for the films, it seems that Disney doesn’t want much consultation from him. They’ve got their own ideas for how to make the new movies successful, so Lucas is free to enjoy his retirement in any way he chooses. He probably spends some time and a good bit of money on his charitable organizations, but aside from that, his daily activities are anyone’s guess. Personally, I think he probably has an annual pass to Disneyland and spends a lot time hanging out with the Star Wars character actors. Or maybe he rides the teacup ride. Either way is cool.
The Best Is Yet to Come
Now we’ve seen where Lucas came from and what he’s done. Next, I’m excited to examine a wide scope of his films, from the old to the new. Make plans to tune in next time as we look at Star Wars Episodes 4-6!
Today’s Question: What’s the most interesting fact that you know about George Lucas?
Check out the next post here!
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GXPixi6fq0
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWtbJxzGpQ
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas_filmography
- https://www.biography.com/filmmaker/george-lucas
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Lucas
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas
- http://www.forcematerial.com/home/2017/1/28/the-car-crash-that-changed-the-galaxy
- https://www.thebeardedtrio.com/2017/10/the-rivalry-respect-and-friendship.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/21/movies/meanwhile-back-at-the-ranch.html
- https://www.lucasfilm.com/what-we-do/
- https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/30/george-lucas-i-sold-lucasfilm-to-disney-to-protect-it/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucasfilm#Subsidiary_of_Disney_(2012%E2%80%93present)
- https://www.businessinsider.com/george-lucas-says-he-sold-star-wars-to-white-slavers-2015-12
- https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/30/george-lucas-i-sold-lucasfilm-to-disney-to-protect-it/
The Genius of George Lucas: A Brief Biography (Part 1)
As I mentioned last week, I’m endeavoring to write a dissertation on the pros and cons of Lucas’s two main franchises: Star Wars and Indiana Jones. (Ok, so it’s not a real dissertation, and it won’t be daunting because I’ll be breaking it up for you, but still. It will be quite a series.)
These fantastic series have been part of my life from my earliest days, and they’ve definitely helped shape who I’ve become. But that doesn’t mean I agree with all of George Lucas’s choices, especially with some the later films. But I thought it would be fun to start a dialogue about his works, and the best way to assess what he’s done is to see where he came from. Join me, won’t you, for this two-part biography of George Lucas!
The Early Years
As with many auspicious characters, George Lucas began pretty inauspiciously. He was born in 1944 in a small town called Modesto, California. He enjoyed reading comic books, watching old TV shows like Flash Gordon, slacking off in school, and driving cars for fun. Cruising the town was a staple activity of his era, but it affected Lucas more than you would have expected. During his high school years he began racing cars, hoping to make driving his livelihood. That idea came to a screeching halt, quite literally, just a few days before his high school graduation.
On his way home, he was broadsided by another vehicle. His small, souped-up car flipped multiple times, and Lucas was thrown from the window. This little escapade did cost him several weeks of recovery in the hospital, but it nearly cost him his life. While he lay recovering, Lucas realized that he didn’t want a future in the racecar industry after all. He determined to go to college and study art instead, deciding to apply a little more effort than he had done in high school.
Schooling Lucas
After he recovered from the accident, he began attending the local junior college in Modesto. His serious-minded father didn’t want him to throw away his education on an art degree, though, so Lucas studied literature, philosophy, and anthropology. Around this time, he also became interested in photography and film. In fact, he enjoyed film so much that he decided to transfer to the University of Southern California and get a degree in film making. This was a good compromise to his dad since the degree would come from a real university, so that’s what Lucas did.
But he wasn’t interested in mainstream Hollywood films. No, Lucas was a visionary. He and several of his film school friends were inspired by the modern, abstract, non-narrative art films, and Lucas decided this was the direction in which he would steer his career. He put this plan into practice while still a university student, making several short films that won awards and set him apart as someone with potential. People started taking notice of his out-of-the-box style. He did what he liked, and it worked for him.
Did that start to go to his head and give him a sense of creative impunity? How dare you suggest such a thing.
A Swing and a Miss
By the time he graduated from USC with his masters in film production, he had several reasons to trust his artistic instincts: he enjoyed what he did, others enjoyed what he did, and they said he was a natural. Actually, one of his university film projects (a futuristic, dystopian little number called Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB) won first place at the National Student Film Festival. This gave him the chance to choose any Warner Brothers director to work under for one movie. Lucas chose Francis Ford Coppola, the man who would later be known for The Godfather movies.
Solid choice, George.
Coppola saw Lucas’s potential and chose to co-found an independent film studio with him. They hoped that the studio, American Zoetrope, would give free-spirited directors a place to make movies that didn’t fit the Hollywood mold. Lucas did just that by expanding his university film into his first full movie, shortening the title to THX 1138. Warner Brothers chipped in and supported his endeavor, but the film was a bit of a flop. People didn’t enjoy it or understand it. Lucas lost his shorts on it, and Warner Brothers didn’t want to work with him anymore.
Some New Hope
With that financial and artistic bummer weighing him down, Lucas trudged on in hopes of finding a way to make another film, a completely different one. He set out on his own and founded Lucasfilm, Ltd., where he wrote and directed American Graffiti, a low-budget film that shocked everyone (including Lucas) by ranking as one of the decade’s most profitable films. The movie was a nostalgic piece reflecting on the good ol’ days of cruising the town in hot rods, just as Lucas had done as a teen. Compared with THX 1138, the movie was a smash hit. Lucas was probably disappointed in the general public’s taste in movies, but he seems to have learned his lesson: artistic films with minimal plot and characterization do well in art school; real people like stories with relatable characters and familiar stories.
He learned his lesson so well, in fact, that the plot of his next film was an exemplary display of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, a book that outlines the familiar hero quest storyline. I bet you can guess what film I’m talking about, but you may not know how it came about. Don’t worry—that’s why they pay me the big bucks.
To Be Continued
As I assessed how much material I still had to cover, I thought I’d do us both a favor and save the second half of the biography for next week. Talk about a cliff hanger! Sorry about that, for those of you who were really banking on learning all there is to know about Lucas this week. But, hey, it’s just one more reason to tune in again next week for our next installment of “The Genius of George Lucas.” See you then!
Check out the next post here!
Sources:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GXPixi6fq0
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWtbJxzGpQ
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas_filmography
- https://www.biography.com/filmmaker/george-lucas
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Lucas
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas
- http://www.forcematerial.com/home/2017/1/28/the-car-crash-that-changed-the-galaxy
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