Interesting article. I think Lucas is right that a lot of fans would have hated it, but I don't necessarily think it was right to casually equate that with The Phantom Menace the way he did:...
Interesting article. I think Lucas is right that a lot of fans would have hated it, but I don't necessarily think it was right to casually equate that with The Phantom Menace the way he did:
Of course, a lot of the fans would have hated it, just like they did ‘Phantom Menace’ and everything...
They'd have hated it for the reason James Cameron points out in the interview:
But you're putting detail and a facade of science around an idea that's pretty timeless, which is the spirit, the soul, heaven, causation.
I think Cameron was correct in assuming that many Star Wars fans, whether consciously or not, view The Force as some sort of Jedi religious/mystic power. People probably would have recoiled at the idea that their heroes weren't really the ones who were important in the Universe--that it was these microscopic creatures instead. Telling people who've known and loved and studied a franchise for forty years that something else was at play the entire time would have disappointed them horribly. It's like watching a movie or a weird episode of a favorite show where you find out that everything was just a dream the whole time, and none of it ever happened. People get mad over that stuff.
All that being said, I think it's a fascinating idea. It'd make for a great spin-off series. I'd watch it.
As you say by drastically changing the laws of the universe that Lucas set up, he invalidate all the past struggles that his character went through. There by destroying any catharsis the audience...
As you say by drastically changing the laws of the universe that Lucas set up, he invalidate all the past struggles that his character went through. There by destroying any catharsis the audience feels.
I believe the problem with Phantom Menace is that Lucas took a new community approach to film-making, where he basically felt like everyone should have a say in the process and the whole process...
I believe the problem with Phantom Menace is that Lucas took a new community approach to film-making, where he basically felt like everyone should have a say in the process and the whole process got garbled up. I listened to an interview where he was asked if he regretted making this decision and he said he didn't, even if he had to sacrifice some of his vision. He also said he was happy with the result, even if fans were not, although whether he was happy because everyone got what they wanted or because he felt it was a good film was not something he mentioned.
I'm trying to remember the interview but it was a lifetime ago, back after the release of the second prequel film.
So basically, I think if they gave him full-access to the film he might have actually done a good job with it. If you enjoyed Star Wars Rebels (or the Clone Wars animated series), they do a lot with the Whills in that series; it's more the spiritual successor of Lucas's vision than the current reboot. Those were really good tv shows, IMO.
I'm curious what you mean by the "new community approach to film-making." Everything I have seen about the making of Episode 1 was that he rushed a script out just before production was to start...
I'm curious what you mean by the "new community approach to film-making." Everything I have seen about the making of Episode 1 was that he rushed a script out just before production was to start and that everyone involved in the production were essentially "yes men," leading to absolutely no alternative ideas to Lucas'. I've never come across anything about the prequels not being completely his vision.
One of the reasons that the originals were so good was that Lucas wasn't allowed free reign. The story on the creation of the original Star Wars was that it was a disaster until his wife (an Oscar-winning editor) got her hands on it and completely changed the structure. And what is widely considered the best film in the entire saga, Empire Strikes Back, was neither written nor directed by Lucas.
I think Lucas' strength was in the creation of the overall universe and story, but the details were not his strong suit. And it sounds like his plan for the sequels was going to be a delve into the details, which I'm pretty sure would have been a disaster of epic proportions.
Interesting article. I think Lucas is right that a lot of fans would have hated it, but I don't necessarily think it was right to casually equate that with The Phantom Menace the way he did:
They'd have hated it for the reason James Cameron points out in the interview:
I think Cameron was correct in assuming that many Star Wars fans, whether consciously or not, view The Force as some sort of Jedi religious/mystic power. People probably would have recoiled at the idea that their heroes weren't really the ones who were important in the Universe--that it was these microscopic creatures instead. Telling people who've known and loved and studied a franchise for forty years that something else was at play the entire time would have disappointed them horribly. It's like watching a movie or a weird episode of a favorite show where you find out that everything was just a dream the whole time, and none of it ever happened. People get mad over that stuff.
All that being said, I think it's a fascinating idea. It'd make for a great spin-off series. I'd watch it.
As you say by drastically changing the laws of the universe that Lucas set up, he invalidate all the past struggles that his character went through. There by destroying any catharsis the audience feels.
I believe the problem with Phantom Menace is that Lucas took a new community approach to film-making, where he basically felt like everyone should have a say in the process and the whole process got garbled up. I listened to an interview where he was asked if he regretted making this decision and he said he didn't, even if he had to sacrifice some of his vision. He also said he was happy with the result, even if fans were not, although whether he was happy because everyone got what they wanted or because he felt it was a good film was not something he mentioned.
I'm trying to remember the interview but it was a lifetime ago, back after the release of the second prequel film.
So basically, I think if they gave him full-access to the film he might have actually done a good job with it. If you enjoyed Star Wars Rebels (or the Clone Wars animated series), they do a lot with the Whills in that series; it's more the spiritual successor of Lucas's vision than the current reboot. Those were really good tv shows, IMO.
I'm curious what you mean by the "new community approach to film-making." Everything I have seen about the making of Episode 1 was that he rushed a script out just before production was to start and that everyone involved in the production were essentially "yes men," leading to absolutely no alternative ideas to Lucas'. I've never come across anything about the prequels not being completely his vision.
One of the reasons that the originals were so good was that Lucas wasn't allowed free reign. The story on the creation of the original Star Wars was that it was a disaster until his wife (an Oscar-winning editor) got her hands on it and completely changed the structure. And what is widely considered the best film in the entire saga, Empire Strikes Back, was neither written nor directed by Lucas.
I think Lucas' strength was in the creation of the overall universe and story, but the details were not his strong suit. And it sounds like his plan for the sequels was going to be a delve into the details, which I'm pretty sure would have been a disaster of epic proportions.