‘The People vs George Lucas’ trailer is now online, (see below); watching it left me profoundly depressed.
Why?
This dark mood was triggered by a comment someone makes at the start of the trailer:
“George Lucas…unlocked a generation’s imagination.”
The truth is George Lucas did precisely the opposite. He locked up a generations imagination. Watching the fans, the people spending thousands of hours in Star Wars multiplayer games, reading Star Wars books and comics, making Star Wars tribute videos makes me want to scream. What are you doing? Why aren’t you out there creating your own fictional worlds. Why the slavish obsequiousness to someone else’s dream?
I wore a Star Wars t-shirt as a kid. Sure. But I was seven years old. As I got older it became apparent that Star Wars had colonized a generation – that’s why people say things like ‘George Lucas raped my childhood’, (referring to the poor quality of his current productions). To them Lucas’ universe is a place they actually lived in.
One can track this back I think to the Cantina segment in the first Star Wars film. It established in one scene, in a simple handful of shots, an entire fictional universe; the power of this scene, with its attention to detail and catchy music, acted as a narcotic on the brain of children – warping their own imaginary worlds, inculcating them into some one’s vision and profit stream.
One could argue that kids are always investing themselves in the popular culture – if it wasn’t Star Wars it’d be something else.
But Lucas’ drive to innovate in business, (and let’s make no mistake here – the Star Wars films weren’t made as art – they were designed to make money, and, with the more recent pictures, to pioneer new business and production practices of industrial cinema; as Lucas himself said after the poor reception to his film THX-1138: “I’m going to out-Disney Disney”), leaves one with thin gruel for the creative process, (paraphrasing Godard: “Homages are fine. Just that most homages are homages to sh*t).
Kids deserve better than Star Wars, kids can do better than Star Wars.
I think this is a fascinating point Jett – the original films did do a beautiful job of evoking a world; I don't think the man behind them would want to make a case for them as 'great art' – but I'm sure the motivation was not merely economic – you can want to entertain people and make a living at the same time…But the idea that the most committed fans are plumbing the depths of their imagination by turning up at a convention to buy a Jawa's autograph – I'm with you. When I think of the role 'Star Wars' played in my childhood, I have vague memories of playing with the toys – though given how expensive they were we didn't have the ships and buildings, just the action figures – which meant we did actually need to use our imagination; I seem to recall stringing up a little aerial slide for Chewbacca. The toys actually represent my strongest memories of how I learned about perspective, shapes, and tactility – Boba Fett always looked too small to play in my sister's SIndy house, and I held tightly onto the little figures when my more rambunctious friends sought to liberate them from my ownership…So while I think you've got a good point about what it means to be trapped inside another person's vision, I suspect I will always love the original Star Wars movies, because they came along when I was young enough for them to teach me about story-telling. Mr Lucas was only re-telling ancient myths; and doing it well enough to capture the imagination of a generation. I freely concede, however, that some of our generation allowed themselves to stay caught. And in that sense, the fact that the newer Star Wars films were not simply carbon copies but tried to do something different should be welcomed, no matter how successful they turned out to be.
I hear what you're saying Dr.
But my awareness, from a young age, of the commercial aspects of the original Star Wars pic, (remember, I saw it when it came out ;), can't be divorced from the storytelling artistry involved.
I was acutely cognizant of the fact that I was wearing, in that t-shirt, someone else's product – and that I was advertising a related product at the same time. Sure I was only 7, but I guess cause we were food-stamp poor and the Star Wars shirt was one of the few things I had that wasn't bought in a thrift store the nature of the commerce involved has never left me.
As for the new Star Wars films trying to do something different = they were made simply to be able to fund new methods of the industrial production process – just like people would buy a KFC franchise to guarantee a continual income stream that they would then invest in property or whatever; the point being they wanted cash, they weren't interested in being a restauranteur.
As the for the original ones – you know I hadn't seen them in years – until they wre reissued in the late-90's – and I couldn't stomach them – I don't know how many people were on that Death Star – but hundreds of thousands must have died when it exploded – does that make Luke Skywalker Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay. Yes, I think so. (though of course as an adult it's quite clear that shooting that bomb into the sphere – via a ship that looks like a phallus is a clear graphical representation of an egg being fertilized; so creation from destruction…hmm).
There are, of course, layers upon layers of interpretation here. I think there was more to the newer SW films than you say – I do think there was a sincere attempt at bringing a conclusion to a myth – as well as a commercial endeavour – but I fully endorse the Death Star ethical question – a representation of the myth of redemptive violence if ever I saw one…the question of how to handle violence as catharsis in movies is one we should handle on a future episode…
I'll have to disagree with ya there re: 'conclusion to a myth' – if anything the new films are 'anti-myth' – as we've mentioned before on the show – in the first pic a throw-away line like:
“I fought with your father in the Clone Wars”
is mythic – in that, by making it a throw-away, not referred to again, and in fact sketching out in no way and in no detail what the Clone Wars were, created a psychic hole which forced imagination to fill it in- and here I'm thinking about the idea/power of myth as analogous to a childlike state of wonder –
in the new films by describing/animating in minute, pondering and numerous detail what the Clone Wars were all mythic power was drained away. Leaving nothing but flat acting, atrocious scriptwriting, poor direction, and haphazard pacing. Great sound design though.
Ya, I'll never forgive him for what he did with the Prequels.
Here's a guy who has all the money in the world.
He can LITERALLY do anything he wants without any studio interference and full creative freedom. And at a time when good science-fiction movies were few and far between.
He could've really created something great that would spark the imagination and maybe engage the mind a little bit. But instead, he goes and makes these horribly-written, misguided, stupid, boring kids films.
Not that I'm one to worship the original trilogy either, I'm not much of a fanboy at all, but just as a science fiction fan it offends me.
I only hope to god Cameron's Avatar doesn't dissapoint like that.
I think I find myself mostly with Gareth on this one. I have very fond memories of playing at Star Wars (my friends and I were more the role playing and writing stories type as opposed to toy collectors ) and I was disappointed – ok, disgusted with – the new movies – I had the sense that I I must have been expecting them to grow up with me and they certainly did not. But, when those movies came out, it was the excitement of the then amazing special effects that had everyone I knew just awestruck. So, with that “shove”, our imaginations went in that direction. But, did Lucas only make those first movies to “get rich?” I think that just happened. I do find it amazing that anyone can make these movies such an important part of their lives that they feel raped as a result of the let down of the bad attempts at finishing the saga. People are definitely “stuck” if that's where they find themselves.
yes, well that's the thing isn't it? Ever since 'Empire Strikes Back' Lucas has paid for his films himself – they are indie films – and this guy can do whatever he wants – so why the awfulness? This is the story – why would would the man who made the great 'THX-1138 4EB' and '1:42.08 to Qualify', (my favorite of his pics), invest years of his life in this…stuff.
I don't know – I'm being too harsh. If it works for him then great. Maybe its more challenging and fun for him to engage in the technical and business end of movie production – seems like that's the case.
Ya I know what you mean K_Ann – though I will add that, as I allude to in the post, Lucas told his friends that he was so disappointed in the reaction to THX-1138 that he was going to 'out-Disney Disney', meaning I would say that he was going to show the industry that he could make a supremely commercial project that would have tremendous kid appeal, sell a lot of tickets and move a lot of product.
+ you make a valid point about the folks feeling violated – is this a sign of the weakening of communities / modern isolation that so many find kinship in someone else's dream?
I've heard that a lot of kids loved the new ones. Just like we loved the old ones when we were kids. So maybe the problem is with us?
Well sure, they're for kids – I just think kids deserve better ;)
+ I like you're new Disqus avatar – you look happy and welcoming – I look like I'm receiving bad news on the phone
Have a lot of love for the originals, but my affection ends there.
My kids love the new ones. What's disturbing about the whole Clones Wars stuff, the cartoon series in particular that takes place between parts 2 and 3 is that the hero will, as we know, turn bad. The clone troopers will go onto become storm troopers. I find that very dark to be marketed for young kids. And there's also this issue that it's mainly incomprehensible!
I actually enjoyed the 2nd prequel one (whatever it was called). The one I disliked most of all is the 3rd Prequel (whatever it was called), for the reason Jett touches on above -we all already knew the story. Seeing it acted out in stoopid ways by stoopid actors in a stoopid, stunted script closed the doors on any kind of requirement for
imagination.
There is an implied history in the original trilogy. If they wanted to make three more they needed to go 100 years (or more) further into the future and look on the originals as the history and build on it that way -like, say, The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov.
Now it kinda depresses me to even think about Star Wars, much less write about it. There's not much to think about in the movies themselves as I say -only their position in the “cultural psyche” and even that is quite boring at this stage.
I don't find it hurtful or anything as silly as that. I enjoyed most of them. Now they bore me.
Wow, I think one could spend a lot of time delving into the psychology and sociology of why and how certain people only feel community in these arenas. I know people who live for the Comic Con scene who don't fit in with anyone else and i know some who go to the one in San Fransisco to perform in the masquerade every year for fun and and are very well “socialized”. ( they are quite good, btw. They got invited to perform for the LOTR Oscar party that year)
I agree with you on all three points here – you photo is still better than “block face” :)
Also, How does American Graffiti fit into the out Disneying Disney, or does it?
yeah there's always been that psychic need to masquerade and perform ritual – thinking of course of various African tribal dances…rituals like Morris Dancers etc – and I see how ComicCon fits right in there – the interesting thing me is that those are home grown/location specific myth-rituals – and with ComicCon it's embracing a story from a distance – but i suppose this is the inevitable outcome of the telegraph technology = collapsing distance, etc.
i understand that Lucas was developing Star Wars before American Grafitti = again as a response to critical/commercial failure of THX – i don't know this stuff first-hand = don't know any of the players involved so of course one must always be wary of hearsay.
Well put. Did you ever watch Northern Exposure? Remember Ed talking about movies being white man's medicine? That really hit it, I think. I think some of the medicine is bad, or, maybe we just don't know how to take it properly (one of the reasons I appreciate Gareth's book, I might add)
I liked Empire Strikes Back; I thought it was witty and fun and edited like a great comic book. Long long ago in an empire far away opened a whole new chapter in film-making we take for granted. Later Star Wars products got bloated on self indulgence and too much money. But, hey, I think you are giving George Lucas way too much power by using the language of sexual assault and pedophilia for the phenomenon (he raped my childhood). I don't blame George Lucas or Tolkien for the fact I haven't come up with an alternative world; I am just happy to inhabit theirs for a couple hours and then go back to my own real world. I think most people are and the wierd excessives are the exception rather than the rule.
I absolutely agree, both with the sentiment re: Empire Strikes Back and the criticism of the harsh language – the use of those violent metaphors is entirely inappropriate and hugely insensitive; and, to my mind, a sign of the impoverishment of language. But just for the record – Jett was quoting someone in the trailer for the documentary rather than endorsing the statement.
I agree re: weird excessives, (it's the excessives that use the term 'rape' not myself – in fact I hated using that quote in the blog post as comparing Lucas' films to rape minimises a horrific crime).
i wonder = if Star Wars didn't exist what would these people be doing with their spare time?
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