Did Lucas change the focus of the Saga to make the Prequels?

After I finished watching the ROTS dvd, in the commentary- Lucas resounded that the 6 movies were intended to focus on the tragic character of Anakin/Darth. I disagree, ss a kid, I watched the original 3 movies as a kid always thinking it was about the Heroic character of Luke Skywalker. In order to make the 3 prequels, the focus was changed from Luke to Darth and I think this is a disservice to the original 3 movies.
Don't get me wrong- I love all of the movies and will watch them all repeatedly til I die! Just think that Lucas is changing his original reasons for making Star Wars, which was to tell a heroic epic story, not a tragic one!

 

When you look at the OT all by itself ... yes it seems to be more about Luke. I absolutely agree with that. Just like if you watch the PT by itself, the story is focused on Anakin & Obi-Wan.

However it's when you watch both together that you get the true sense of what the real story is. I don't think Lucas changed anything, I think your perception changed.

 

i always think the Ot is more about passing the problem on to the next generation. hence it starts with luke and his quest and anakin is in the background of it. hence obi-wan passes on the torch in ANH.

 

The PT alters the focus of the saga.

That is to say, Lucas isn't misdirecting us, it's simply that the PT causes us to look at the OT in a new light.

 

Yes, it does. That's why I like it. I think it embellishes the entire saga.

 

^^^^Yeah, I agree. So many people see it as a bad thing. Its perfectly natural that thirty years later a storyteller might have different ideas ( or just be a totally different person ) if he decides to continue his story, thus giving you a piece of the overall story that differs significantly to the earlier stuff.

 

I actually feel the focus was changed in TESB when Vader says "No,I am your father." This is where the focus switched from Luke to Vader/Anakin. I remember reading in TIME at the release of TPM that the OT was about the redemption of the father through his son. So I took this as the story being about the Skywalker family, with Anakin/Vader as the centerpiece. I look at the OT this way: Luke is the main character for the first half, turns into the main supporting cast as the Vader story evolved. So of course the PT had to be about Anakin's transformation. The the choice to make Anakin the focus was to give the full story. If you look into other comments GL made about making 6 acts to one story, it is an epic, heroic story! PT shows the rise and fall of the father, with the introduction of "the new hope" at the end; the OT shows how the hero redeems his soul through the help of his son. The focus was modified in the late 70's as GL was working on TESB, not just by the PT.

 

That's right. . The focus WAS changed in ESB. That's all that needs to be said.

 

I think there was always a large focus on Vader. He was the archenemy of both Obi-Wan and Luke. That conflict always seemed to be the core of the story.
What has happened, though, is that our main focus has moved from Luke, Han and Leia to Luke and Vader. Han and Leia are still main characters, but their story isn't nearly as important as that of Luke and Vader. That's the story that really matters in the big picture.



Anakin is the center of the conflict
/LM

 

He most certainly did. The OT was NEVER Vader's story. It was Luke Skywalker's. Anyone who saw them then knew that. Vader was just the bad guy who ended up being Luke's father. Period. End of story. GL can say anything he wants. Doesn't make it true.

And the PT does NOT make me look at the OT in a different light. It's still Luke's story and Vader is still just the bad guy. You can't re-write history.

 

if, in the OT, it were truly Luke's story, he would have destroyed Evil -- not Vader. But it was Anakin who eventually destroyed the Sith and sacrificed himself and saved Luke from death ... even in the OT, it makes Anakin the hero ... and just like in the PT, Obi-Wan is heroic like Luke, but the story is about the hero, Anakin ...

 

The OT isn't Anakin's story just because Vader threw Palpatine down the shaft at the end of the last movie. The OT is Luke's story. Luke is the hero of the OT and it tells his story of how he went from a naive farmboy to the hero of the rebellion. Always has been and always will be Luke's story. In fact, the novelization for ANH (when it was just known as Star Wars) was Star Wars: From The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker, wasn't it? You can't go back and act like the OT was Anakin's/Vader's story just because GL decided years later to focus on Anakin in the PT. It's ridiculous.

 

Your analogy between Obi-wan and Luke is good, it even makes me think a little about my original thought. I just have to go back to how I felt when I was watching the movies back then. For me, it was all about Luke. Correct me if I am wrong, but for some reason, I remember watching the DVD that was packaged along with the OT DVD set where Lucas is interviewed about the making of Star Wars and I clearly remember him placing an emphasis on Luke as the main character. I could be wrong, I will watch it again tonight. I guess I have to sit back and agree with some of the preceding posts by saying that how I felt as a kid watching the OT has now changed after watching the PT. I don't know if I am willing to accept that just yet, but it definately is true.

 

I agree, but when GL says something, I do listen. I may not always believe it, but I listen. I wonder if he is saying that for the story or for the sales? I hope not the sales, but I know business is business...

 

Let me ask this question, if GL had never made the PT or never made the claim that the saga is Anakin's story when he was making the PT, would anyone now be claiming that the OT wasn't Luke's story? It's inconceivable to me that anyone can watch the OT and claim that.

 

I am with you and I am glad someone else is bothered by this!

 

It's like...

Hey, remember how the OT was about Luke and Vader was just the bad guy? Well, forget about that. I've now decided that it was really Vader's story! Sure, he didn't get the most screen-time, the story didn't focus on him and yeah, he was the bad guy, but hey, I'm George Lucas and I can do whatever I want! They're my movies! And if you don't like it, then I'll take them and go home!

 

I don't get this thread...

Luke is the focus of the OT, but he was never meant to be the focus of the saga (how could he be?) so what's exactly been changed?

 

How can it be claimed that Anakin is the focus of the ENTIRE saga when Luke is the clear focus of half of it? That's the very big problem behind GL's claim of the saga being Anakin's story. And yet, that doesn't stop some fans from trying to justify what GL has claimed!

 

This is what has changed: At the end of the ROTS DVD in the commentary, GL claims that the entire Saga (all six films) was the story of Darth Vader? Hello GL, I love you but what about LUKE??? I was bothered when I heard this remembering how he spoke in the "Making of Star Wars DVD that came with the OT DVD set about how Star Wars was the story of Luke Skywalker? It is a disservice to the OT to change the focus of the saga midstream to better establish the plotline of the PT. I know how I feel about it, what has changed is GL's perspective, I just want to believe that he changed for storytelling purposes and not DVD sales!

 

What you think the focus of the saga is depends partially on your own point of view. The prequels feature Anakin as the main character, while the OT feature Luke as the main character. I think people regard Anakin as the main character in the saga overall is because he's in all six films. Luke is still the leading man of the OT, but Anakin has more screen time in the whole saga.

 

Well heck, Obi-Wan is in all 6 films but you don't see anyone claiming it's his story.

 

I've actually seen people who claimed exactly that. Though I also know a guy who claimed it was all about Boba Fett...

Anyways I think Luke is still the main character of the second half, but Anakin is the main character of the Saga. It begins with his discovery and ends with his death so it's fairly clear to me that it is about Anakin. I think it was about Luke when all we had were 4, 5, and 6 but whether it was a case of Lucas changing his mind or just the fact that we have an entire other trilogy that takes place before Luke was born, he's no longer the main.

 

You expected the PT to be about Luke?

 

Not at all, just suprised at GL for changing his tune. If you pin me to a wall, I would rather have had 3 more movies following Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2D2. I am sure that there are plenty of force sensative people out in the galaxy that could have become Sith Lords for Luke to fight! ha ha