If you got a job (on TPM) working with the creator of Star Wars would you speak up?

I wouldn't risk my job to try to make a movie better. I go to work for my paycheck.

It is indeed almost inevitable that Lucas is now surrounded by yes-men. Things were different back in the 1970s when he was a geeky young director (with hat in hand) who had gotten lucky with his teenie-bopper flick. But now, Lucas the multi-billionaire is in a very different position.

 

"Now every time a SW movie goes for more than five minutes without a gun battle or an explosion, people are bitching about how "slow" and "boring" it is."



Sad, but true. I've seen multiple posts like that here, saying things like the Ben/Luke scenes on Tatooine(ANH) are boring and drag. I almost can't even believe they're serious.


But back on topic, here's a Gary Kurtz quote I tend to agree with -

"I think one of the problems that Lucas has now, in the Lucas Film empire, is the fact that he doesn't have more people around him who really challenge him. We had lots of arguments and discussions; heated discussions about the way things were going."

 

I remember on the DVD, Lucas changing some scene in the editing room with Burtt. It involved restricting Panaka from moving. Burtt clearly displays shock at what Lucas is up to but says nothing. That is what I am talking about.

But let us be logical. Lucas in the 70s was a new director, wet behind the ears and eager to make a career. As Kurtz pointed out, he fought to make Star Wars until it gave him a heart attack. THIS man cared! It exausted him so that he passed on the reigns or director to Kershner and eventually Marquand while he worked on his business and the creative aspects of the films he was making. He even had a collection of writers helping out.

Cut forward to the late 90s. Lucas has is now one of the world's most powerful businessmen. He now has the confidence and sheer money power to do and say what he wants. He no longer has to fight with bankers to get loans or hire professionals to direct and write his films. He can spend his whole life on the creative process and doesn't even need the films to rake in money to survive. He also had not directed a film since SW in 77.

Isn't it logical to assume that Lucas IS different today? Sure the fans are too but most of us probably have not changed from nobody to multi-billionaire overnight. Along with his age and change in values (that happens to everyone) he no longer has to "hurt" for his films. He can sit back with a twinkie and relax. Even the technology has allowed him to relax. He doesn't have to build huge sets or models anymore. They simply drive around metres of blue screen everywhere and fix it up in front of a screen later.

Surely, we must not only admit Lucas has changed but that in this new seat of power he commands and nobody would question him.

 

But George obviously won all of those "heated discussions".. So what's your point??

 

He definitely won that heated debate about not fixing the Millennium Falcons effects when it was landing on Bespin-oh wait, no he didn't.

For proof, read that popular Kurtz interview that pops up every now and again.

 

The point is the very nature of having those "heated discussions" would make him care about his work more and be desperate for it to succeed. Forgive me for thinking the more a person cares, the more substance we would probably get.

Also, the "heated discussions" may not have been won in Lucas' favour. The way I interpret that quote is that the discussions led to new ideas or altered ones. A lot different from what Lucas thinks = what we will get with very little change. Can't you see this baggles? Or is your hatred for Kurtz blinded your judgment yet again?

 

"I remember we were sitting there at ILM, there was this one shot where the Millenium Falcon lands in Cloud City and it turns and lands and had some glitches in it. George said, "Well we're running out of time, I guess that's okay." And I said, "We can't use that! We've got to do that over again. Because it just doesn't look right." So, Richard Edlund agreed and we had this sort of heated discussion about whether there was enough time and whether we could get it done in time. We did do it over again, and it was much better. That was actually the first time i saw him not want to do the best he possibly could, because he was genuinely worried about the time."

 

I liked the "old team" of Kurtz and Marcia Lucas.

Obviously Marcia Lucas can never come back, but its no secret that she was a terrific editor and there have been rumours that she was responsible for the great editing in ANH resulting in the climactic "Han Solo saving the day at the right moment". Oddly enough, Marcia Lucas left half way through production on ROTJ - and we all know how that turned out.
I don't have any first hand knowledge of this; its just bits and pieces I have read in books but, to me, it seems to makes sense.
Whenever I saw the end credits of SW as a kid, I took Marcia, Kurtz, Dykstra, McQuarrie and the cast etc as an integral part of the success of the films. Now Lucas is on his own, it seems he would benefit from having these people around him.

Kurtz worked with Lucas as a team for many years before SW. Theres surely no doubt that he would've had no qualms about standing up to him; they started off as equals.

If you don't think that Lucas is surrounded by "yes men", then look no further than Rick McCallum; who is the ultimate "yes man". Everything George does is "awesome" or "out of this world!" , or "better than anything we've seen before!" I wouldn't mind, but everything McCallum proclaims, turns out to be falsehood.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but was Marcia related to Lucas?

 

They were married.

EDIT: while I have no evidence for this, I sometimes think Lucas changed when his wife left him. I remember he stated he liked marriage and wanted to marry again. I sometimes think that the reason he put so many kids in the PT and had that romance in AOTC, was to impress the ladies and show them how "sweet" he is. Of course I can't back up that theory and I am not sure of it myself.

 

His former wife.

 

Well, she was his wife for awhile in the seventies, but they had a rather nasty break up, I believe. At least, that's what I read!

 

It's a shame Goerge is still allowed to work on these films. As long as you ignore the evidence it's clear that Gary Kurtz and Marcia Lucas were really responsible for the success of Star Wars. I mean who can compare making sure the sets are built on time and assisting the main editor to something as trivial as writing and directing.

 

Good point, you're right - Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck probably would have been better.

 

It is just as logical to say Lucas has changed over the years as it is to say the fans have changed over the years.

 

Good point, Ultimate!

 

I see,

Then why does Yodaschum find it odd that she left during ROTJ?

(I thought their divorce coincided with ROTJ?)

Lucas' parenthood has definately been an influence on the PT.

 

Yoda yelling in anger, flinging himself aggressively at Dooku, striking "A badass am I!" poses... NONE of this dovetails with the mindset he holds and tries to impart to Luke in ESB.

You are right, of course. It's almost like his character grows and developes over the course of the saga. What the hell is Lucas thinking making dynamic characters that change and grow throughout the story? We "real" fans want static, one dimensional characters, damnit!

 

I find it odd because half of JEDI is good where as the other half is decidely average; coinciding with her seperation from him.

 

In the end, Lucas will always have final say. He had final say on the classic trilogy and he will have final say on the prequels.

Everything I have gathered from interviews with crew members and people like Kasdan and Kershner all indicate that Lucas will listen to anyone's idea, but he has a clear vision of what he wants, and if a suggestion doesn't fit in with that vision, he won't use it.

When you hear the lead animator for Jar-Jar saying he begged and pleaded with George to tone the goofy gungan down, or when you hear that Kurtz was against Darth Vader being Luke's father, you have to drop the conspiracy theory that Lucas won't hear out other opinions.

Unless this theory is the only way you can rationalize not liking these films. Then I can understand the desire to hold on to it with both hands, because without it, you would have to consider the possibility that what he is doing isn't inherrently "wrong" to "everyone". It can be much easier to believe that the stuff you didn't dig on was indisputably wrong to "everyone", and they just didn't express it.

 

The editing in the 1977 Star Wars is phenomenal, especially the job done on the battle of Yavin. It doesn't get any better than that.

The editing in and the pacing of the PT is terrible. There are so many cuts that need to be made, and the transitions between locations is sometimes jarring.

 

Actually, the editing and pacing of both prequels so far is next to perfect. I couldn't imagine cutting anything out now that you mention it.

 

All of these people helped Lucas, and did a great job.

But it is not fair to say that Lucas shouldn't be making SW movies, and that the credit doesn't really belong to him.

After all, who sat down and wrote Star Wars? Lucas. Where did characters like Anakin and Luke come from? Lucas. Who took his idea to Fox? Lucas. And on and on.

 

I remember on the DVD, Lucas changing some scene in the editing room with Burtt. It involved restricting Panaka from moving. Burtt clearly displays shock at what Lucas is up to but says nothing.

You are obviously projecting your own opinion into that moment. What I saw was an editor and director professionally working together to create the director's vision. There were no looks of silent shock on anybody's face. In fact, I think Burtt was rather tickled when he confided in the documentary photographer that he had gotten the "Lucas directing in the editing room" shot. But I guess you see what you want to, don't you?

 

Ultimate was just being sarcastic, although the people who agreed with him were not.

Can you believe the gall?