It's NOT disrespectful to remove actors or their parts from a movie, show, or play

I wanted to clear up a misconception here that has gone on relating to Lucas changing the original trilogy, or any other editing done to movies.

The idea of replacing Sebastian Shaw at the end of "Return of the Jedi" with a ghost of Anakin as played by Hayden Christensen is often seen as "disrespectful" to Shaw.

It is not "disrespectful" at all. I know people who work as actors, extras, etc., and it is the nature of the business that characters, players, and parts come and go.

Notwithstanding the fact that Lucas has the right to edit each film down to 1 second in length if he wanted to, it comes with the territory that an actors' work gets changed. It gets altered.

Every actor has a 'GREAT GREAT SCENE' that will end up on the cutting room floor, never to be seen again. They shoot take after take of one shot, knowing that all of that work will be boiled down to a few seconds of screentime.

Trust me, any actor who's a solid professional accepts these things.

As for actors who are deceased, same principle. Films are not necessarily living memorials, they are pieces of entertainment. For example, I think Shaw's legacy is secure in the entire body of work he did, including theater work, and the memories and stories held by his family. Changing 10 seconds of his work in a science-fiction film is not going to harm that.

Thanks,
Wiz


TLJ Edit: Blackout, apart from needing some sirup or drops or something, is right. If you can't decipher what he coughs up, it means this discussion belongs into the Official DVD/changes thread. Have a nice unredundant day

 

I actually don't mind the principle of replacing Shaw, I just hope it would be done well (as we know, tinkering with OT scenes can have disasatrous effects-see Han's 'dodge' of Greedo).

 

Is he really going to make more changes?

Is there an official article relating to this?

 

I don't like the change because Shaw does a great job!
Hayden would look too young....I like how Shaw played it. And I will always treasure my ROTJ VCR with Shaw in it...if they change it for Hayden which I think is a terrible idea.

It has nothing to do with respect, it has to do with getting rid of a real good performance and putting in Hayden for not reason at all.

-Seldon

 

Editing out a scene is one thing; but it's a poorly though analogy to equate that with the idea not just of editing out a scene, but going back into a film years after its release and recasting a role retroactively. That's unprecedented, without parallel, and definitely disrespectful. You confuse having the right to do something with simply being in a position where no one can stop him. Lucas is the latter. It is, in principle, no different from removing Alec Guinness and replacing him with Ewan McGregor in the old films. It is definitely disrespectful, and no, he would not have the right to do that if he wanted. At no point prior to this has an actor in an established movie been treated or perceived as simply a seatwarmers for some other actor years later; nor has an established performance been treated as temprorary, or up for grabs. Having another actor play a part years later in a different movie is to be expected. Being replaced in the movie you made, by an upstart who was still soiling diapers when you did it, that's completely different.

 

Geez, did Lucas change ROTJ or shoot your best friend?

Some people take these things way too personally. I agree with the original poster; this is hardly a federal offense being committed by Lucas.

Life comes and goes, and is full of change, Obi-Ewan. Accept it, or you'll have a very difficult life in store for you.

 

*cough*thisshouldgointhe146pagelongthreaddevotedtotherumouredchanges*cough*

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