What touches in ROTJ are the Results of Richard Marquand's Work?

My freinds and I used to joke about if there really was a Richard Marquand or if he was just a complex animatronic Lucas had the Creature Shop Made up. Not Much is known about this director of Jedi... and he died shortly after it's release. Irvine Kershner obviously made Empire his Own... and was able to keep Lucas at bay, while still respecting Lucas's vision. However I find it hard to find any sign of Marquand's Desires, goals, or stylistic choices in Jedi. Was he a completely dominated "Yes-Man" bullied into submission by Lucas... Basiclly just George's proxy? Or was he simply on the same page as Lucas was, and he knew the formula to make Jedi fit into the Saga his Executive Producer had created.

Are there any moments in Jedi which hint at Marquand's Directorial Independece? Any Scenes that are distinctly his in pacing, tone, or flavor? Or did Lucas really Direct ROTJ using Marquand as a sock?

 

I think we should assume that Marquand was responsible for everything director-related on ROJ. It's his name listed in the credits next to "director", and unless you were on the set, and witnessed Lucas directing scenes instead of Marquand, we should think it was all Marquand.

I'm sure Lucas assisted in whatever way he could, like he did on ESB.

 

I figure the sequence where they first meet the ewoks would be mostly Marquand´s doing. It feels a little slow for Star Wars, don´t you think?

 

I read that Lucas just wanted to mention in ROTJ that Yoda died. Marquand however insisted that Yoda's death needed to be seen on screen.

If that is the "only" contribution he made then I say his contribution was mighty indeed.

 

Some people forget just how munch influence Lucas had on ESB. He shot a few of the Degobah scenes, and oversaw all of the effects shots.

There is that famous picture of him showing Akira Kurosawa the Imperial Walkers, the day ILM were shooting the Battle Of Hoth.

When production ran over time in Norway(because of the weather), Lucas shot some of the other scenes in London.

And of course he was the uncredited editor just like he is on all the movies.

I'm not saying Irvin Kershner didn't direct ESB. Of course he did, and he did it his way. But Lucas had a big role to play.


As for Marquand and ROTJ. It's hard to tell as I've never seen any of his other movies.

But we know that it was Lucas who shot the ending when Vader throws Palpatine into the pit.

We know that Marquand kept stressing about the end lightsabre battle and how "big" to make it. Lucas rightly told him that what's happening in the scene will give it that "epic" feel, rather than stringing it out for an hour.

We also know that Marquand spent a lot of time on the end space battle and tried to make it bigger,faster and more frantic than the one in ANH.

 

It worked for me

 

Ron Howard Complained on the Set of Willow that he wasn't really directing the movie... It was more like he was the Vice-president of Cinematic Affairs. I bet that is a lot like what Marquand felt.

 

This Yoda's death story seems highly questionable...
I really can't imagine Lucas wanting it simply mentioned. It just sounds crazy.

 

[color=336699]Im sure there is information about all this in the Annotated Screenplays...and the sad thing is, I just saw it laying around the other day and now I cant find it. If anybody else has it I suggest they look through the ROTJ one cause you will most definetly find information on this subject




~ICeBReaKeR[/color]
He has never been cooler...

 

Good idea, Ice. I know the comment was made that Marquand was never made to feel like he wasn't captain of the ship, although I don't know how true that was.

 

He did a cameo as one of the AT-ST driver that the ewoks and Chewie assault in the 'cockpit'.

 

Didn't Marquand direct "Jagged Edge" starring Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges?

That is a really good film, so it's not as if he was a no name director or anything.

UKS

 

Marquand also did the voice of the droid EV-9D9.

"You're a feisty little one, but you'll soon learn some respect."

 

Oryx-I

"Marquand was not entirely averse to expressing an opinion. It had been his idea that Yoda be reintroduced in the film. In the original draft, Luke had simply referred to a conversation he had had with his master before he had died. "I insisted we put him back. I felt we needed to see the conversation," Marquand said at the time."

Empire Building by Garry Jenkins


Why is it so difficult for some fans to at least acknowledge the small contributions of others?

 

"Why is it so difficult for some fans to at least acknowledge the small contributions of others? "

I think it boils down to this old saying:

"Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan."

Because a lot of people take credit for the various inventions in the OT, and yet GL gets all the "blame" from some sources as the cause of all the problems in the PT, some fans seem to want to "even" up the contribution, to give GL his "rightful" place in the Saga.

Having said that, George Lucas's influence over all his films has been immense. Even if he hasn't shot the actual footage himself, (Which he did at numerous points across ESB and ROTJ), he has had significant influence on those scenes in the Writing stages and EDITING, where he believes a film is truly "created".

UKS

 

Yip, it's not about forgetting the contributions of others. It's about making sure that Lucas contrabution isn't forgotten.

 

Whatever Marquand's contribution on-set, you also have to remember that he would have been working to storyboards initiated by Lucas during pre-production.

However, I know what you mean - it's hard to find Marquand's 'stamp' on the picture in the same way that Kirschner made Empire very much his own. Unless, of course, much of the whimsical humour in Jedi came from Marquand - which feels unlikely if you've ever seen Jagged Edge.

I'll have to check my old paperback on the making of ROTJ.

Whatever, I think Lucas was very much in control of both pre- and post-production. One memory that really sticks in my mind from an old Making Of... video is Lucas sat with Joe Johnson and Phil Tippet discussing how the Rancor should gobble up a Gamorrean guard's hand. He's also seen talking with the ILM model shop about Sy Snootles.

I think the very reason he relinquished directorial control of the two sequels was so that he could maintain a tighter grip on his sprawling empire in both pre- and post-production. Making ANH really burnt him out and with the SFX boosted for the two new films he really needed to take a back seat to keep the whole thing on course...

... a plan that, say cynics, he should have adopted for the PT!

DARKO

 

Not me. I'm glad he directed the prequels himself. It's his story.

 

Not me either.

 

>a plan that, say cynics, he should have adopted for the PT!<

I agree with that quote.I wish that Lucas wouldve just directed TPM and let 2 other directors do the other two.

*Drools at the idea of having Irvin Kershner direct one of the Prequels*

 

Here is a picture of Richard Marquand


[image=http://www.warstar2000.narod.ru/films/crew/marquand.jpg]

 

Is that toilet paper covering a shaving cut?!?

 

*Drools at the idea of having Irvin Kershner direct one of the Prequels*

Hell yeah!

 

Have you guys seen Robocop2? Kershner is the kind of director that is either outstanding(ESB, Eyes of Laura Mars) or awful (Robocop2, Never Say Never Again).

I'm pleased Lucas has directed the prequels but if he didn't then I'd like to have seen Ang Lee direct one. As long as he didn't use wires for the fights.

 

How did Marquand die anyways?