PT Favorite Shots From The Prequels

Someone give him a hug

 

In my humble opinion, amazing camerawork and great visual storytelling can be found in ANH (directed by Lucas), TESB (directed by the fantastic Irvin Kershner, who doesn't get enough credit for his work of art), and ROTJ (directed by Richard Marquand who gets even less credit than Kershner). It can also be found - again just in my opinion of course - in TFA, TLJ and TROS.
For me, TPM, AOTC and ROTS all lack that level of visual brilliance. I am not saying they're bad, but I cannot follow your argument that Lucas is a brilliant storyteller. Quite the contrary: TPM alone does not follow the "show don't tell" rule of filmmaking.

 

This one is my favorite shot in all Star Wars.

 

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but from what I can tell the prequels have the same camera work as the originals. In fact, it's probably the biggest similarity between the two trilogies. Where as the camera work of the sequels is what makes them stick out most like a sore thumb when compared to the six Lucas movies. If we're talking about camera movement and tight vs. wide camera angles, the six Lucas movies are very consistent with each other in that regard. The camera was sligthly more dynamic in EMPIRE and JEDI than it was in ANH but not by much, and was much closer to the style of ANH, TPM, AOTC, and ROTS than TFA was. When watching TFA there were times I thought Adam Driver's chin was touching the lens. This is a criticism of the PT I have been hearing more recently, and quite frankly I find it 100 times more baffling than the acting/dialogue criticsm.

 

I HATED the camera work in the sequels. Not so much the last one, but the second one especially, I felt like I was speeding through the story so fast I couldn't even tell who was who.

 

It isn't Star Wars until someone says, "Oop tee dee!"

 

This was the best shot of all

 

That's not the case. TFA alone has the same fantastic old school look as TESB, thanks to editing and camera. AOTC looks nothing like the OT. And again: it was Lucas, Kershner and Marquand who made the OT. There are not six "Lucas movies" as you call them. Only four.

 

Lucas was on Set for Empire every day giving help and advice to Kersh and overlooking everything from directing to camera work to effects. His style is visible in Empire! He ghost directed Ep VI more or less too, he shot second unit and guided Marquand because of Marquands lack of experience with heavy effect movies. RotJ is even more a Lucas film in style and look then Empire IMO. They are both his movies in the end.

 

I don't think Lucas was on the shoulder of the director telling him how to direct. Otherwise there was no point to the experienced director directing at all.

With the Sequels and the PT. i think a big part of it comes from the period they were made. Even if the ST was trying to be like the OT, it was still very aware that its a modern 2014-2019 movie and should be directed as such. Same with the PT which had a lot of CGI and greenscreen.

 

Like all producers, Lucas was on set every day, yes. But "giving help and advice" sounds like you think Kershner was a rookie. Where in fact he was a renowned director.

Again, Lucas was director only on SW, not on TESB and not on ROTJ. And I think it's unfair and kinda disrespectful to downplay the directorial achievements of Kershner and Marquand.

 

Lucas was likely in charge of the direction of the film and i imagine the director KNEW that this film was being filtered through Lucas.

I believe Lucas got reshoots done for the ending of Empire because he felt something was missing. So Lucas was very much the boss.

Doesn't mean the director did not do his job and direct. But then if Lucas was gonna tell him how to frame shots and whatever, then what was the point?

 

I think its a known fact and well documented in Rinzlers Making of Empire and Jedi books that Lucas was not just the executive producer on those films but very much a advisor for Kersh on many things and baiscly the ghost director of Jedi.

He chose Kersh because of the pains he went through directing SW and inteded to let go a little but ended up beeing on set every day for the shooting plus veeing heavily involved in the editing of the movie and the effects work. Empire is his film, he just didnt direct it directly. Yet his influences and style are visible and strong.

As said Marquandt wasnt experienced with heavy effects loaded movies. He wasnt even Lucas first choice as he wanted Spielberg tp direct Jedi. But because of the directors guilde he coulndt hire him. Its documneted that Lucas noticed how Marquandt was way over his head with the shoot and helped out alot. In the end people say he ghost directed the movie. Jedi is as much as Lucas SW Film as you can ask for and its visible...

 

Why diminish or even denying the influence that Kershner had on EMPIRE as the director? Why can't we just thank and respect him for bringing us such a fantastic movie? I simply don't see the point in ALWAYS putting Lucas first...

 

Nobody says anything against it. You claimed that Lucas had little to no influence on Empire and Jedi turned out and I and others just pointed out that that’s not the case and both films are very much George Lucas movies even if he did not direct them. Kersh certainly had big influences, mostly on the actors and their performances I’d say.

 

Okay, back on track, I agree.

 

my favourite shot is Kershner and Lucas arguing over who's film ESB was in AOTC,
the cinematography was gorgeous, camera angles *chefs kiss* perfection.


to be honest, I think one of the strengths of the PT IS the cinematography, literally every shot is a perfect or near perfect portrait, I think that is one of Lucas' strengths as a filmmaker