Being a person of a certain age, I am a 'Star Wars' fan, albeit not a huge one. The first movie was mind-blowing in regards to the special effects, and though a mash-up of Flash Gordon serials, samurai movies, Arthurian legend, and westerns, it seemed original and fresh. It did, however, inspire the more studious fans to seek out its inspirations, thereby pointing us to Kurosawa and John Ford. It also perfectly captured a certain 'sense of wonder'... I mean, who's heart doesn't soar when the music swells as Luke contemplates a binary sunset?
Sure, the movie was hokey, with some clunky dialog, but there were some brilliant lines, which have passed into the vernacular:
The movie that we saw in its original form was pared down from a mess into a fun, summer movie:
The 'prequel' movies suffered from Lucas' free rein, nobody seemed to be on hand to constrain his clunky dialog and excessive attention to minutia. The 'sequel' trilogy suffered from a lack of a strong vision, and its denoument both undermined the arc of the original trilogy and ended up as a vampire film in space, but not a particularly groovy one:
The franchise is now in the hands of the fans, who have been producing 'content' for decades. Hopefully, Disney won't crush these efforts. In the meantime, the best thing about the 'Star Wars' franchise is that it inspires young engineers to use their powers for good, in one particular development, the development of prosthetic arms inspired by the movie's technology, with these efforts publicized by national treasure Mark Hamill.
I watched all the first three films with intense joy when they came out.
ReplyDeleteWatching them twenty years later only to find they'd been visited by the suck fairy was pretty hard to take. As for the prequels - I watched a few minutes of the first one and refused to look at it any more.
I've ignore the third part of the trilogy, not wanting to be disappointed. I was surprised and delighted to find that Rogue Force One was a very different creature and something I will watch again with pleasure, despite the ending. It was just so well made and acted. And scripted.
George Lucas should never be allowed to write dialogue ever again.
Despite my disappointment, having seen those first three films gives me a pass into the great community of Star Wars fans around the world, even if I don't qualify as a superfan. I get the jokes. I love many of the actors and follow their careers. I cried over Carrie. This stuff unites a very large of people in something that is harmless and fun.
Lucas had no idea what he was starting. It became so much bigger and important than him, fortunately.
I watched all the first three films with intense joy when they came out.
ReplyDeleteThey really were like nothing before them, though they combined bits of everything that came before them. I still love the scene in which they walk into the bar, and all those monsters are just hanging out like ordinary people.
George Lucas should never be allowed to write dialogue ever again.
Oh, my, yes!
Despite my disappointment, having seen those first three films gives me a pass into the great community of Star Wars fans around the world, even if I don't qualify as a superfan.
That's where I am, I am. The films are a multigenerational, international touchstone, and I hope Disney Corp doesn't ruin that.