Unpopular Fandom Opinion #3 Trillion
Would it be maybe possible – just MAYBE – to have Star Wars love without feeling obligated to regularly backhand its creator? To continuously woe over how “if only” Lucas wasn’t such a dictator/moron/incompetent/etc… Star Wars/Hayden’s acting/the prequels/[insert beloved aspect here], would be soooooo much better? Would it ever be possible to, perhaps, concede that Star Wars’ success is actually not totally in spite of said creator, but rather in large part because of him? Really starting to feel alone in this department.
(Sidebar: I think Hayden’s acting was excellent and spot-on for the Anakin character, FWIW. Did Hayden feel creatively restrained? Maybe. But even he has admitted Lucas was right to hold him back in certain aspects of Anakin’s personality in AOTC, realizing that ROTS was where those traits ought to be let loose. And frankly, when you sign on to a movie like SW – that should come with the awareness that you are ultimately a cog in a much larger wheel, that it’s not ultimately about you, that it’s about contributing to someone else’s creation.)
There’s a difference between saying you have issues with his execution of the story – and personally insulting the man. Personally, I think Star Wars and Lucas are creatively brilliant. If he’d only created ONE movie that inspired such widespread, lingering devotion and passion, you might chalk it up to a fluke – but SIX movies? (Or even just three, if that’s your preference?) That’s not someone just BS-ing his way through everything, who just “happened” to get lucky. Sit down and watch his excellent interviews with Bill Moyers about Joseph Campbell and mythic structure – the guy knows his storytelling, whatever you think of his ability to execute said story. I’m sure someone has posted these interviews on YouTube. In fact I’m tempted to look them up myself.
No movie or director is perfect, including SW and GL, but there’s a difference between admitting something/someone isn’t perfect – and forever blowing up said imperfections to tar them as complete garbage. (I personally find the Battle of Hoth, and some Endor parts of ROTJ, kind of a snoozefest and have been known to fast forward through them more than once. Ditto the Obi/Jango fight in AOTC, which I use as my bathroom/snack break. Does that mean I think those films, or their director, are complete and utter shite? OF COURSE NOT. The good far outweighs the bad.)
I see this stuff calling him dictator, dumbass – seriously? God help any of US who have the fortune to successfully sell a brilliant/popular story – we’ll have no shortage of other people telling us how we have no right to touch our own creation.
I love Tumblr – at least, I love all the artwork and creativity I see as a result of perusing it. But if I can’t get it without getting splattered by bashing every day, I don’t know that it’s worth it. I’ve had to move on from a number of places because of the nastiness directed at Lucas/the prequels/Hayden etc., and it would really, really stink to have to do it yet again. Seriously, TPM was SEVENTEEN YEARS ago – over half my life. When are we going to move past this bullshit?
Yes, I’ve harped on about this before. And will continue to, FYI.
Meanwhile, Roman Polanski gets standing ovations.