George Lucas has achieved what few artists do; he has created and populated a world of his own. His "Star Wars" movies are among the most influential, both technically and commercially, ever made. And they are fun. If he got bogged down in solemnity and theory in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones," the Force is in a jollier mood this time, and "Revenge of the Sith" is a great entertainment.
David Edelstein of Slate makes a similar note:
It must be said that there's a touch of the term paper in how his characters' fates play out, and the actors still wear the glazed, helpless expression that comes from declaiming lines with no subtext in the direction of Creatures To Be Animated Later. But it's worth doffing our beanies to a man who wouldn't settle for Flash Gordon—who was driven to turn a Saturday-matinee space serial into something that needed the combined forces of Milton and Shakespeare to do it full justice. In the end, there's a breadth, a fullness to the Star Wars saga. It's so much more than the sum of its clunks.
I'm far from the world's biggest Star Wars fan, but I think it's important not to lost sight of the fact that these movies are the realization of an intensely personal artistic vision, and that the things on the screen are there because one guy wanted them to be. That's too often forgotten, sadly.
For something completely different, check out this old Salon article about Irvin Kershner, who of course directed The Empire Strikes Back all those years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment