George Lucas made one main mistake with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, ignoring a lesson from the unique trilogy that he shouldn’t direct the flicks himself. The Star Wars prequel trilogy initially obtained a blended reception on its launch, though its repute has rightly improved over time. Nonetheless, it stays invaluable to look again and discover what factored into the upset response to the prequels.
Though Lucas insisted he was pursuing his personal imaginative and prescient, even he needed to take discover of fan reactions. This led to a number of pivots within the storytelling, for instance; Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace launched ideas corresponding to midi-chlorians and the Chosen One prophecy, however Lucas selected to keep away from focusing in on these, stating – in interviews in Paul Duncan’s The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III 1999-2005 – that doing so can be “indulgent.” However the narrative wasn’t the one downside; in reality, a significant concern could have been baked into the franchise itself.
George Lucas’ Unique Trilogy Rule Means He Should not Have Directed All 3 Prequels
Wanting again to the unique trilogy, Lucas selected a extra hands-off strategy by remaining in San Francisco whereas the film was shot in Europe. Though Lucas obtained tough movie cuts, he wasn’t straight concerned in filming. In 1979 Gary Kurtz, who produced all three of the unique trilogy motion pictures, informed the New York Instances this was totally deliberate. “It is vitally troublesome to look over one other director’s shoulder,” he noticed. “The temptation is all the time to say, ‘I would not do it that manner.’ Luckily, George does not actually care to direct — he hasn’t directed a movie since ‘Star Wars,’ in reality. He prefers enhancing. We all the time thought a unique director ought to inform every of the tales.’ You get a unique emphasis and strategy that manner.“
Kurtz’s phrases make full sense, as every of the three unique trilogy movies really feel barely completely different of their path, however nonetheless felt like they have been part of the identical universe. It retains audiences and permits completely different people to place their mark on Star Wars. Nonetheless, this didn’t occur for the prequel trilogy since George Lucas directed all three movies. Understanding that Kurtz stated Lucas didn’t like directing, it’s slightly odd that Lucas put himself in that place for 3 movies. Actually, George Lucas didn’t direct one movie between the primary Star Wars film (later retitled A New Hope) and Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
It is fascinating to take a position about why Lucas selected to interrupt his unique trilogy rule and direct the prequels. The doubtless clarification is that, over time, he had felt an rising sense of possession of Star Wars and sought to create his definitive imaginative and prescient. This additionally matches with the modifications he made with the Particular Editions.
Would The Prequels Have Been Higher If George Lucas Hadn’t Directed Them?
It is troublesome to say whether or not the prequel trilogy would have been higher obtained on the time of their launch had Lucas not been within the directing chair for all three motion pictures. They’d have been stylistically completely different, and there could have been wider modifications; actors admitted they discovered it troublesome difficult Lucas with dialogue as a result of they felt Star Wars belonged to him they usually noticed themselves as merely fleshing out his imaginative and prescient. Nevertheless it should be pressured that Lucas’ prequel trilogy is just not dangerous, it merely upset viewers who did not get what they anticipated. The response could effectively have been the identical regardless of who directed them.
Regardless of the completely different director’s notion from the unique trilogy, it nonetheless feels particular that George Lucas determined to get into the directing chair once more for the prequels. Lucas was somebody who largely solely wrote and produced after A New Hope, and his willingness to direct the prequels exhibits how passionate he was about Anakin Skywalker’s origin. Nevertheless it’s fascinating to notice the sequel trilogy deserted this strategy, taking up a number of administrators – with blended outcomes. It is potential Star Wars wants a extra delicate steadiness between imaginative and prescient and completely different administrators.