"The People vs George Lucas" Review
When it comes to science fiction throughout the world, there are few things that attracted quite as many fans as the Star Wars franchise. And few fans have been quite as passionate and creative about expressing for the franchise they love as the members of the Star Wars fandom. After the first three films came out, the fandom spent 20 years hoping that George Lucas would make more. But once the first Star Wars prequel actually came out, most Star Wars fans were disappointed. The subsequent prequels didn't really change that. And while many fans would still say they love George Lucas, those same fans became just as willing to criticize and throw abuse in his direction.
In The People vs. George Lucas, documentary filmmaker Alexandre O. Phillipe took the contentious, often contradictory relationship between George Lucas and Star Wars fans head-on. He examined the history of George Lucas, the development of his career, the inception of Star Wars, its development into a global franchise and the growth and evolution of Star Wars fandom into the present day.
The documentary is broken up into four "episodes." The first free episodes were structured around a common fan complaints - the multiple alterations to the original trilogy, the multiple ways fans felt the prequel trilogy fell short (with special emphasis given to the existence of Jar Jar Binks) and the out-of-control merchandising. The fourth episode zeroes in on the love-hate relationship between the fandom and focus on the love aspect, showing that much as fans may complain, most of them will continue to support the franchise, regardless of where it may go.
If the documentary was merely about fans complaining about Star Wars, it would become tedious fairly quickly. Thankfully, it is more than that. Philippe was not afraid to question and occasionally (gently) mock many fandom assumptions. Even as the documentary went on about the flaws of the prequels, it also suggested that the generation gap may be an issue. Twelve years after the first prequel was released, there is a new generation of young fans for whom the prequels are as much a part of the Star Wars experience as the original trilogy - and, for the most part, those fans had a much kinder view of the trilogy than their older counterparts. The documentary examined the development of George Lucas as a person and a filmmaker, ultimately arguing that he was a gifted director who wanted the freedom to make the movies he wanted and ultimately let Star Wars overwhelm him. But more importantly, the documentary dug deeply into the nature of the relationship between fans and the franchise, asking provoking questions about the collaborative nature of fandom and how much say (if any) fandom should have in the way Star Wars should develop. At what point does a work of art become a cultural treasure? Does being a loyal fan entitle one to anything? And once the work enters the public, how much control does the author really have? Those questions transcend Star Wars - in many ways, they can be apply to any aspect of popular culture, no matter how prominent or obscure it may be.
As a piece of film making, The People vs. George Lucas is brimming with creativity. A significant portion of the documentary is made up of content supplied by the fans. This resulted in an eclectic variety of clips of nearly every medium and genre in existence. Each clip feature different budget, level of skill and techniques. In other documentaries, this may have been confusing and distracting, but here, it reinforces the scope and impact of the franchise, which makes the entire project that much more interesting and involving.
In the end, it does not take much imagination to realize where Phillipe's sympathies lie. But that does not stop him from creating a deep, multi-faceted, genuinely engaging documentary. And, in the end of the day, it is very much an enjoyable experience. The documentary is a must-see for Star Wars fans and geek culture enthusiasts in general As for people who don't have much interest in Star Wars one way or another, I hope that they would at least give it a shot. While it won't be for everyone, it has enough merit to warrant a fair hearing.
In The People vs. George Lucas, documentary filmmaker Alexandre O. Phillipe took the contentious, often contradictory relationship between George Lucas and Star Wars fans head-on. He examined the history of George Lucas, the development of his career, the inception of Star Wars, its development into a global franchise and the growth and evolution of Star Wars fandom into the present day.
The documentary is broken up into four "episodes." The first free episodes were structured around a common fan complaints - the multiple alterations to the original trilogy, the multiple ways fans felt the prequel trilogy fell short (with special emphasis given to the existence of Jar Jar Binks) and the out-of-control merchandising. The fourth episode zeroes in on the love-hate relationship between the fandom and focus on the love aspect, showing that much as fans may complain, most of them will continue to support the franchise, regardless of where it may go.
If the documentary was merely about fans complaining about Star Wars, it would become tedious fairly quickly. Thankfully, it is more than that. Philippe was not afraid to question and occasionally (gently) mock many fandom assumptions. Even as the documentary went on about the flaws of the prequels, it also suggested that the generation gap may be an issue. Twelve years after the first prequel was released, there is a new generation of young fans for whom the prequels are as much a part of the Star Wars experience as the original trilogy - and, for the most part, those fans had a much kinder view of the trilogy than their older counterparts. The documentary examined the development of George Lucas as a person and a filmmaker, ultimately arguing that he was a gifted director who wanted the freedom to make the movies he wanted and ultimately let Star Wars overwhelm him. But more importantly, the documentary dug deeply into the nature of the relationship between fans and the franchise, asking provoking questions about the collaborative nature of fandom and how much say (if any) fandom should have in the way Star Wars should develop. At what point does a work of art become a cultural treasure? Does being a loyal fan entitle one to anything? And once the work enters the public, how much control does the author really have? Those questions transcend Star Wars - in many ways, they can be apply to any aspect of popular culture, no matter how prominent or obscure it may be.
As a piece of film making, The People vs. George Lucas is brimming with creativity. A significant portion of the documentary is made up of content supplied by the fans. This resulted in an eclectic variety of clips of nearly every medium and genre in existence. Each clip feature different budget, level of skill and techniques. In other documentaries, this may have been confusing and distracting, but here, it reinforces the scope and impact of the franchise, which makes the entire project that much more interesting and involving.
In the end, it does not take much imagination to realize where Phillipe's sympathies lie. But that does not stop him from creating a deep, multi-faceted, genuinely engaging documentary. And, in the end of the day, it is very much an enjoyable experience. The documentary is a must-see for Star Wars fans and geek culture enthusiasts in general As for people who don't have much interest in Star Wars one way or another, I hope that they would at least give it a shot. While it won't be for everyone, it has enough merit to warrant a fair hearing.