It reminds me of people defending their student films. Obviously student films are rarely ever perfect, as that is the time when young filmmakers are learning the craft.

But, some student filmmakers struggle to take criticism. People will offer some feedback, but then they’ll say that those mistakes actually aren’t mistakes, and the wooden acting or sloppy writing is intentional. Or maybe viewers struggle to understand the story, and they get frustrated that people don’t understand the plot even though all of the pieces are there. So, is it a failure on the audience for failing to understand the plot, or the failure of the filmmaker to make their plot more coherent?

Obviously we’re talking about a blockbuster and not a student film, but the same thing can apply to any film. George or a fan could say Hayden’s acting is wooden because he’s a Jedi who lacks lacks any social intelligence. Maybe one could use that as an excuse in retrospect, but was that the intention when George directed that scene? And even if it was, is it even the right decision if audiences aren’t feeling the emotions or understanding the characters in the way you wanted them to?