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Next month is the 77th Cannes festival, and the organization announced that George Lucas will be honored for his life work, as he’ll receive a palme d’or at the ceremony closing.
What do you think about it ?
Plus Coppola should be there to present his movie Magalopolis, good occasion for a photo of the iconic duo.
Sure, why not? Never made a single movie that would win the real award, yet undeniably a big deal in the history of filmmaking - That’s exactly what the Honorary award is for.
THX actually got a great reception, it was projected in 71 at Cannes.
Lucas was unaware/uninvited, so when at the press conference no one showed up they got upset, believing that he neglected them.
I dunno guys, on the one hand sure he has done a lot for cinema, but on the other it proliferates at that false idea of the single genius visionary…
George Lucas is an ideas man first and foremost who needs people who challenge him creatively so he can polish and refine them, otherwise an unchecked Lucas results in stuff like the Prequel trilogy.
Lucas is one of the great writer/directors of his generation, his two greatest films having 16 Oscar nominations between them, four for the man himself, both also running for Best Picture. It was when he was in Cannes in 1971 because his feature THX 1138 was competing in the Directors’ Fortnight category that he got the funding to develop and eventually make American Graffiti, which also eventually led to Star Wars. Not to mention his exceptional writer/producer record. It’s a shame we’re not allowed to watch the original cuts of his movies because of him at this day and age, but that will always only ever really be an asterisk for me at the end of the day when thinking about what he’s done and what he means to so many people, so I’m very happy to see George being honored like this, he really and truly deserves it.
I dunno guys, on the one hand sure he has done a lot for cinema, but on the other it proliferates at that false idea of the single genius visionary…
and someone that has suppressed film history too. For no other reason than ego, despite some dubious and now debunked claims.
George Lucas is an ideas man first and foremost who needs people who challenge him creatively so he can polish and refine them, otherwise an unchecked Lucas results in stuff like the Prequel trilogy.
Yes, it would be difficult to disagree with any of that.
Still, good for him in receiving this award and recognition, and I hope he enjoys it and the festival.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
He arrived today !
That’s so refreshing to have new public declarations of him.
Check out that one, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2830844893761474
After 5 minutes , he’s asked about streaming plateforms and AI in movies, quite interesting to hear him on that
He arrived today !
That’s so refreshing to have new public declarations of him.
Check out that one, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2830844893761474
After 5 minutes , he’s asked about streaming plateforms and AI in movies, quite interesting to hear him on that
No, thanks.
The bullshit George Lucas spouts in here is more than enough for one day: New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible”
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
Loved seeing him up there and reading through all of the quotes, great stuff.
He arrived today !
That’s so refreshing to have new public declarations of him.
Check out that one, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2830844893761474
After 5 minutes , he’s asked about streaming plateforms and AI in movies, quite interesting to hear him on thatNo, thanks.
The bullshit George Lucas spouts in here is more than enough for one day: New Lucas interview - the originals “look terrible”
Unfortunately people will likely see George’s quotes and speeches and unquestioningly take them as fact.
Or why he changed the work of other directors. Not only changing it, but actively supressing the original version by those other directors.
That laserdisc quality claim. Wow!
“The thing about Star Wars is that there’s one universe” & “Everyone wants to know stuff, like, where did Mace get that purple lightsaber? We want to establish that there’s one and only one answer” - Leland Chee, Continuity Database administrator for Lucasfilm, aka ‘Keeper of the Holocron’, 2008.
Guys I’m sorry if it affects you but you seem like a bit obtuse
I get your position on the whole special edition thing, but on the interview I’ve shared Lucas doesn’t talk about reeditions, he is asked about subjects we’ve rarely heard him on, and I just thought it’d be interesting to react on this.
Guys I’m sorry if it affects you but you seem like a bit obtuse
I get your position on the whole special edition thing, but on the interview I’ve shared Lucas doesn’t talk about reeditions, he is asked about subjects we’ve rarely heard him on, and I just thought it’d be interesting to react on this.
The title of your thread is “George Lucas will receive Honorary Palme d’or at Cannes festival”, and this is something that George is talking about at Cannes picking up his award, so it doesn’t really appear obtuse.
If you are looking for praise or only positivity in what George says about the Original Trilogy, at Cannes or elsewhere, you are probably on the wrong site.
I’m pleased he’s picking up an lifetime award at the Palme d’or, but George’s comments at the awards, are going to be talked about in such a thread.
When you say “I get your position on the whole special edition thing”, I guess that’s not your position, then?
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
You’re right, maybe I should have create another thread to talk about this interview but since it was made during Cannes I posted it here. I’ll do it in another way next time.
I’m far from willing to spread positivity about George, and that is because I know people have different opinions that I’m interested to get feedbacks about other subjects he rarely expands on (AI in cinema, streaming platforms and general state of entertainment) independantly to what he’s claiming about special editions this weekend. Maybe that’s fool from me 😃
My position is probably different yup, mainly because I have less emotional attachment to the special edition case because of my age. But I don’t mind people fighting for it, I just prefer not to participate in that.
I dunno guys, on the one hand sure he has done a lot for cinema, but on the other it proliferates at that false idea of the single genius visionary…
Boy I do hate being right all the time.
I dunno guys, on the one hand sure he has done a lot for cinema, but on the other it proliferates at that false idea of the single genius visionary…
Boy I do hate being right all the time.
You visionary genius, you! 😃
My position is probably different yup, mainly because I have less emotional attachment to the special edition case because of my age. But I don’t mind people fighting for it, I just prefer not to participate in that.
That is a bold statement that you prefer not to participate in conversations about preserving film history. Given this website was founded to petition for the original cuts to be released on DVD, and have since preserved it themselves, also highlighting Lucas’ revisionism and bizarre claims, writing out and underplaying others contributions from SW history, and have preserved hundreds of other films and various cuts. 😃
George also brought this subject up when speaking at at Cannes.
‘George Lucas Rejects ‘Star Wars’ Critics Who Think the First Six Films Are ‘All White Men’: ‘Most of the People Are Aliens!’’:
'When speaking about the success of the franchise ahead of receiving the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or, Lucas reflected on some of the negative comments he’s received over the years.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men,'” Lucas said of the films’ critics. “Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
Lucas went on to say that the only beings in the “Star Wars” universe who were discriminated against were the robots.
“That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.'”
As for the issue of race, Lucas said, “In the first one, there were a few Tunisians who were dark, and in the second one I had Billy Williams, and the [prequels], which they were also criticizing, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top jedi.”’
“Show - don’t tell”, George:
^ the main cast, minus Anthony Daniels, Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness.
^ every person shown onscreen on the Tantive IV ship was a white male, bar Leia.
^ Imperial meeting room, all white men (which is ok if they were going for the full Empire=Nazi supremacy imagery thing).
^ Rebel briefing room, all white men.
^ Rebel leadership at the Rebel Base on Yavin 4. Not a great image, but in the scene every person, apart from Leia, appears to be a white male.
^ Luke and Han return to Rebel Base after blowing up the Death Star. Not a great image again, but every person, bar Leia, is a white male.
&
Medal Ceremony, every person is a white male, bar Leia.
^ Hoth pilot briefing, all white men.
^ all white men.
Almost every person is a white male until we finally meet Lando and a few background extras at Cloud City.
^ Even the Rebel Commando team in Return Of The Jedi are all white males (although there are finally female, alien, and non-white pilots in the DSII briefing and attack scenes, and we get Calamari in the Rebel hierarchy).
It appears a reasonable criticism that people have made on the subject. The “in the second one I had Billy Williams, and the [prequels], which they were also criticising, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top jedi.” attempt at a justification just doesn’t work, and really is a isn’t valid answer as to why more non-white people didn’t appear in more roles in scenes like those demonstrated above. Again, George: “Show - don’t tell”.
Plus Coppola should be there to present his movie Magalopolis, good occasion for a photo of the iconic duo.
That would be cool to see. And with other film-makers and friends too.
“The thing about Star Wars is that there’s one universe” & “Everyone wants to know stuff, like, where did Mace get that purple lightsaber? We want to establish that there’s one and only one answer” - Leland Chee, Continuity Database administrator for Lucasfilm, aka ‘Keeper of the Holocron’, 2008.
George Lucas Receives Honorary Palme d’Or From Francis Ford Coppola At Cannes Film Festival - a Deadline article, with a video of George bring presented with the award by Coppola.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
That is a bold statement that you prefer not to participate in conversations about preserving film history. Given this website was founded to petition for the original cuts to be released on DVD, and have since preserved it themselves, also highlighting Lucas’ revisionism and bizarre claims, writing out and underplaying others contributions from SW history, and have preserved hundreds of other films and various cuts. 😃
I feel like I might have not expressed myself clearly (sorry bout that english isn’t my native language). I appreciate very much reading this forum because most of people have been doing lots of research about Lucas’s work so it often results in factly-backed debate.
I’m perfectly aware of the highlights you’re talking about (also read Kaminski’s book) and found them so interesting. Simply, I prefer not to take part in the debate of theatrical star wars preservation and enjoy that the forum is open to many other subjects concerning star wars. In a word : it’s not because i’m not taking part in it that I’m not aware and instructing myself on that subject.
Talking about the white men issue, I’m not fully convinced about your argumentation.
Firstly, I feel like blaming Lucas to be participating in non representation of colored and female actors is true, but somehow unfair.
To me, part (and only part of it) of the problem is linked to the time where star wars was created. That question is obviously complicated, because it can quickly be seen as ‘people are not tolerant, so I won’t be either’ which of course is unforgivable. But just like we today have to fight for more representation of diversity, people at that time had different scale in their action to promote tolerance.
Given the social climate 5 decades earlier, I believe that it could be fair, before pointing Lucas’ mistakes, to acknowledge what he did great. I consider Leia to be a major female figure of pop culture and a conterpoint to the damselle in distress. To some extent, Mon Mothma being a rebel leader serves that point of representing strong women, in a time where it was rare.
I would also argue that the budget of Star Wars has something to do with that. I do believe that Lucas was willing to showcase the alien-human opposition, more globally conveyed through a nature-technology dichotomy. One argument in favour of this is that in Jedi, which can be described as what George would have like Star Wars to look like, pilots are as you said more represented through aliens. So Lucas does showcase that good guys are the one promoting differences when he has the money to make aliens and more pilots (female pilots deleted from Jedi’s final cut, what a shame)
That being said, it is true that almost all rebels are white men, and I can only deplore that this era wasn’t giving chances to minorities (and that today’s era still has so much to accomplish), but I believe that Lucas was on the good side, trying, probably not enough, to fight against this.
‘Good side’ being backed by the sort of hippie resistance that he and his friends represented back then : I think we can’t say that they were for the establishment and statu quo. I won’t extend on the social movements of a country that isn’t mine though.
I agree with the non-sense of Lucas declaration like ‘There is only racism against alien’ since the Empire is obviously racist against colored people.
Looking forward to read your comments !
Talking about the white men issue, I’m not fully convinced about your argumentation.
Firstly, I feel like blaming Lucas to be participating in non representation of colored and female actors is true, but somehow unfair.
To me, part (and only part of it) of the problem is linked to the time where star wars was created. That question is obviously complicated, because it can quickly be seen as ‘people are not tolerant, so I won’t be either’ which of course is unforgivable. But just like we today have to fight for more representation of diversity, people at that time had different scale in their action to promote tolerance.
Given the social climate 5 decades earlier, I believe that it could be fair, before pointing Lucas’ mistakes, to acknowledge what he did great. I consider Leia to be a major female figure of pop culture and a conterpoint to the damselle in distress. To some extent, Mon Mothma being a rebel leader serves that point of representing strong women, in a time where it was rare.
I would also argue that the budget of Star Wars has something to do with that. I do believe that Lucas was willing to showcase the alien-human opposition, more globally conveyed through a nature-technology dichotomy. One argument in favour of this is that in Jedi, which can be described as what George would have like Star Wars to look like, pilots are as you said more represented through aliens. So Lucas does showcase that good guys are the one promoting differences when he has the money to make aliens and more pilots (female pilots deleted from Jedi’s final cut, what a shame)That being said, it is true that almost all rebels are white men, and I can only deplore that this era wasn’t giving chances to minorities (and that today’s era still has so much to accomplish), but I believe that Lucas was on the good side, trying, probably not enough, to fight against this.
‘Good side’ being backed by the sort of hippie resistance that he and his friends represented back then : I think we can’t say that they were for the establishment and statu quo. I won’t extend on the social movements of a country that isn’t mine though.I agree with the non-sense of Lucas declaration like ‘There is only racism against alien’ since the Empire is obviously racist against colored people.
Looking forward to read your comments !
It was not my intention to make an argument, that part of the post was not directed at you, and I left a large gap in my post to indicate a new separate topic. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
That part of my post was only to highlight that it is George’s answer to the valid criticism of there being mainly white men in the movies that makes no sense: Because he hired Billy Dee and Samuel L Jackson, and that “Most of the people are aliens!”, that doesn’t invalidate or answer the criticism.
I agree with the points you make for the most part, and of course he had more money and technical expertise to get more memorable alien characters as the OT films progressed. Although I think he could have easily used women in the Rebel technical and Rebel leadership roles, and could have employed non-white males or women for some of the scenes I linked images as examples to. Perhaps even re-dressing some previously used alien costumes or figure heads as distant background characters for the Rebels.
Unfortunately the racial stereotypes that appear in TPM especially (Jar Jar, Neimoidians and Watto), does George no favours:
George Lucas Receives Honorary Palme d’Or From Francis Ford Coppola At Cannes Film Festival - a Deadline article, with a video of George bring presented with the award by Coppola.
Good for him, although I wish he would smile more, or look a little happy (collecting a prestigious award from an old friend!).
“The thing about Star Wars is that there’s one universe” & “Everyone wants to know stuff, like, where did Mace get that purple lightsaber? We want to establish that there’s one and only one answer” - Leland Chee, Continuity Database administrator for Lucasfilm, aka ‘Keeper of the Holocron’, 2008.
I said this in the other thread about George’s latest interview in again talking nonsense, and blaming fans & critics for his own shortcomings:
Whenever George speaks, ii is time to get another pinch of salt, to then get the factchecker out, look for the false equivalencies, and then contrast his newer claims with the contradictory statements he’s previously made on the subject.
As Billy Dee Williams would say: “It works every time”. 😉
George Lucas Receives Honorary Palme d’Or From Francis Ford Coppola At Cannes Film Festival - a Deadline article, with a video of George bring presented with the award by Coppola.
Good for him, although I wish he would smile more, or look a little happy (collecting a prestigious award from an old friend!).
Yeah, it doesn’t take much to smile for a photo, or look like you are pleased or even happy. Maybe he isn’t? I find it difficult to care too much.
“Don’t tell anyone… but when ‘Star Wars’ first came out, I didn’t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you’ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories - let’s call them homages - and you’ve got a series.” - George Lucas
If you focus on the ethnicity of the characters of a movie instead of enjoying the movie itself, I honestly think you are the problem here. Who cares if the characters are white, black, green or transparent? That’s not the point. So yes, it’s a stupid criticism.
«No one is guilty of being born a slave. But the slave to whom not only aspirations for freedom are alien, but who justifies and paints his slavery in rosy colors, such a slave is a lackey and a brute who arouses a legitimate sense of indignation, disgust and repugnance.»
— Vladimir Lenin
I can enjoy the movie (Star Wars ‘77) but still notice that its cast is dominated by white males, and that all the aliens live in a wretched hive of scum and villainy !
And did you realize that in each of the original trilogy movies there’s only 2 speaking female characters (one being obviously Leia) and that the 2 females don’t speak to each other?! Look up the Bechdel Test and the Smurfette syndrome…
And that the first black person we encounter (at last at the end of the second movie) cannot really be trusted?…
I love the OT, don’t get me wrong, but it has its fair share of problems.
If you focus on the ethnicity of the characters of a movie instead of enjoying the movie itself, I honestly think you are the problem here. Who cares if the characters are white, black, green or transparent? That’s not the point. So yes, it’s a stupid criticism.
That is a huge false equivalency in your opening sentence: Who said you can’t do both? Enjoy it, but also acknowledge there are some issues? Most of us here all love the OT, but can recognise there are some shortcomings.
Did you not read the thread? George himself brought the subject up doing the media rounds in Cannes.
It is George’s answer to the criticism that people appear to be taking issue with. Keyan literally said:
to highlight that it is George’s answer to the valid criticism of there being mainly white men in the movies that makes no sense: Because he hired Billy Dee and Samuel L Jackson, and that “Most of the people are aliens!”
“In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.” - George Lucas
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men.'”
Who? Who would say this George, what are you talking about? About the films from 1977-1983? Is this some kind of attempt to make himself seem like some kind of benevolent genius or something? Feel free to link to a source here guys because I don’t get it. It’s like this award gave him an excuse to get his soap box out, and he just felt like making himself victim to undue criticism. Because let’s face it the backlash to things he put in the prequels has never really reared its head.
