Stars Wars was, and is, a pop cultural phenomenon which has weaved its influential tales of rubber aliens and light-sabery into the very heart of at least the last two generations. The film, “The People vs George Lucas” looks at its manic fanbase…
The People vs George Lucas
Stars Wars was, and is, a pop cultural phenomenon which has weaved its influential tales of rubber aliens and light-sabery into the very heart of at least the last two generations.
It has generated legions of fans, which absolutely love, and absolutely love to hate, the universe George Lucas has created. Through the film, “The People vs George Lucas”, director Alexandre O Phillipe, attempts to answer the question, “Once the public embraces a film, to whom does it belong – the fans or the creator?” through the screeds of fan-footage submitted to the director, as well as a series of sound-bites and interviews with a variety of different characters – from pop culture experts, to the manic fans themselves.
The film details the rise of George Lucas, from the introverted child tinkering around with cars, to the leader of a capitalist conglomerate whose plastic toys have ended up in landfills throughout the globe. Lucas is a contradictory character. Having testified in Congress against the colouring of classic black-and-white films, he goes on to become “an overly protective parent” of his own work, through his ‘re-touching’ of the first trilogy, and especially in the creation of the second one.
Lucas’s ‘tinkering’ of the original trilogy really riled his fan-base, sparking the “Hans shot first” falafel, as well as attracting accusations of hypocrisy towards the man who once touted freedom from the corporations who controlled the creative industries. As noted by one pop culturist, Lucas himself turned from the innocent Anakin Skywalker into a warped Darth Vader character, a change that he himself admits in old interview footage featured in the documentary.
One important reaction to the whole episode was the reflective creativity from the fans. A myriad of different endeavours are presented in the documentary, from a Star Wars Lego remake, to Barbershop compositions, to a complete de-(and re-)construction of the film, made in one day, using a diverse range of scenes sent in by hundreds of contributors. Art is used to create more art; an example of post-modernity at the street level, and a picture of the influence Lucas has on his fans, despite their grumbling.
The fan-base’s reaction to the apparently diabolical “Episode I: The Phantom Menace” is vividly depicted, showcasing their rage against the so called ‘midi-chlorians’ (which reduces the deep spirituality of the Jedi to mindless biological determinism), and the much loathed Jar Jar Binks. As one fan puts it, “(Lucas) disappointed a generation”, but interestingly enough, the new generation didn’t seem to care too much when interviewed. And despite their very vocal hatred of the film, many of the fans went multiple times, with one extreme character doling out money to see it SEVENTEEN times.
Though the question of ownership mentioned in the introductory paragraph could not, and cannot be answered objectively, “The People vs George Lucas” writes a love/hate letter to the man defined the childhood imagination of millions worldwide.
It is also quite an enjoyable flick, detailing how broad a culture the trilogies have informed, and introducing us to some of the more extreme personalities among us.
Part of the Documentary Edge Festival. For details please see www.documentaryedge.org.nz
By Theo Sangster 2 February 2011.
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