...The more permanent and physical the perception of an art form is, the more it is perceived by the public as “art” rather than mere entertainment. A good example of this is sculpture and painting. Paintings are hung in galleries and museums. They are preserved from disintegration and frequently restored to prime condition. These practices are seen as culturally valuable to the point where allowing a painting to be defaced or lost to time is considered practically criminal. That’s wonderful, but then why do we allow so many films to languish and to be treated without the respect they deserve? Why do we accept George Lucas altering his classic films and then refusing to make the original versions available to the public, sometimes going as far as to claim that the original negatives have actually been destroyed in the process of creating the Special Editions? Why do we allow this?
I'm not as huge a Star Wars fan as others, but of course I enjoy the movies to a degree (I've written about the first time I saw Jedi, for example). George Lucas' constant fiddling with the movies, especially the original trilogy, is something I've certainly found odd, but I've never given it a great deal of thought, especially not from his perspective - until now. The occasion of the Blu-ray release of all six films, complete with even more cosmetic alterations, has caused fan outrage to swell once again, but I want to take a moment to try to see things Lucas' way.
I went on Facebook and asked some of my artist friends (painters, photographers and musicians, specifically), framing the question in general terms, whether an artist has a right to go back and alter his or her work after it has been appraised by the viewing public. The opinions were split. For some, the need to preserve the original work was an absolute; new technology can lead to new interpretations of older work but the originals should not be suppressed. Others thought the rights of the creator were paramount; public opinion should not get in the way of staying true to one's vision as long as the work belongs to the creator.
Do I think Lucas should let it go and learn to live with his films as they are? Yeah, but clearly he can't, hence the question I pose: is this a bad thing? Lucas is obviously uncomfortable with the version of the films that we've been familiar with for generations. As the creator, he wants his work to be the best it can be. If he feels that it isn't, and if he has the power to do something about it, isn't that his prerogative as an artist? We may prefer the original versions, but we had no hand in their creation. We did not commission these movies; we did not pay Lucas to make the Star Wars films; he made them on his own. And through the unique deal he struck with 20th Century Fox, he owns them. Its status as a cherished pop culture landmark does not change that fact.
Perhaps it's the kinds of alterations that fans object to? If Lucas went back and made more favorable changes to the fans, would we still have this conversation? But then, if he does that, he's compromising his work in order to kowtow to his audience, and that sets a bad precedent. Audience feedback is necessary for further artistic growth, but one should be careful not to heed it too much - and frankly, a part of me feels uncomfortable with the idea that fans can be so influential as to interfere with an artist's creative process.
I completely understand and sympathize with the fans' objections, and I'm even inclined to say that they're not wrong, but at the same time, I know how it feels to want to go back to a work of art and tweak it a bit after it's been released to the public. Rare is the artist who is completely satisfied with a "finished" work, and while I do believe Lucas needs to move on, I find I don't have the right to judge him if he's honestly unsatisfied with the original Star Wars movies. By the same token, however, if the fans are unsatisfied with the revised versions, then they absolutely should not buy them. It goes both ways.
I'm willing to concede that I could be wrong, however, so I'm eager to hear other opinions on this.
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i think the problem is Lucas himself. i honestly don't think he ever intended these changes to have been in the original movies.
ReplyDeletebut i compare his actions to someone who is never satisfied with their appearance and is constantly getting more and more plastic surgery to the detriment of their face.
i give you this link as a metaphor for what lucas is doing to star wars
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-19/entertainment/27064857_1_plastic-surgery-cosmetic-surgery-procedures-reconstructive
be sure to enlarge the picture if you haven't seen this already.
if anything this needs to be a directors cut.
I think a compulsion of some sort is possible, but why would it only manifest itself with the Star Wars films and not with 'American Graffiti' or 'THX1138'?
ReplyDeletehe's a shy guy. nobody cares about his other movies. but with star wars he knows everyone is looking at him and he can't help but keep scratching at that boil on his face that he thinks everyone is staring at.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Well, it's worth pondering.
ReplyDeleteAgree completely. As a blogger, I frequently go back and alter reviews to improve them, and I think Lucas is perfectly entitled to try and do the same. Have ANY of his changes actually improved the films - in my opinion, definitely not. But they're his films to do what he pleases with, so if he wants to alienate his fans then so be it. I DO however wish that the unaltered versions were being made available on Bluray instead of JUST the updated ones. In that regard I think peoples complaints are a little more valid.
ReplyDeleteIf he honestly thinks the new versions improve the overall quality of the films, I can see why he wouldn't want the originals seen anymore, but clearly he underestimates the high esteem fans have for those originals.
ReplyDelete"If Lucas went back and made more favorable changes to the fans, would we still have this conversation?"
ReplyDeleteShort of removing JarJar from the franchise, I'm not sure that you could get people to agree on what is favorable and what is not. And I wouldn't even want that to be done.
I'm on the fans' side with this one, though I technically can't argue with any other points you bring up. Sure, it's his right. It's also dumb.
Though here's a question for you: We know that, according to the contract with Fox, he "owns" the series. However, putting that aside, Lucas isn't the director of either Empire or Jedi - does he have the right to alter those products?
Good question. He may not be director, but he is executive producer of both films (as well as 'A New Hope'), so I suppose one could argue that such a position trumps that of director - after all, Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand wouldn't be the first guys to have their films re-cut or re-edited by the suits. I suspect they both knew who was really in charge when they directed 'Empire' and 'Jedi.' Not saying it's right or wrong; just trying to find a different rationale.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, I just discovered this. Thanks for quoting my piece and linking to it! I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteYou gave me quite a bit to think about.
ReplyDelete