Posted on 05/15/2005 8:24:10 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
'The Force' ins't with President George W. Bush, as least as far as George Lucas is concerned.
The blogosphere has been abuzz for days with reports that Episode III contains several barely concealed digs at the Bush Administration.
In a much cited scene, Ewan McGregors Obi Wan Kenobi decares, 'Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes,' after Hayden Chirstensen's Ankin Skywalker/Darth Vader character says, 'If you're not with me, you're my enemy,' an obvious reference to President Bush's statements regarding the war on terror.
As the Senate cedes power to Palpatine under the guise of 'intergalatic security,' Natalie Portman's Princess Padme Amidala exclaims bitterly, 'So this is how liberty dies-to thunderous applause.'
No surprisingly, right wing leaning cineaste critic Michael Medved says George Lucas' script shows just how liberal Hollywood political sensibilities can infect a mass market fantasy like 'Revenge of the Sith'.
'What's striking about the Bush digs is not that they are that important to the film, but that they are so unimportant to it.'
None of this stuff is probably worth getting worked up over, but it's just another indication of the obvious and underlying partisanship of the entertainment industry coming out in places where you would least expect it.'
In an interview with the Associated Press last week, Lucas claimed has was less insipred by the current political climate than by the Nixon and Vietnam era, how the French turned their backs on democracy to support Napoleon and how the Romans did the same thing with Caesar.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
OK. I wrote a very strong script that took two years to research and a year to write and polish. I have assembled a wonderful cast who are in rehearsal now. I have the locations secured. One is a beautiful and remote 3,000-acre ranch in the mountains of Idaho. Another is the most authentic replica frontier fort in the U.S.
I have a topnotch cinematographer. I have stunt horsemen. I have topnotch location sound recording experts. I have hundreds of Native American horsemen mobilized. I have plenty of era military reenactors with their own equipment and weapons. I have a wonderful soundtrack already recorded. Some songs include those I have written and produced myself.
The story is based upon an amazing true event from 1867 and is an action Western with plenty of fighting, drama and romance.
It is a passionate story of courage, humor, tragedy, honor, the power of leadership when all seems lost and of the strength of true love. It also contains unapologetic elements of Christian faith.
Every person in this project is committed heart and soul after reading the script and none are liberals.
These are real knock-around guys who will be marvelously portraying real knock-around guys. There is one incredibly beautiful and courageous young woman portraying an incredibly beautiful and courageous young woman of the frontier.
I nearly have the whole package put together through an enormous amount of my own work and with a small army of talented people assisting.
Where did you say these conservative movie financiers are hiding? If there are conservative movie financiers out there, I'd enjoy talking to them.
Hollywood has little interest in even considering making the kinds of Westerns many of us have watched and loved for years.
The market for Westerns on DVD is incredibly strong, even the more obscure older titles. Hollywood pretends there is no market for Westerns anymore.
Remember, boxer won in the vaunted "Year of the Woman". Any woman would have won. Just like any Black actors other than Denzel or Halle would have won the Oscar in the "Black Oscars" 2 years back. (Crowe in "Beautiful Mind" was 100x better than Denzel in "Training Day")
My daughter LOVES my vintage C3PO doll, but my Chewbacca and Vader dolls are OFF LIMITS to her. Especially Chewie, since his plastic has started to fatigue and become very brittle. He once very nearly shattered into a bazillion pieces on our tile floor.
And why does Medved care? (oh wait I know...he needs excuses to keep himself relevant) Bush won his 2nd term, for pete's sake, who cares what the left thinks about him.
And Lucas probably thought it best to take himself out of the politcal realm with his three sequels coming out and not donating any more money to the libs...
Our toys are new, from the "reissue" era. My older kids bought the Episode 4-6 DVD's, and somebody got Episode 2 for a birthday present.
I think Episodes 1 and 2 are interesting because the production computer technology has advanced so much since the 70's, while the stories, the acting, and the costumes have not!
are you just saying that Conservatives ... aren't good enough to write a Marketable Script
"Marketable" to whom? Was Passion "marketable" in Hollywood? Did any of these conservative Deepockets step up? No, Gibson financed the project himself (and reaped HUUUUUUGE rewards, by the way). This isn't about being "good enough" or having the commitment. It's about liberals owning the production, distribution, and review process of the system.
Yes, it can still be done. But as a conservative, you're going to have the usual obstacles to overcome, beside a dozen more arbitrary ones imposed by the reaction to your ideology.
You make it sound like a weekend gardening project.
Whatever Lucas might be saying now doesn't take anything away from the brilliance of the first three movies (Ewoks nonwithstanding.) Oddly, Star Wars: Clone Wars The Micro-Series is much better than either of the previous new movies. Minimal dialouge and lots of action, animated by the same guys who made Samurai Jack.
Hehehee~ LOL!
Hey, Look I hate to admit it but I already have read the book and in that I found no real reference to any "Anti-Bush-isms" or anything else for that matter. As a matter of fact the entire Star Wars Theme has always struck me as being, almost in its' entirety, based upon Roman History, namely the fall of the old Roman Republic and the raise of the Emperor (Imperator) Augustus.
Much like the Senator Palpatine, Augustus was a slick, manipulative politician whom actually "caused himself" to be elected The head of state after years of civil strife and conflict. The Palpatine/Sidious Character strikes me as being very similiar.
Maybe over the top but its' something I've always felt was part of the Star Wars universe.
I hope so, because ep 1 & 2 SUCKED. Total suckfest. I am SO glad I did not bother watching #2 in theaters.
The line about Sith Lords only dealing in absolutes is intentional. Lucas said in an interview that the stark black and white color scheme of the Empire was a symbol of their extremist mindset while the earth tones worn by the Jedi reflect their view of a universe embracing change and subtle nuance. The Empire's similarity to the Third Reich shows that he meant absolute power with no room for the messy vaguaries representative democracy entails.
Lucas has obviously tired of the endless associations and theories applied to his characters. Recent advertising tie-ins actually deflate and poke fun at them. Yoda uses the Force to swipe a guy's lunch in a diner yet fails to obtain the soft drink; Vader attempts to con a winning game ticket from an ordinary Joe only to have the door slammed in his face(plate). But hey, who wouldn't love to choke out one of those anthropomorphic M&M characters? Allowing these skits seem to be Lucas' way of reminding all of us that "It's Only a Movie!"
I completely agree. Episode 6 was horrible writing for two reasons:
First, the concept that you can not kill Hitler (The Emporer), because it is a violent act, and YOU would become evil yourself, is absolutely ridiculous. The proof of the pudding is to take Darth Vader out of the scence, and then what becomes of the rebellion? Luke dies, the rebels die, the Evil Empire wins. I nearly threw up my popcorn when I watched Luke back away from the light saber...
Second, Lucas took the weak, easy way out to resolve the Luke/Hans/Leia threesome... we can not have Incest now, can we! This was the easy way out in order to keep ALL fans liking ALL three characters without choosing sides in what would have been romantical competition.
Lucas's writing is second rate, at best.
Check out this link about the British movie magazine Empire with a Darth Vader cover and when you open it it starts to breath like Vader....LOL Available on eBay if not available locally. http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/articles/folder2005/04/AprilDaily/empire-darthcover
Didn't care much for the Ewoks and the merchandising tie in bonanzas that the next two films became.
I guess that makes you liberal Hollywood's favorite type of customer.
That's funny!
My kids are interested in all the Star Wars stuff. I keep saying, "If you expect it to all make sense, you're just going to have a headache!" And my husband and his co-nerds have come up with some "business" excuse to attend the opening of Episode 3.
In an interview with the Associated Press last week, Lucas claimed that he was less inspired by the current wartime climate than the Nixon and Vietnam era, how the French turned their backs on democracy to support Napoleon and how the Romans did the same thing with Caesar. In his films, "I'm not saying why, so much as how, that happens," he said.
So now apparently speaking out against the state is 'leftist political ideas'? You know at one time conservatives used to hold distrust towards centralization of power and big government. Now I see that view is only important when 'we' are not in charge.
And yes as a conservative, I see many similarities from the past and the current atmosphere among those that are willing to accept anything as long as it comes from the 'right' party
I do know that he hates American conservatives and clearly supported our enemies in Viet Nam. His not really very subtle digs at conservatives does not endear him to me.
He may or may not be the typical Hollywood leftist but he definitely is a leftist and uses his movies to push that agenda. Maybe not as in-your-face, as some others, but it is there.
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