One specific legacy of Kershner's, embedded within 'Empire Strikes Back,' is Han Solo's legendary "I know" response to Princess Leia's "I love you." The script called for Harrison Ford to reply with a simple "I love you, too," but Kershner's gut said otherwise.Bless you, Internet. ;-)
"I shot the line and it just didn't seem right for the character of Han Solo. We were into the lunch break and I said to Harrison try it again and just do whatever comes to mind. That is when Harrison said the line, 'I know.' After the take, I said to my assistant director, David Tomblin, 'It's a wrap,'" Kershner told Vanity Fair. "George [Lucas] saw the first cut and said, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. That's not the line in the script.' I said, 'I love you, too was not Han Solo.' Han Solo was a rebel. George felt that the audience would laugh. And I said, 'That's wonderful, he is probably going to his death for all they know.'"
Despite Lucas' initial dismay at Kershner's interpretation, audience tests proved the line a hit, and Kershner ultimately admits, "George was the best producer I ever worked with."
By now it's grown clear that George Lucas has an agenda, one that he takes very seriously. After four "Star Wars" films, alarm bells should have gone off, even among those who don't look for morals in movies. When the chief feature distinguishing "good" from "evil" is how pretty the characters are, it's a clue that maybe the whole saga deserves a second look.-David Brin,""Star Wars" despots vs. "Star Trek" populists: Why is George Lucas peddling an elitist, anti-democratic agenda under the guise of escapist fun?"
Just what bill of goods are we being sold, between the frames?
* Elites have an inherent right to arbitrary rule; common citizens needn't be consulted. They may only choose which elite to follow.
* "Good" elites should act on their subjective whims, without evidence, argument or accountability.
* Any amount of sin can be forgiven if you are important enough.
* True leaders are born. It's genetic. The right to rule is inherited.
* Justified human emotions can turn a good person evil.
That is just the beginning of a long list of "moral" lessons relentlessly pushed by "Star Wars." Lessons that starkly differentiate this saga from others that seem superficially similar, like "Star Trek"...
The differences at first seem superficial. One saga has an air force motif (tiny fighters) while the other appears naval. In "Star Trek," the big ship is heroic and the cooperative effort required to maintain it is depicted as honorable. Indeed, "Star Trek" sees technology as useful and essentially friendly -- if at times also dangerous. Education is a great emancipator of the humble (e.g. Starfleet Academy). Futuristic institutions are basically good-natured (the Federation), though of course one must fight outbreaks of incompetence and corruption. Professionalism is respected, lesser characters make a difference and henchmen often become brave whistle-blowers -- as they do in America today.
In "Star Trek," when authorities are defied, it is in order to overcome their mistakes or expose particular villains, not to portray all institutions as inherently hopeless. Good cops sometimes come when you call for help. Ironically, this image fosters useful criticism of authority, because it suggests that any of us can gain access to our flawed institutions, if we are determined enough -- and perhaps even fix them with fierce tools of citizenship.
By contrast, the oppressed "rebels" in "Star Wars" have no recourse in law or markets or science or democracy. They can only choose sides in a civil war between two wings of the same genetically superior royal family. They may not meddle or criticize. As Homeric spear-carriers, it's not their job.
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1) I wouldn't expect George Lucas to give "a shit about me." He doesn't owe me anything. If anything, as The Simpsons famously pointed out, I owe him. However, in a perfect world, he would give a shit about his work and his legacy and the fact that once you release a movie it does kind of belong to the audience and not you anymore.
2) My friend Ed has bootleg DVDs of the original three Star Wars movies the way theye were shown in the theatre, made from laserdiscs. I kind of want to get copies from him. It's absurd that movies that great are now essentially out-of-print.
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:22 PM on September 17, 2011