News: The People vs George Lucas: GotchaMovies SXSW Movie Review
posted on Monday, March 22, 2010 - 12:00:00 AM
As I walked up to the Alamo Lamar, I was greeted by a pair of Storm-Troopers, Boba Fett and none other than Darth Vader himself...well, not literally the Darth Vader, as that's impossible, but a fan in a faithfully recreated suit -- complete with a Master Replica light saber. I thought to myself how odd it is that even an unofficial Star Wars movie can bring out the closeted geek in all of us. I began to grow nervous, not for myself, but for the filmmakers responsible for The People vs George Lucas. Ever since George Lucas "ruined" the original Trilogy and provided us with the horrendous prequels, Star Wars has transformed from a perfect series that fans would die defending to a hotbed of debate ranging from "who shot first" to the usefulness (re: uselessness) of Jar-Jar Binks. I was unsure if the film would pass the scrutinizing test of the die-hard fan. After viewing The People vs George Lucas I was sure of one thing; there is now a form of therapy for Star Wars fans who feel the need to have their voices heard.
Even if you're not a fan of Star Wars (shame on you) there's something for everyone in The People vs George Lucas. On one hand you get to dissect and understand what it means to be a Star Wars fan. For the Star Wars noob, you'll get a kick out of the amount of nerd rage surrounding the iconic series. The film, in classic documentary style, does a commendable job of tackling every arguement from both sides. Although I would have liked to have seen more people in favor of the family-friendly direction Star Wars has taken so I can better understand their arguement, the balance of the film never seems to tip too far to the side of Lucas-hate that so many are quick to adopt. It's obvious that director Alexandre O. Philippe wanted to make clear that regardless of what Star Wars has become, the reason so many fans are up-in-arms is because they hold it so close to their hearts.
The main theme I gathered from the film is love in it's many varied forms. I enjoyed how personal some aspects of the film were. The filmmakers try to make you understand what a Star Wars (and Indiana Jones, to an extent) film means to its legion of loyal fans. Never does it take itself too seriously, but after witnessing the testimonials and snippets of fan films you realize that Star Wars isn't just a movie, but a way of life for some people. You can almost see the relief the participants of the film gain from venting their frustrations. For fans like myself, it was highly enjoyable to know that we're not alone in our behind-closed-doors debates that take place until the wee hours of the morning and that, thankfully, we're not the nerdiest of the nerds. By the end of the movie, many of the people who are seemingly against Mr. Lucas's new vision reach a catharsis and state that regardless of what changes have befallen their beloved series, there's no denying the fact that they only get angry because they care so much about the subject matter.
I enjoyed the hell out of The People vs. George Lucas. While I don't see it garnering a nomination for an Academy Award any time soon, I CAN see it eventually gaining a place on my DVD shelf somewhere betweeen episodes three and four. As a film by and for the fans, there's no denying that The People vs George Lucas is worthy of its place in the pantheon of George Lucas's classic series.
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