Movie Monday: The People vs George Lucas
October 24th, 2011
Star Wars has always been a dear film saga to me. The remastered edition came out at just that time in my life when it would make the maximum impression on a young, almost-adolescent me, and my (coolest) Dad (in the world) took me out to see the midnight opening of the Star Wars Episode I prequel even though it was a school night. I read all the related books. I collected the cards. Just like kindred spirits in 1977, I was instantly hooked on and totally obsessed with Star Wars.
Then I learned in college, to my great delight, that there was a deleted scene from Star Wars which suggests just how libertarian the ideas in it are. After all, the film is about a band of rebels who fight against an oppressive government bent on dominating and ruling the entire known world with an iron fist. It even creates a weapon of mass destruction (The Death Star) to terrorize the galaxy into submission.
But in this deleted scene, a conversation between Luke Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter reveals the economic dimension of the Empire’s totalitarian rule, which in the tradition of a philosopher named Karl Marx (who would live a long time in the future, in a galaxy far away), involved the nationalization of businesses and farms:
Luke: “I know, but we’ve got almost enough vaporators to make the place pay off. I have to stay one more season. I can’t leave him now.”
Biggs: “What good’s all your uncle’s work if the Empire takes it over? You know they’ve already started to nationalize commerce in the central systems? Won’t be long before your uncle’s just a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire.”
The conversation starts at 2:30 in the video below:
That’s why libertarians should take note: a new documentary about Star Wars and the tumultuous relationship between its fans and creator, George Lucas, will be released this Tuesday on DVD. Its title: The People vs George Lucas. The documentary is especially relevant as fans were recently treated to yet another round of Lucas’ obsessive, and many would argue– tasteless, tweaks and changes to the old films. Wired reports:
‘Lashing together interviews with geek celebrities and more than 600 hours of footage submitted by Star Wars fans, The People vs. George Lucas, which will be released Tuesday on DVD, serves as both indictment and celebration of the man behind the world’s most popular sci-fi movies.
Coming just a month after the release of Star Wars: The Complete Saga — a Blu-ray package with more changes that left some fans screaming, “Noooooooo!!” — The People vs. George Lucas could be just the balm needed to salve fresh wounds.
An entertaining swirl of nostalgia and nerdy vitriol, the movie successfully transports viewers back to the days when Star Wars was new and fresh, and an engrossing sci-fi empire was being born.’
As both a Star Wars fan, and a relentless political activist, I certainly understand the dynamic behind aggressively criticizing something, not because you hate it, but because you love it so dearly and hate to see well-meaning people ruin it.
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