Review of The People vs. George Lucas (2010) by Zane C — 12 Feb 2012

The People vs. George Lucas is a fascinating "made-at-home" documentary that covers all sides of the argument over George Lucas' cinema. At the centre of this movie is the irony of Lucas' career. He started as a young lover of new ways of making movies, of telling new stories. Angry at the studio system, he rebelled against it and created Star Wars in the process. 35 years later and he's become the very corporate entity his younger self was fighting against.

This film exposes just how much the Star Wars saga has meant to many of the "geeks" all over the world. At the core of it all, Star Wars inspired young artists to follow in Lucas' footsteps and find new ways to embrace the world. Yet with any popular movie, Star Wars also became a business venture, one that turned all the "geeks" into hungry consumers, voluntarily wasting their money on toys, games, anything with the "Star Wars" brand attached to it.

And the debate rages on. The People vs. George Lucas presents the debate in its entirety and lets you the viewer make your own decision as to where you stand. For me, I loved the original trilogy and hated the prequels. I see Lucas' life story as a cautionary tale, and I also believe that when you make art, the only thing that allows you to continue to make more art are the people that embrace it - your fans. Lucas is nothing without his fans, and in my opinion, it is good business to listen to them. But at the end of the day, the Star Wars films are what they are. Fans can love or hate them as much as they want. Lucas has millions of dollars at his disposal. He has done what most people will never do in three lifetimes. I applaud him for that; and if he makes something I don't like, I don't support it. I hate the Special Editions and the prequels, so I refuse to buy the blu ray until he releases the "Original Trilogy." Until then, I carry on with my life, and I still remember what it felt like to see Star Wars for the first time. For that, I am very grateful to Lucas because that film inspired me in many ways to focus my sights on a film career.