Review of The People vs. George Lucas (2010) by First L — 09 Nov 2011

[B/80] Insightful and comical documentary that strikes bravely into the über-geeky world of Star Wars fandom, particularly the love-hate relationship and lovably silly controversies between the devoted (and inspired) aficionados and the Janus-headed creator himself.

Like me, you may recognize yourself in some of the many opinions and perspectives offered by the colorful cast of vocal fans lamenting (more or less half-seriously) the gradual "spiritual" demise of the globally popular cinematic franchise. It is a funny little snapshot of the culture of gleeful childishness and boundless enthusiasm that Star Wars has inspired, complete with a great bag of snippets of fantastical fan-created art. But it also takes the charges and concerns of artistic crookedness quite seriously, in its own way, presenting a surprisingly thought-provoking case on problems within Lucas' suspect auteurism and the grander issue of the re-editing (and manipulation) of cultural material.