Why the STAR WARS Prequels are ACTUALLY about George Lucas’s Divorce - Video Essay
2024 ж. 2 Мам.
51 133 Рет қаралды
The Star Wars Prequels are a metaphor for Goerge Lucas's Mid-Life crisis and a way for him to cope with his divorce. Get your "Always" Shirt → screencrushmerch.com/products...
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Written and Hosted by Ryan Arey ( / ryanarey )
Edited by Harriet Lengel-Enright, Randolf Nombrado, Brianna McLarty, Lee Mazzio, Ashley Lavalle, and Paulina Perez-Perez
#StarWars #GeorgeLucas #prequels
Lucas: "I'll never be a businessman" Also Lucas: [does the best business deal in history]
Til now he became the very thing he swore to Destroy.
"You'll never be a fighter pilot; an F-15 tops out at Mach 2497/1,900 MPH, but you have too many speeding tickets". (He made it from work to home in 12 Parsecs.)
If any of this is true, it shows a remarkable capacity for self-reflection, because he's basically saying he's the evil one, driven to it by circumstances and decisions that seemed good to him at the time.
it isn´t true
@@Bean-vu6gp twice
@@Pedrofiliac no
You’ve got it all wrong, the prequels are actually about your mom
Of course. All of this is true. Artists create based on their own experience and what they know. But, you missed one thing. Anakin's mother, Shmi, dying is an expression of how he felt when his own mother died, since she was the one who supported and believed in his creative side. Once she was gone, all that was left was his all-business/no time for fun or frivolity father. So, when presented with the fear of losing Padme, Marcia, he becomes obsessed with protecting her by becoming the all business/ no time for fun or frivolity father and, in a way, died creatively... as Francis said; he never made all those movies that he'd planned on making and the world (and art and filmmaking) suffered for it. He's still my hero and I have spent a lifetime learning from him, and his mistakes. Lastly, I don't think that we will "never see another Lucas/auteur filmmaker again". Hollywood is dying, FAST, and, like all endings, it will usher in a new beginning and that is where the new Hollywood, like what emerged in the late 60's and early 70's, will come from again... because it's like poetry... it rhymes.
Best comment
brilliantly said
no its not
@@Bean-vu6gp what is so incorrect in the video that you needed to comment this twice?
@@Pedrofiliac i only comment once
I haven't even watched this yet, and I agree 100%. I've always believed that Star Wars is a story about all of us. I grew up without a father, lived in poverty with my disabled mother in northern california, was extremely skilled with electronics at a young age, and was eventually mentored by someone who saw my gift. Funny enough, I've been called "Padawan" since I was 17. Through my skill, I learned patience, control and forged a path for myself. When my mother died in my early 20's, I was faced with an option. To give in to my anger and pain, or to channel it the best way I knew how- Through my craft. I chose the later. Traveled the world, married a woman I met in Paris, and lived the best life I could. I didn't see Star Wars until 2 years ago, at 32yrs old after my wife and I separated. That Padawan nickname meant nothing to me until it meant everything. My story is far from unique, and only through retrospect could I see how all the pieces fit together. I never let the size of my goals discourage me. I always believed in the impossible, and through that self belief, I made my dreams come true. While it would have been great to have grown up with Star Wars, it makes me incredibly happy to know that these stories exist. Call it the force, God or love- When you do what you truly love, you are creating and spreading the energy that binds all living beings together. Dream big, and take action. Do.
Lucas stated publicly back then, that the prequels were 100% not written for fans, they were made for his kids. so i wouldn't be surprised if he made some of it personal
The definition of betrayal. Abandoned the people who bought the tickets and made him what he was. No wonder OT fans hated the prequels.
Hi @TheIronDuke9, I have been a Star Wars fan since Return of the Jedi in 1983. 🎥 Tonight, I watched The Phantom Menace with my nephews, and it was an excellent experience. 👍 I love Episodes 1 to 3 more than the original trilogy, a huge part of my childhood in the 1980s. The prequel trilogy and its extended universe expanded the scale and scope of the Star Wars galaxy, introducing a wider array of compelling characters, planets, species, and lore. The epic themes in the prequels are universal and timeless. Plus, Anakin's tragic fall resonates more than Luke's heroic rise, adding so much subtext to the original trilogy. Return of the Jedi is a satisfying conclusion to the original trilogy. But it truly shines as the finale of the cohesive story told through George Lucas's six Star Wars films. The prequels elevate the original trilogy to greater heights. 🏆 Luke's line to Sidious, "You have failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me," hits so much more in the context of the entire saga. 😭
@TheIronDuke9. You are mistaken in saying fans of the OT hate the PT. I'm a boomer fan of both the OT & PT. I became a Star Wars fan in 1976 from reading the Novelization- 5 MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED IN THE THEATERS. My 4 other siblings are also fans of the OT & PT.
@@slimjimnyc270 I don't hate the prequels. I just don't think they are very good movies.
@@greglbennett I think your opinion is valid. I just took my 23 y.o. son to see the Phantom Menace in the theater and we had a great father-son bonding moment. He's seen it several times on TV but it's different when you watch it on the big screen. Have a great day!
Best SW analysis I've seen in a long time, long time. It is very interesting to try to see what creator of work of art is trying to express. There are unavoidable personal parallels with art, at least when art has a singular creative voice. It creates another fasinating layer of symbolism whether consiously created or out of artists subconsious mind. "What an artist wants to say?" is much more interesting field for analysis than arguing for lore, canon or other such details.
An affair with the guy installing glass at the ranch? That had to stung in unspeakable ways. Damn.
Glass is made from sand...
@@Lonestar_Hero hatred is also made from sand.
I was today years old when I realized that Luke Skywalker = Luke S = Lucas
Anakin= any kin 😳
Hm, Han... Solo. 🤔
grogu = george
Came here to say this 😅
Yea naming characters isn’t his strongest suit
I dated a girl in Los Angeles who’s dad was first cousin with George. I dated her for two years. She never met him, but did write a letter of recommendation for my girlfriend to help her get a manager/agents.
Cool story bro
I just thought of one additional parallel between Anakin and George seen in the Phantom Menace. Anakin pilots a YELLOW Naboo fighter. Same color as his youth car.
...as is the speeder Anakin "borrows" in Attack of The Clones to go after Obi Wan.
and the Anakin's Jedi Starfighter in Revenge of the Sith is yellow. Wow this is starting to track.
I guess that explains why Star Wars is a space soap opera
It goes without saying that I’ll probably never watch the prequels the same way again. Mind.Blown.🤯 Having been through some rough relationships, and seeing the life I had worked so hard for more or less implode, I suddenly identify more with Anakin’s agony as he lay on the volcanic sand, limbless and burning.
You can’t understand Star always without understanding George Lucas.
Screencrush this video is your best work ever.
I really like when you look at these films as metaphors. Only viewing them as nerdy lore takes away the power of art as self-expression and social commentary. Lore is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Ayyyy! I feel fortunate to be one of the lucky few to have first experienced this topic of discussion & video at the live show! Well done Ryan, Colton, Doug & the ScreenCrush team!
Glad you liked the peak behind the curtain and thanks so much for being there!
Ryan Airey - by far your B E S T V I D E O T O D A T E. The way you tie in Lucas' life and Star Wars so succinctly makes soo much sense. Your definitely not full of it that's for sure. Love from Melbourne, Australia :)
Ok, in all the stories of far fetched ludicrous breakdowns that are reading waaaay too faaar ahead to hit too close to home, I think this one is your absolute best one to date ! Awesometacular !
my dude, Ryan, this is a brilliant thesis.
Awesome just awesome. Great job crew and writers.
Through the 80s I Rewatched that Star Wars to Jedi making of feature with George saying SPECIAL EFFECTS WITHOUT A STORY IS A VERY DULL THING... And he definitely proves this, and that's his Legacy.
I for one think the Prequels are of high quality... They may not have been the films everyone expected them to be, as George already recognized that while making them, but they are of very high quality. The man pioneered the technology to create them! He's the one who really pushed the boundary and reinvented special effects for film and utilized CGI in a way no one else could've dreamed of. Full of thematics and symbolism (read The Archives 1999-2005 for more on this)... Crafted a Shakespearean-esque tragedy of a man trying to do good and falling to darkness... A constitutional republic falling to a dictatorship empire... A vast expansion of lore and lush, vibrant, highly detailed exotic planets... And the lightsaber duels on display in the prequels are by far the very best we've ever seen and likely ever will again. Whether you believe what the "true" meaning of these films are... There's definitely an argument to be had on their layered genius and vast high quality. They're not as simplistic as the OT, and there's nothing wrong with the OT being more simple and straightforward, but the prequels are fantastic.
Watch Rick Worley- why the prequels are better films than you deserve
@@kaimarquez8046 will do!
@@kaimarquez8046 just watched it... Loved it! Also enjoy the ripping apart of the narrow-minded views of hacks like Chris Stuckman and RLM haha. Thanks for leading me to that video! I've been a lifelong Prequel defender and I'm glad to see more and more people come to fully understand them for what they are and appreciate them more fully. People should really look into Paul Duncan's archives book (1999-2005). Star Wars is 1-6 and it's George's mythology and world... We're just granted a glance into it.
The live version of this video was amazing as well!
I know Georges daughter. She is a part owner of an MMA gym in Vegas and when she fought in Japan she had storm troopers walk her to the ring.
OMG, can I get your autograph?
Absolutely Amazing Video!! Made the Short list of Best SW Retrospectives...
about George Lucas’s Divorce - The video Essay made in Toys-Story 4 was good to work on the last movie to be in like he did is not Darth Vader If any of this is true, it shows a remarkable capacity for self-reflection because he's basically saying he's the evil one, driven to it by circumstances and decisions that seemed good to him at the time. 25 minutes ago That's G.E. Smith with John Oates, for the record. This was so well done I'd say this was an excellent review and analyzed Perfection of George Lucas's life and Star Wars The time frame from the end of Rogue One to the Death Star blowing up is like what?..a month Great video! I started watching for “Bad Batch” Easter eggs but I’d love to see more breakdowns like this. Maybe something like this but focused on each of the Star Wars movies? I like THX 1138 the movie I don’t understand why you keep putting it down, honestly if I didn’t know any better I’d assume that you didn’t care for the movie “THX 1138”. lol anyways… May the force be with you, always… peace … Makes total sense...but Lucas is an ideas guy. He should never have written and directed the Prequels himself. But that's SO Anakin. lol 45 minutes ago I liked the Star Wars prequels like many, was my Childhood...is as great as the original series of course not ... But Star Wars Episode 1 first movie I've ever seen at the movies loved Star Wars ever since at the top 15 Most Terrifying Second Mutations That Completely Transformed The Characters - Explored THAT was Hall? Oates hasn’t changed, but Hall looks weird Just like anything, an argument can be made here for both for and against. The main problem is that George is on record as having described his initial plan for Star Wars to be 3 series of 3 films each. He specifically said that he had the idea of explaining where Darth Vader came from. The problem is, he didn't specify much so your theory is as good as any. Thanks to Ryan, Harriet, Randolf, Brianna, Lee, Ashley, and Paulina! A common statement says “Every story is at its core an autobiography.” Doesn’t George say that it’s Francis Ford Coppola that challenges him to do a light-hearted comedy, and so he then does American Graffiti I really like this theory, and I think you've made a great video essay! Lambo when you said to understand Star Wars you need to understand George it reminded me of the scene in Half-baked If you wanna know what happened to Killer you gotta who Killer the dog was in limbo 18 minutes ago Matt Singer needs to get you on Blank Check for a Phantom Menace re-release episode immediately I drove by Skywalker Ranch dip with chips he was eating it sometimes. It's a beautiful area Thanks for the video to check it out NOW PLAYING What Could Have Been: new Joker told Donald Trump is lying Bullets & Blockbusters 64K views 6 days ago New Rocky III - MOVIE REACTION!! at Blind Wave NOW PLAYING The Masked Singer - Pentatonix - All Performances and Reveal yuval 1.3M views 11 months ago Details You Missed! | X-Men Rewatch New Rockstars 419K views 1 month ago new Villain Therapy really is: PALPATINE is in the 89-year-old real name is George Lucas’s was talking on chip roll it check it out is all overdone is not my show for my own movie for me was a fake photo I will make my own come true to a new set for SECRET INVASION vs WINTER SOLDIER - Why One Worked and the Other Didn't ScreenCrush X-MEN FULL SERIES BREAKDOWN! 1992 - 1997 Every Episode Easter Eggs! | X-Men Rewatch New at Rockstars last movie Star Wars Rebels 10th Anniversary Panel C2E2 2024 Legends and Theories part 3 is not good full to fix it to fit in Ming-Na Wen; From Mulan to Fennec Shand | The Sackhoff Show Episode 1 was talking now playing okay is her Katee Sackhoff 749 views 5 days ago views 1 month ago Cinema Therapy I guess that explains why Star Wars is a space soap opera, Don Rosa?!!!! Rosa is a great Duck artist, but way later than when George was growing up. You meant the GREAT Duck Artist, Carl Barks! His work is amazing, and inspirational to George. I dated a girl in Los Angeles whose dad was first cousin to George. I dated her for two years. She never met him but did write a letter of recommendation for my girlfriend to help her get a manager/agent. I remember when Kayne said this… people said he was crazy Lucas: "I'll never been not your own businessman" Also Lucas: [does the best business not your deal in the is real history] is not your is my show I was talking okay live-action come true okay well done you nailed it that was nice to me okay. If any of this is true, it shows a remarkable capacity for self-reflection, because he's basically saying he's the evil one, driven to it by circumstances and decisions that seemed good to him at this time this week for today I like your job thanks for your help that artwork was awesome thank you kill it that week Yesterday is gone sweet too sweet lyrics songs video at 2002 I saw was a same show at 2003 that role on stage live-action today. New was talking about John Mulaney on David Letterman's Experience, His Dad Being Unfazed & Live Show "Everybody's in LA" Jimmy Kimmel Live Finale show for Defends Killing Her Scooby doo mystery incorporated part 2 episode 27 Puppy is scrappy doo from first Chip replacement to without him| Boeing Sends A Message to play him scrappy doo new voice actor like a girl dogs dancing was braking at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at his face was him. 1.1 Million views 14 hours ago that was funny check it live-action from the first and Second was endings from the Thard and the fourth show is not good okay new writer next sow to work okay on stage is my take this week. NOW PLAYING now talking to Chris Pine looks back at his ‘earth-shattering’ first big paycheck TODAY.
Great video. Just goes to show we're still learning new things about George's movies we might not have thought of before.
This was so well done
What a great video, this by far is one of your best!
Rewatched after first view & subscribing even without visiting the Channel cuz this Video is Excellent!! I don't have but a few friends but will share this with all of them.
He rarely comes to Modesto anymore. They have a graffiti every year. Now we know why he is reluctant to come back there. Thank you for this video. It’s really shown light to why one of that towns most, if not the most influential people is so hesitant to engage in it’s community.
Wow! Deep. Nice job 💯👏
Ryan, that was awesome. Nicely researched and fascinating. The world's great leaps are driven by the personal initiative of geniuses, and Lucas is one of those.
Wow; this was very good and amazing. I actually knew nothing about Lucas except for some of his movies, and you tied this together well.
In a very big coffee table book on Return of the Jedi, Larry Kasdan was Trying to get info out of George on the Identity of the Emperor and George finally snapped and revealed the ID for the Emperor is Richard Nixon... Yeah, try translating that into a space fantasy.
Isn't the Indiana Jones trilogy another one under Luca's belt?
I'd say this was an excellent review and analyzed Perfection of George Lucas's life and Star Wars
Masterfully done, Ryan
A common statement says “every story is at its core an autobiography.”
Grew up in Modesto and know a fair deal of Lucas’ backstory. You nailed the metaphor very well, I think.
Nicely done Ryan.Thank you.
just here for the tone poem ty everybody
Thanks for this. Great watch!
Ryan, one of your BEST!!!!
Great essay, Ryan.
Great video! Also, you could have mentioned George Lucas was the executive producer for Howard the Duck. This was a notable failure for Lucas. Now I understand why he got that made, because of his love for the old Scrooge McDuck comics.
that is an interesting way of looking at it, thanks.
The secret history of Star Wars is a fascinating book. It brings up so many things from interviews articles and lays out everything that is out there (much more detailed than the official LucasFilm version, obviously). The book goes to show how the six films reflects George Lucas's journey through life and coming to terms with things he experienced. But it seems (the book posits) that it was rarely intentional, more subconscious.
As usual you nailed it 110% :)
Great video essay!!
Great analysis! It's impossible to peer into Lucas's soul to know how much of this is true, even if it was somewhat subconscious for him. But you make some great points. Kudos!
Amazing video!
Strong take sir! Great video
I've never heard anything about George's mother in any documentary or interview, so I always assumed she died when he was young and that inspired Shmi Skywalker's early demise. Not so, Dorothy Lucas - George's mother - didn't die until 1983 after George finished the original trilogy.
Wow this was great! I believe every bit of it. There is a heart and soul to the 6 original movies that obviously are missing to the sequel trilogy..
Modesto IS a dead end town. It's not about population, it's about location. It's not "palm trees and beaches LA" california. It's "meth-head capitol, central desert" california.
I know a lot of people hate the politics" in Star Wars, but even as a kid that was always my favorite parts...For instance, I had imagined a whole movie on my own after watching the quick seen in A New Hope where whose-his-bucket comes in and says something like "the last remains of the Republic are gone...bla bla bla." So it was cool to see the downfall of that republic many years later when my son was little and watching the prequels. Good video as usual, thank you! -Nick, Beaver Island, Michigan.
The video is great. I love it..... Buy how even figure out all those?? I admire you
Wow, I never looked at the prequels that way...very interesting points!
That was a rad breakdown, thank you.
You nailed it.
This is so incredibly clever, it gives me such a greater respect for movies i already love and respect hugely and a director a respect hugely.
Ryan - I love this take on Lucas and the personal influence on his films! Definitely some things I hadn't considered before but certainly make sense. I wonder how much of that was intentional in his storytelling versus what kinda seeped in from his subconscious? Well done, sir! If you'd like to take a deeper dive into Lucas's contributions to the technology of filmmaking, check out Michael Rubin's book, "Droidmaker: George Lucas And the Digital Revolution" It chronicles the the history of Lucas's vision to streamline the film production process complete with the early back and forth between Lucas and Coppola up through the emergence of digital production. Highly recommend!
If this theory is correct, then it also means that Lucas used a blockbuster franchise to express his regret for his role in creating the blockbuster franchise, which adds whole new layers of irony to the prequels.
No one has crapped on the prequels since the Disney acquisition and their abomination of a sequel trilogy heightened Lucas’ genius even further. Even the Phantom Menace was redeemable. Just we don’t like certain parts of Ep.1 and 2 doesn’t mean we don’t love the prequels. …If you wondering, yes, it’s Jar Jar. Love Ahmed Best but Jar Jar is a secret Sith Lord.
This video for some reason just brought me to tears
Thanks for the video
As much as I’ve been fine overall with the Disney era of Star Wars, I do wish that we could get to a point where creators could throw themselves into it the way that Lucas did. I miss when blockbusters were weird personal metaphors for their director’s lives.
And now he is the majority owner of Disney Stock and therefore has the most votes on the board. Lucas, who received 37.1 million Disney shares as part of Disney's $4.05 billion purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, is currently the largest individual investor in the company, multiple sources confirmed to CNBC. In a statement provided to CNBC, Lucas wrote: “Creating magic is not for amateurs.
Excellent topic and dissertation
Would love to see one on Jk Rowling and Harry Potter. I know SC talk about Tarantino but would love to see a similar breakdown.
THX-1138 isn’t emotionless by mistake. It’s describing a world that has been drained of humanity. I gotta stick up for my man, Young Lucas. That movie isn’t quite a masterpiece, but if Lucas stayed on the path of an art house director THX would be regarded as an early triumph.
George Lucas adopted 3 kids, and they became his family. In the sequels, Rey became an adopted child to the Skywalkers. Maybe that's a tribute to George vision.
Pick up the Criterion Edition of THX-1138. There is an option to watch the film with only the soundtrack on. No dialogue or music. The sound design and directing is so amazing that it still works. It's my favorite way to revisit the film.
Easily your best video, this is insane
amazing video.
I'm convinced Ryan purposefully mispronounces words to troll us 😂🤣I mean, "ta-ki-turn"? Bro! Love ya anyway, man! 😀
Well done!
Very compelling video
That's G.E. Smith with John Oates, for the record.
G.E. Smith must be related to Cillian Murphy.
This totally made me rewatch Menace and Clones. Not. Not for all the ganja in Texas.
This is right on . A Brilliant analogy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
My hometown has a population of 350 people. I’m going to need EVERYONE else to sit down
I like these video essays you do. Keep it up. George is my hero too so this means a lot to me as an artist too
underrated af video
Side note about the modesto ca thing. Besides me living here, but jeremy renner was born in modesto and timothy olyphant was raised in modesto. Olyphant was in the mandolorian and boba fett. Which is awesome! So me and my wife have been catching up on bad batch, and my wife actually made a comment that the empire scientist (forgot his name) that is spearheading the cloning stuff looks JUST like renner. So we thought it would be AMAZING if he is planned for a live action show/movie appearance and renner portrays him in person. Renner would be amazing and have that same eerie presence as the character is in the cartoon. I havent finished bad batch so im not sure if the empire scientist dude dies. But anyways. Just a thought to the whole Modesto shoutout thing. Would be awesome for a sort of collab of 2 town heroes. Lucas and renner.
This blows my mind in the best way...
Normally I enjoy these videos but this one was absolute Bantha Poodoo.
why does he hate sand though?
Never been to Modesto then?
@@solvseus hahaha no
It is obvious. It reminds him of his childhood, when he was a slave. Very clear sad tone implies he misses one element though from that time, as film progresses we find out it is his mother. He shrugs that of quickly and orient immedietly back to present. Yes, line is very clumsy and acting and directing is awkward but it is easy enough to figure out what Lucas wanted to present here.
@@mikaranta5840 ok
@@robrussell7828 Good. Don't.
This is actually so powerful
Ryan, this video might be your "Godfather". Great, great job!!
I didn’t / don’t know too much about Lucas’ life… thanks for the video
All star wars stuff aside, this video really taught me something about life
I was kind of hyped to go see Phantom Menace again for the 25th anniversary release, but now I'm HYPED!
Sooo what your saying is Dave Filoni might be the Luke Skywalker, the son of Vader through apprenticeship, to true bring back balance to the Force.. I mean Hollywood. We can Hope. Happy Star Wars day, great video. May the 4th be with you.
Watching Dune is Thinking Paul is Luke and finding out he is Anakin
What an incredible analysis
Thank you for posting this video 🎥🍿🥤. You have given me. A different way to look at it. I always knew that. STAR WARS was about George Lucas. But I had no idea 💡. Just how much of it. Was the man, & the story. I guess it’s both the same thing. Dam…
🤔😏 Interesting, very thought provoking
I drive by Skywalker ranch sometimes. It's a beautiful area