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DetlefK

(16,423 posts)
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 08:59 AM Apr 2017

George Lucas railed against digitally "improving" movie classics. Then he remastered Star Wars.

http://www.cracked.com/article_24674_5-truly-breathtaking-moments-in-celebrity-hypocrisy.html

In 1988, a gaggle of Hollywood artists went before Congress and urged them to pass legislation preventing the inappropriate diddling of classic films, especially those made by directors too dead to do anything about it. Of particular note is one director's impassioned speech, the gist of which can be found in this single sentence: "People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society."

...

"Today, engineers with their computers can add color to black-and-white movies, change the soundtrack, speed up the pace, and add or subtract material to the philosophical tastes of the copyright holder. Tomorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with 'fresher faces,' or alter dialogue and change the movement of the actor's lips to match. It will soon be possible to create a new 'original' negative with whatever changes or alterations the copyright holder of the moment desires."








Hollywood's pleas spawned the National Film Preservation Act, which in turn spawned the National Film Registry -- America's insurance that films such as The Godfather or Gone With The Wind or Weekend At Bernie's will never be lost to time (or an endless succession of fiddling). Interestingly, when the Registry added the original 1977 version of Star Wars to its list years later, Lucas refused to provide a copy. Rather, he offered up a copy of the Special Edition.
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George Lucas railed against digitally "improving" movie classics. Then he remastered Star Wars. (Original Post) DetlefK Apr 2017 OP
It is his own film, so he has the right to make any decisions he wants about it frazzled Apr 2017 #1
While I understand and appreciate Lucas' motives with the various SE's Docreed2003 Apr 2017 #2
You mean a control freak might not realize they are being a hypocritical buffoon? mythology Apr 2017 #3
I was so dissapointed pressbox69 Apr 2017 #4

frazzled

(18,402 posts)
1. It is his own film, so he has the right to make any decisions he wants about it
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 10:18 AM
Apr 2017

When the "author" (auteur) is no longer here, other people making decisions about it is problematic. Though often necessary for restoration, it is a fine art that must respect the original author's means and intentions.

Think of it this way: would it be right for a restorer to decide to put color on a Malevich black painting because it would be more appealing? Or to tinker with a Titian beyond what one can reasonably assume the artist intended?

I think the main thrust of the original opposition to diddling with classic films was when Turner started colorizing old black and white films. It was a big no no. My personal opinion is that one must respect the parameters that a filmmaker had at the time of its making, if that filmmaker is no longer here to make the decision. Think again of painting: you might say that Rembrandt might have wanted to use acrylics had they been available in his day, and thus it's okay to retouch a Rembrandt with acrylic paint. Sure, he was always looking for cheaper materials, but he didn't have all that much besides oil and egg tempera to work with. So, no.

Docreed2003

(16,819 posts)
2. While I understand and appreciate Lucas' motives with the various SE's
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 11:12 AM
Apr 2017

What chaps my ass, even considering some of the really bad changes...all of them highlighted in the pics of your post, is that for years he has refused to release the unaltered original theatrical releases and has gone so far as to suggest that the newest iterations of the movies are to be considered the ONLY versions of the films. I'm sorry but the SE of "A New Hope" is not what fans and registry want to preserve. They want to preserve the film as it was originally presented and honor the cultural impact that movie had, particularly its advancements in special effects for its time.

 

mythology

(9,527 posts)
3. You mean a control freak might not realize they are being a hypocritical buffoon?
Wed Apr 26, 2017, 10:18 PM
Apr 2017

Lucas is a hack who got lucky. Star Wars is massively overrated and even the original trilogy suffered from incredibly wooden characters and poor dialogue.

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