George Lucas got candid about criticism of the first six “Star Wars” films during a conversation at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.
When speaking about the success of the franchise ahead of receiving the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or, Lucas reflected on some of the negative comments he’s received over the years.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men,’” Lucas said of the films’ critics. “Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
Lucas went on to say that the only beings in the “Star Wars” universe who were discriminated against were the robots.
“That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,” he said. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.’”
As for the issue of race, Lucas said, “In the first one, there were a few Tunisians who were dark, and in the second one I had Billy Williams, and the [prequels], which they were also criticizing, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top jedi.”
Lucas also responded to criticism about the depiction of women in the “Star Wars” films, saying: “Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was? She’s the head of the rebellion. She’s the one that’s taking this young kid who doesn’t know anything and this boisterous, I-know-everything guy who can’t do anything and trying to save the rebellion with these clowns … And it’s the same thing with Queen Amidala.”
He continued, “You can’t just put a woman in pants and expect her to be a hero. They can wear dresses, they can wear whatever they want. It’s their brains and their ability to think and plan and be logistical. That’s what the hero is.”
Lucas is on hand at Cannes to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, which will be presented to him at the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday. He is the visionary behind the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises and the founder of Lucasfilm, video game branch LucasArts, VFX company Industrial Light and Magic and high-quality audio design system THX.
“The Festival de Cannes has always held a special place in my heart,” Lucas said in a statement when the honorary Palme was announced. “I was surprised and elated when my first film, ‘THX-1138,’ was selected to be shown in a new program for first time directors called the Directors’ Fortnight. Since then, I have returned to the festival on many occasions in a variety of capacities as a writer, director and producer. I am truly honored by this special recognition which means a great deal to me.”
The most recent “Indiana Jones” installment, “The Dial of Destiny,” premiered at Cannes last year, but Lucas did not attend the festival, making his appearance at the 77th edition even more special. Lucas joins a number of auteurs on the Croisette this year, including Francis Ford Coppola, who premiered his sci-fi drama “Megalopolis,” and Paul Schrader, who brought his Vietnam drama “Oh, Canada” to the fest.
Source Agencies
