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Summary
George Lucas has launched a peppy defense of multifariousness in theStar Warsoriginal trilogy and subsequence . The national of diversity has always been a barbed one for Star Wars , with vivid argument in the fandom over the degree of representation . Some argue the principal wedge are all white males , while others show to the fact Leia Organa is no mere damoiselle in distress , and Lucas ' introduction of Billy Dee Williams ' Lando Calrissian inThe Empire Strikes Back .
PerVariety , George Lucas himself talk honestly about the issue at the Cannes Film Festival . In his view , the military issue are enlarged . " They would say , ‘ It ’s all white men , ' " he complained , before vent .
" Most of the people are aliens ! The idea is you ’re think to accept people for what they are , whether they ’re large and furry or whether they ’re green or whatever . The idea is all people are adequate … 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 was n’t a villain like Lando . He was one of the top Jedi . "
Lucas extend , speaking about Star Wars ' enactment of charwoman and insisting criticism is n’t just there either .
" Who do you call up the hero are in these storey ? What do you think Princess Leia was ? She ’s the school principal of the revolt . She ’s the one that ’s taking this young kid who does n’t experience anything and this knockabout , I - jazz - everything guy who ca n’t do anything and attempt to hold reach the rebellion with these clowns … And it ’s the same thing with Queen Amidala . You ca n’t just put a cleaning lady in pants and expect her to be a hero . They can wear off dresses , they can wear whatever they desire . It ’s their wit and their ability to consider and plan and be logistic . That ’s what the hero is . "
Women have long since played a vital role in play the galaxy far , far to life history . It ’s about time that one of them directed a Star Wars movie .
Does George Lucas Have A Point?
Star Warsdid not have particularly progressive casting for the meter , so the enfranchisement was hardly cut edge in that deference . But Lucas is right to point to two primal aspects ; the characterization of Princess Leia , and the decision to cast Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian . Leia was an strange name , famously accept control of her own delivery and afterward choking Jabba the Hutt with the chains of his own patriarchy(in Carrie Fisher ’s unforgettable rendering ) . Williams , meanwhile , was a trailblazer - especially deal one argument that ’s been for the most part forgotten in history .
Speaking toThe Guardianthree month ago , Williams recall that Lucas was ab initio to a great extent criticize for Darth Vader - a towering figure dressed in black . As Williams notice , this was n’t fair critique , because Lucas was seek to play on the old cowpoke dynamic ; the guy in the ashen hat versus the guy rope in the smutty hat . This gives a common sense of the form of treatment Lucas notice himself part of back in the 1970s and 1980s , and he intelligibly tried to rectify matters with the role of Lando .
At the same time , though , a handful of shed decisions does n’t really make for true diversity . point to a few Tunisians in the desktop , and the one Jedi Master of color in the prequels , is n’t really all that great . The foreign characters Lucas cite were often modest use . Behind the cameras , even now , there still has n’t been a exclusive female director of aStar Warsmovie;Sharmeen Obaid - Chinoywill blaze that finical trail forStar Warswith her " New Jedi Order " picture . There ’s still a long mode to go .
What is delicious , though , is to see the spirit of Lucas ' argument . He imagined a galaxy where all people were adequate ; it ’s order that the Imperials were all human , while the Rebel Alliance leading include many aliens , underscore the spot . Now , in the twenty-first hundred , Star Warsis embracing diversity a little more than it did under Lucas - although it still has a long way to go .
seed : form
