If we say Chewbacca, Padme or even Palpatine, does it mean anything to you? If you are a fan of Star Wars, the answer is obvious. If not, don’t leave! Because even if you are not a great connoisseur of the saga, this comic might also interest you.
“Lucas Wars” is not just a Star Wars book
Published by Deman at the beginning of October, the comic Luca Guerrewritten by Laurent Hopman and illustrated by Renaud Roche, it traces the history of the creation of Star Wars. Faithful to the historical reality of the facts, richly documented, the work returns through the birth of the saga on the tumultuous journey of its creator, George Lucas.
And it is a real gold mine: beyond the biographical aspect, we discover the behind the scenes of an enterprise that should never have seen the light, nor the birth of a small group of initially little-known friends, the most of whom later became true barons of American cinema, such as Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola.
Star Wars is above all a story of failure, and this gives hope
Star Wars should never have seen the light of day
Today an undisputed masterpiece of the seventh art, Star Wars it was never actually obvious. Before seeing the light in its broadcast form in 1977 in the United States, the film, written and directed by George Lucas, had to be rewritten a large number of times. So much so that 20th Century Fox, involved in the production of the project, has threatened several times to stop everything. And for good reason, we learn that writing a screenplay wasn’t the saga creator’s strong suit (which proves that, even with flaws, we can create truly fantastic works!).
Furthermore, at the time of its release, the film had only been shown in around thirty theaters across the country, with little chance of gaining public support. We understand that that’s obviously not what happened…
Film wasn’t an obvious choice for George Lucas (he almost died before getting there!)
We always imagine prodigies modeled on a typical profile, that of Mozart, who composed his first symphony at the age of eight. And fortunately all this is just a cliché and a false belief. It is not necessarily necessary to start “early” or have an innate talent to be able to realize your projects.
The case of George Lucas is the perfect example of this: as a child Lucas had no aptitude for school. Besides, he doesn’t like him. As a teenager he preferred to spend his days speeding around in the car his father gave him rather than imagining a future. At the age of 17 he risked death in a car accident which was the starting point for his awareness. Then he enrolled in film school and… you know the rest. Well almost. He will go from failure to failure, punctuated however by great successes, until the creation, at the age of 33, of Star Warswhich was a project he had in mind for a long time.
Beyond the Star Wars saga, the history of cinema as a backdrop
One of the great qualities of this comic is that it is not just a biography nor a complete account of the creation of the saga. It also paints a captivating picture of an era and a small group of young people who would become big names in cinema. Nothing surprising, therefore, to come across in these pages, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola without obviously counting the actors of the saga, Harrison Ford or even Carrie Fisher, but also the beginner (at the time) John Travolta.
Luca Guerre it shows us these personalities at a time in their lives when they have not yet been successful. Ironic, then, to meet Harrison Ford as a carpenter, which was his very first profession. Or to note the solidarity that could exist between these different figures who supported each other in their respective projects from the beginning.
In “The Wars of Lucas,” the place of women is questioned (but on the margins)
Marcia Lucas, an important place behind Star Wars
Another quality of this work lies in the fact that the important female personalities behind the great history of Star Wars they are widely represented there. And let’s not talk about actresses (however few they are).
The spotlight is focused in particular on Marcia Lucas, George Lucas’ first wife, who played an important role in the creation of the saga. She also turns out to be one of the most critical people in the designer’s entourage. By systematically pointing out the “flaws” of the script, the one who has been an editor of essential films on the big screen also knows how to push and reformulate her husband when she needs it.
And as we can see in the comic, without his contribution, Star Wars it would probably never see the light of day.
Behind the cameras, sexism and sexual violence
But we also discover (and this is ultimately not very surprising) that the film is set Star Wars it was also the site of sexist and sexual violence, including the close-quarters assault of Carrie Fisher by a group of drunken men, before Harrison Ford came to her aid… And became her lover for a long time.
In short, whether we like Star Wars or not, Luca Guerre it’s truly an album for everyone, in which we learn many things and which allows, in the worst case scenario, to shine in society. Special mention for a nice Christmas gift.
The wars of Lucas, Renaud Roche and Laurent Hopman, Deman Éditions, €24.90
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
