George Lucas: The Forgotten Auteur Part II

In the first portion of this retrospective on the films of George Lucas, I wrote about how, in terms of the auteurs (filmmakers who put a lot of their personalities, philosophies, and personal interests into their work to the extent that they are considered the primary author of the film), Lucas is not considered in as high regard as his Hollywood peers like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, or Steven Spielberg. In this entry of my retrospective on Lucas and his films, I will write about how much of Lucas’ essence is put into his films, such as influences from his divorce making it into the story for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and political views littered throughout the Star Wars franchise.

George Lucas met Marcia Griffin in 1967, and by 1969, the two were married. During their marriage, Marica worked as an editor alongside Verna Fields on American Graffiti (1973), edited Taxi Driver (1976) by herself, and then went on to completely edit the Death Star trench sequence for Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977). Even so, as Star Wars (1977) became a monstrous hit, Lucas’ involvement in future projects put a heavy strain on his marriage. Eventually, in 1982, during the production of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), the two separated, and upon the film’s release, the divorce was finalized. 

During their separation and divorce, Lucas wrote the story for the second Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which American Graffiti screenwriters Willard Hyuck and Gloria Katz then put into script form. The film follows an earlier adventure of the titular hero in a darker chapter, following Lucas’ philosophy from Star Wars Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1981)—that the middle chapter of a trilogy should be darker than the first; But whereas a film like The Empire Strikes Back has a darker general feeling and themes for its characters to deal with, Temple of Doom is darker, to be sure, but also distinctly angry, and for Lucas, a lamentation on and catharsis for his divorce.

For Lucas, the request from Marcia for a divorce was a surprise to him. He felt caught off guard due to his all-consuming work ethic, and in terms of Temple of Doom (1984), it was as if his heart had been torn out of his chest, which the sacrifice scene from the film may be an allusion to. In addition to this, Indiana Jones is possessed by dark cultists in the film and, while under their influence, is a more neglectful and abusive person towards his allies, Willie Scott and Short Round. While I do not believe the physical abuse in the film is a direct comparison, I do think that the possession and negative treatment can be an allegory for how Lucas’ life was taken over by his work and led to the deterioration of his marriage. Finally, Indiana Jones is freed from his possession by Short Round, which could be about how Lucas’ love for his adopted daughter Amanda, whom he shared custody of in the divorce, brought him out of his obsessed workaholic state. In addition, Indiana Jones’ goal of freeing the enslaved children in the film may be an admission from the man himself that Lucas needed to focus on raising his children more.

One of George Lucas’ most consistent elements in his filmography was his views on politics and the world at large. Star Wars, a film at one point in early development, was considered by Lucas to be a commentary on the Vietnam War set in space because of the smaller band of rebels—the Viet Cong—taking on the massive military might of the Empire—the United States. In Return of the Jedi, Lucas further develops this idea with the Ewoks, a less-developed and seemingly weaker military force defeating the Empire. 

Lucas’ biggest stab at political commentary, however, was in his much-maligned prequel trilogy of Star Wars films, specifically Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999). When Lucas first started a draft of The Phantom Menace in November of 1994, eight days into the writing process, the Republican party gained a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time in forty years. In response to this, as the drafts evolved, Lucas inserted the infamous trade disputes into the film’s plot, and political figures of the era directly influenced some prominent characters. Nute Gunray, the “viceroy,” or ruler, of the sinister trade federation, was inspired by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (note the pronunciation of the first names) and, to a lesser extent, 40th President Ronald Reagan (reverse the syllables in Gunray, as in “ray-gun” similar to “Rea-Gan”). The Trade Federation’s Galactic Senate Representative, Lott Dodd, is based on GOP Senate majority leader Trent Lott. Finally, Chancellor Vallorum, the Senate Chancellor—soon-to-be succeeded by Emperor Palpatine—was inspired by President Bill Clinton. Terence Stamp, who portrayed Valorum, recounted in a 1999 interview with fan magazine Star Wars Insider a conversation with Lucas about Vallorum's character in which Lucas described him as “...a good man but he's beleaguered—a bit like [Bill] Clinton.”

I’m afraid that this originally intended two-parter will become a trilogy, as next time, I will dive into Lucas’ biggest connecting thread throughout almost every film he has been involved in, and even some of his decisions outside of the creative landscape of film: the desire to escape.

Thumbnail Photo of George Lucas courtesy of Wikimedia Commons