Director-Auteurs...and the first 25 minutes of "Attack of the Clones." -- Rhinotainment

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Date Posted: 22:22:47 12/02/03 Tue
Author: Silk
Subject: Director-Auteurs...and the first 25 minutes of "Attack of the Clones."

I read a couple of books by Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride) and he goes to great pains to point out that a film isn't solely the director's effort, but a joint-effort between everybody involved - writer, producer, choreographer, whoever's responsible for music, etc.

He said the media wrongly make out that films are by (just) the director, and treat them as if they're these all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing beings who are responsible for every single detail of the film. (I've always had a problem with the writer never being credited higher).

Goldman said the first victim of this was Alfred Hitchcock. The problem then is these directors are built up so grandly, there's no creative input from anywhere else and they effectively become surrounded by yes-men.

Using the Hitchcock-example, he said this was the reason for his decline following Psycho. Hitch didn't make any good movies after that, that pretty much being the point where he was heralded as this genius. Maybe, yes, but not solely so.

Now I wonder if George Lucas - a competent director, and ordinary writer - is suffering the same syndrome.

The Phantom Menace was truly awful and belongs up there with Ewok Adventure. The best thing about it is the saber-fight at the end. The rest is all childish.

I liked Attack of the Clones, and am probably even one of the very few supporters of Hayden Christiansen, but how bad and cliched were the first 25 minutes?

Here's a breakdown of its shockingness:

~ an assassination attempt is made on Amidala...with poisonous bugs. How stupid was this? The mechanical delivery system opened the window, was in the clear, could've shot her...but deposited these millipedey-things. I haven't seen this vehicle of assassination used since the 60's.

~ overlong speeder-chase - basically your everyday car-chase. (Nothing very spectacular about it, though).

~ the assassin is caught but eliminated just before she can give up who hired her.

How terrible was this section? I thought Clones should've cut this, covered whatever needed to be covered in the scrolling prologue, gotten on with the movie, and used the extra time to flesh out the storyline.

Anyway, unless somebody begins telling Lucas what's not working, the 3rd Movie may briefly entertain, but that's about it.

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Replies:

Attack of the Clones is a dreadful movie. -- uncleboonie, 00:13:46 12/03/03 Wed
- Re: Lucas, Christiansen... -- Silk, 01:54:52 12/03/03 Wed