Review by Frank Plowright
George Lucas has always had a prodigious imagination, one capable of creating multiple worlds and societies and figuring out how they interact. However, the sustained global success of his Star Wars franchise was surely beyond even his wildest dreams in the early 1970s.
Laurent Hopman and Renaud Roche begin their biography with Lucas aged thirty in 1975 when the first film is in production. He’s sunk all the money made from American Graffiti into Star Wars, and it’s not enough. More effects are needed and there’s no distributor on board. He has a heart attack, and as is rapidly shown, it’s not his first life-threatening experience. Having almost died due to reckless driving, the younger Lucas decides his life needs focus and enrols in film school.
His childhood is shown as rebellious and unconventional, with no great aptitude for school learning, but he’s a problem solver along with being an introspective dreamer. He excels at film school, wins a prize with his first film and meets people who’ll influence his life, art and career.
Hopman and Roche prioritise clarity in telling both Lucas’ story and the gradual coalescing of Star Wars from first mention to global success. This doesn’t exclude imagination, though, and Roche has startling visual reference to draw on and separate scenes of Lucas slaving over his project. Occasionally, such as with Lucas first hearing the orchestral score from John Williams, Roche can display his own imagination. The sample art shows how Lucas first envisaged Star Wars, and subsequent refinements supplied also have the kernel of what the film became, but remain very different.
The visual presentation is key, as it’s the unique selling point. Devoted Star Wars fans surely know that Luke Skywalker was Luke Starkiller through several early script drafts, but they’ve not seen a version of the agonising Lucas went through. However, Lucas Wars isn’t just a book aimed at Star Wars fans. It’s a credible biography with the title reflecting the pain and constant opposition to the project, and the technological advances required for the filming. We’re also shown Lucas is capable of applying his own roadblocks.
An anecdotal style prevails, with Hopman supplying on-set encounters and Roche ensuring they have the necessary antagonism or camaraderie. Of course, Lucas’ eventual victory is well known. Without it there wouldn’t be this graphic novel for a start, but that doesn’t make the story of getting there any less fascinating. Conniving and manipulative studio bosses for once get what’s coming to them and there’s an absolutely brilliant ending showing the results of a decision made halfway through.
Well researched and cheerfully presented, Lucas Wars will captivate and entertain.
