George Lucas has Potential to Shock according to Francis Ford Coppola
If you have seen Star Wars creator George Lucas' earlier work, then you know the guy was a very creative and imaginative man who really had a talent for story telling, characters and direction. Just look at 'THX1138', 'American Graffiti', and the first 'Star Wars' film. All of them showed a director who was on his way up to becoming one of the great filmmakers. Then I don't know what happened. He should have been doing so much more other than Star Wars. He always talked about going back to his roots and doing these independent experimental films. I'm not sure why in the hell he hasn't done that. It's sad to see this guy waste a talent that deep down, we know he has.
Francis Ford Coppola also believes that Lucas still has this creative fire within him. George Lucas was Coppola's assistant in the 1970's and he produced 'American Graffiti' for him as well. In speaking about Lucas and his other contemporaries like Spielberg with MTV, Coppola says:
"Well I think that all my contemporaries and certainly George and Steven are like younger brothers... all were stimulated by film in the same era more or less, the great films of the Japanese, the French, the Italians, and the Sweds. The International and the english. Film was so magical that all of us were given the desire to make films from that, not only the great Hollywood films."
He then goes on top talk about how filmmakers like Lucas may have gotten stuck in a rut.
"It's hard to understand how people get as they get a little older and more set in their life. You know there is also when your so centered in the film business, there is kind of a brainwashing that goes on where you really think there is only one kind of film, and that has to be the type of film that certainly makes money and has a popular audience. It's wonderful to make films that just millions of people come and see. The other way making a film no one comes to see. It is like making a beautiful dinner and everyone comes and says oh this is terrible, we don't like this food, we're never gonna come back here and eat your dinner again. Nobody would like that.I know that some of the people we spoke of are going to make beautiful personal films. I wouldn't be shocked at all if anyone of them comes up with a film that just everyone is so knocked over by, because it's new and it's fresh, and it comes from a part of them that is really exciting"
Now here it is, this is where he gives Lucas a huge vote of confidence.
"The one that probably has the most potential to shock is, I think George Lucas because I knew him as an experimental filmmaker."
I have to say I agree with him. If George Lucas ever decides to come out of his shell and do something new and original that is not 'Star Wars', I have a feeling it will blow people away. The guy just needs to let go and get crazy again.
What do you think about it?