George Lucas out of love

George Lucas is fed up with big budget movies following the reaction of studios to his new all-black cast war movie Red Tails and, according to him, fans telling him that he's a bad, bad person for making changes to the STAR WARS films that made his name and his fortune.

Well George, if you don't like people moaning about you changing the movies then dont' change them. I am sure my rocket science degree is in the post after working that one out.

It does raise an issue that we think deserves to be revisited and that is the relationship between author and audience.

When a work of art of any kind is released into the public arena it can be embraced in a way that becomes part of our popular culture. This creates a sort of contract between author and audience. The work of art becomes, in a way, the property of the audience as well as the person or people who created it. The audience rewards the author with money and enjoys the art. If the author then goes and alters the piece of art that was so enjoyed by the audience, that the audience invested in, then they break that trust. That's when the backlash starts.

STAR WARS is George Lucas's creation and he can do with it as he will, but it also belongs to the audience, especially the kids, so don't be surprised when messing about with it ticks people off.

Anyway, rant over.