Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

Revenge Could Have Been Sweeter

Scifi.com's editor weighs in:

Does it make sense to feel sad for the creator of a film that has already earned $303 million worldwide in its first four days? Some would think not. But as someone who winced whenever the lightsabers stopped glowing and the dialogue began, who felt battered by the schizophrenic nature of a film that mixed visual magic with verbal groaners, I knew that Sith could have been so much more. editorial2.jpg

Which is why I felt sad for Lucas. If I were him, I would not want to read that Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times that "To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion. The dialogue throughout the movie is once again its weakest point: The characters talk in what sounds like Basic English, without color, wit or verbal delight, as if they were channeling Berlitz."

Or that A. O. Scott wrote in The New York Times that "Mr. Lucas's indifference to two fairly important aspects of moviemaking—acting and writing—is remarkable. ... Mr. Lucas, who wrote the script (reportedly with the uncredited assistance of Tom Stoppard), is not one to imply a theme if he can stuff it into a character's mouth."

Or that David Ansen wrote in Newsweek that "We also have to put up with the usual Lucas liabilities: graceless dialogue, wooden acting, overcluttered compositions and undercooked characters, and an utter inability to stage a convincing love scene."

Those zingers have got to hurt, no matter how loudly you're laughing on the way to the bank. It has come to be an accepted fact that even as Lucas' visual effects and action scenes push the envelope, his dialogue shouldn't even be in the envelope. I've heard Lucas shrugging off this critical response, and he's done it well, but I still believe that no one would want that said about him, no matter how successful his films.

Posted by Ithildin at May 23, 2005 6:01 PM | PROCURE FINE OLD WORLD ABSINTHE