The Beautiful Images of George Lucas’ Star Wars Prequel Trilogy: From the Phantom Menace to Revenge of the Sith

art analysis

Jul 4

**READ ALSO:** **Ranking the Star Wars Films**

In 1999, the radical expansion of the Internet allowed a group of “interesting” personalities to voice their opposition regarding the most hyped film of all time, George Lucas’ “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”. Although he received an enthusiastic response from casual moviegoers (and most critics) due to its dazzling effects and designs, this tiny minority became the de facto opinion for the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy and its “quality”. Anyone outside this possie who would declare the slightest amount of love or admiration was labelled a “moron”, an “idiot” and “someone who appreciates the destruction of cinema”.

Lucas, his storytelling ideas and certain actors (e.g., Hayden Christensen, Ahmed Best) were viciously attacked leading George to ultimately surrender his baby to Disney and we all know how this decision turned out. This relentless and persistent mockery towards Lucas was essential the beginning of cyber-bullying filmmakers to cave into the demands of a small number of people who for some reason felt betrayed, a trend continuing to this day. Yet, for all the passion they claim they have about “Star Wars”, they certainly did not seem to grasp or understand Lucas’ technological and epic ambition used to create previously unseen visuals which not only do justice for a galaxy far, far away but further cement it under slick style (production designer Gavin Bocquet), jaw dropping action scenes and stunning cinematography (DoP David Tattersall) bridging (for the most part) successfully a thirty year old gap between old and new.

Mark Rothko’s “**Orange and Tan**” (1954)

Skywalker’s saga was told the way George wanted to do so, unaffected by Hollywood executives, idiotic and dominant DEI initiatives or fandom theories. Whether you like it or not, matters not; it is still an original product of an original voice bucked by a generous budget that maximized his capability to craft his own universe without external influence sorely relying on his excitement, personal experiences and political beliefs to tell a story. It is impossible to dislike retrospectively Lucas’ directional style which owes a lot to David Lean (e.g., “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)) showcasing just how expansive and unique his “Star Wars” can be. Far from a copout and removed from recycled ideas and tropes, Lucas really goes visually bananas utilizing any kit he can find (i.e., installations, CGI, pre-vis, live action, comp, models) at 110% capacity to pay optical homages to several films and artists: from the gorgeous Romanesque palaces of Naboo to metropolitan city planets, gladiatorial arenas, surgically looking and sterile environments and lava covered landscapes fueling industrialization, these are tributes ranging from John Martin’s “Pandemonium” (1841) to the works of Mark Rothko and the styles of 50s futuristic aesthetic and art nouveau. George’s ambition is matched by his desire to deliver a space opera that resembles old school epics filled with masterful art including fascinating visually individuals inspired by a variety of cultures (e.g., Geishas, African tribal culture, Zen monks).

Famed art professor Camile Paglia mentioned in her book “Glittering Images” (2012) that “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” (2005) has “more inherent artistic value, emotional power, and global impact than the work of some contemporary artists”. Comparing anything from the prequel trilogy to the more recent corpo-Disney products, one can view the six film saga as someone’s personal investment on a newly founded mythos populated by its own rules maintaining its visual and thematic appeal thirty years later. Despite the critical disappointment, time has been kind to Lucas; the general public and art critics have been embracing the scope and scale of the prequels re-evaluating the gigantic effort made to bring to life Anakin’s downfall through superb world building and intoxicating designs which do not tie this trilogy to any cinematic era. It is only appropriate to list the most beautiful shots from each film to remind ourselves their beauty and Lucas’ virtosity. Enjoy!

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)