George Lucas responds to criticism about diversity in ‘Star Wars’
During an appearance at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Star Wars creator George Lucas responded to criticism surrounding racial diversity and the depiction of women in the sci-fi series.
Ahead of the festival’s closing ceremony, where Lucas received an honorary Palme d’Or presented to him by Francis Ford Coppola, the sci-fi director addressed claims that the films featured “all white men.”
“Most of the people are aliens!” he responded, via Variety, “The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
He went on to suggest that the treatment of robots in the series mirrors humans’ constant tendency to discriminate, before making a strange comparison to our growing mistrust of artificial intelligence. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI,” he said, “saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust these robots.'”
Lucas directed the original series in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which starred Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as its main trio. He later helmed a prequel series in the late 1990s and early 2000s starring Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. Both casts were primarily made up of white actors.
The Star Wars creator cited several actors of colour who starred in the films during his response, including Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian in the original trilogy, and Samuel L. Jackson, who played Mace Windu in the prequels. “He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando,” he said of the latter, “He was one of the top jedi.”
In the sequel trilogy, which was directed by J. J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, diversity was markedly improved with John Boyega and Oscar Isaac taking on leading roles as Finn and Poe respectively. The modern entries into the series also revamped the series’ presentation of women, with Daisy Ridley taking on the role of the rebellious Rey while Princess Leia became a general.
Lucas discussed the depiction of women in the series, citing Princess Leia as the “head of the rebellion,” leading the men. He also suggested that Portman’s Padmé Amidala takes on a similar role.
“You can’t just put a woman in pants and expect her to be a hero,” he commented, “They can wear dresses, they can wear whatever they want. It’s their brains and their ability to think and plan and be logistical. That’s what the hero is.”
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