Ghost of a flea: Irvin Kershner RIP

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November 30, 2010

Irvin Kershner RIP

Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back, best of the Star Wars franchise, has died at 87. An excellent run.

Kershner said he had only one sharp disagreement with Lucas.

The script originally called for the heroine, Princess Leah, to tell Harrison Ford’s character Han Solo ‘I love you’ and for him to reply ‘I love you, too.’

Kershner said: ‘I shot the line and it just didn't seem right for the character of Han Solo.’

George Lucas died in 1985, all too young at 41. But stories like this suggest it is just as well his threat to direct the second trilogy never materialized; Lucas did not understand the gravity of his own creation. Wiser by far to have left Empire and Return of the Jedi in the hands of Kershner and Richard Marquand.

The Lucas estate has continued the franchise tradition of turning over each new installment of the series to a fresh pair of eyes. A new generation, and their fan-boy fathers, have thrilled to the Star Wars prequels: Ridley Scott's dark, stylish '40s retro The Phantom Menace and James Cameron's tech noir military sf Attack of the Clones.

Expectations are high for the last of the second trilogy rumoured to show a gut wrenching transformation of Anakin Skywalker into the man-machine Darth Vader in all its horror and pathos. The crowning achievement of Lucas' original vision may be the eagerly awaited Revenge of the Sith directed by David Cronenberg.

Related: The Empire Strikes Back (1950).

Posted by Ghost of a flea at November 30, 2010 05:55 AM

Comments

Well, we no longer have to speculate as to what type of alternate universe you intend to create should a time machine be invented!

Posted by: dpatten at November 30, 2010 01:48 PM

Dear Ghost,
According to Wikipedia George Lucas is still alive. I have read your piece several times but it still says he died in 1985. Is it me?
I am not a Star Wars geek.

Posted by: Ralph Pattison at December 1, 2010 08:38 PM

Evidently. ;-)

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at December 1, 2010 08:48 PM

I SOOOOOOOOO wish it were that alt un. Only Sith was partially watchable of the prequels, and that's because I have a soft spot for fall of hero and redemption stories.

Posted by: ry at December 2, 2010 01:29 AM