Saturday, November 6, 2010

STUCK UP, HALF-WITTED, SCRUFFY LOOKING NERF HERDER:  Vanity Fair has fantastic behind the scenes photos and interviews with everyone's favorite bounty hunter ("I’m tempted to try and learn Mandalorian, so I can come back with a really classic answer, when needed. It’s not going very well at the moment."), director Irvin Kershner and author J.W. Rinzler regarding the making of Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back thirty years ago.  Below the fold, Kershner explains a beloved improvised line:

There was really only one disagreement [with George Lucas]. It was the Carbon Freeze scene when Princess Leia says, “I love you.” Han Solo’s response in the script was, “I love you, too.” I shot the line and it just didn’t seem right for the character of Han Solo. So we worked on the scene on the set. We kept trying different things and couldn’t get the right line. We were into the lunch break and I said to Harrison try it again and just do whatever comes to mind. That is when Harrison said the line, “I know.” After the take, I said to my assistant director, David Tomblin, “It’s a wrap.” David looked at me in disbelief and said something like, “Hold on, we just went to overtime. You’re not happy with that, are you?” And I said, yes, it’s the perfect Han Solo remark, and so we went to lunch. George saw the first cut and said, “Wait a minute, wait a minute. That’s not the line in the script.” I said ““I love you, too’ was not Han Solo.” Han Solo was a rebel. George felt that the audience would laugh. And I said, that’s wonderful, he is probably going to his death for all they know. We sat in the room and he thought about it. He then asked me, “Did you shoot the line in the script?” I said yes. So we agreed that we would do two preview screenings once the film was cut and set to music with the line in and then with the line out. At the first preview in San Francisco, the house broke up after Han Solo said I know. When the film was over, people came up and said that is the most wonderful line and it worked. So George decided not to have the second screening.

5 comments:

  1. Joseph J. Finn4:06 PM

    See, George?  Listen to constructive criticism and trust people.  Also, don't try to write romantic dialogue (see example #1: Attack of the Clones).

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  2. The Pathetic Earthling4:38 PM

    What, "Hold me like you did on Naboo" isn't romantic?

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  3. Joseph J. Finn5:02 PM

    *shudder*

    Over Naboo?

    No, I don't think I'll ever be over Naboo.

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  4. J. Bowman12:06 AM

    Who's scruffy-lookin'?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Genevieve10:01 AM

    I believe it's "Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo."  Shudder indeed.

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