Star Wars fans definitely have their share of opinions about the films (and the ongoing TV shows, for that matter). One could make an argument regarding why the prequels are better than the sequels or why the series should move away from the trilogies going forward. Of course, considering those points and more, not everyone is going to agree on every point. With that, filmmaker Christopher Nolan, one of the many who appreciates George Lucas' sci-fi saga, revealed that he disagrees with something fans typically say about the franchise.
Those who've enjoyed the Star Wars movies (which we've ranked) know that they offer plenty of entertainment from a narrative standpoint. The space opera epic has some great characters and puts them at the center of some compelling stories. I mean who could forgot Darth Vader’s memorable Empire Strikes Back twist, which established his familial connection to Luke Skywalker. However, Christopher Nolan told The Telegraph he disagrees with the idea that the stories have contributed more to the IP's success than its visual effects:
People will tell you that the success of Star Wars had nothing to do with its visual effects, and it was all down to its great story, but, I mean, clearly that’s not the case. It is indeed a great story, but it’s also an incredible visual and aural experience. So this willful denial of what movies actually are has set in.
Star Wars Movies In Order: Watching By Release Date And Chronologically
It's true that the effects have always been on the cutting edge of moviemaking tech. When 1977's Star Wars (later subtitled A New Hope) released, its brand of effects was a novelty. And by the time the prequels released from the late '90s to early '00s, the technology became more sophisticated. That also rang true for the sequel trilogy, which utilized a combination of visual and practical effects like the ones seen in The Last Jedi. These filmmaking methods helped make the franchise's installments the dazzling spectacles that they are, and they've delighted audiences for years. So their importance admittedly shouldn't be undervalued.
I would personally say that a film’s story and visuals both play key roles in a movie's success. Christopher Nolan's not scoffing at the former, of course, but he seems to give a lot of credit to the latter. And that's honestly understandable. According to The Telegraph, Nolan first saw Star Wars when he was visiting his grandmother in Ohio months before its UK release. And when he went back to school, he couldn’t stop talking about the sci-fi movie. What some may not know about Nolan is that he was greatly influenced by the George Lucas-helmed movie. He even made stop-motion flicks based on the franchise.
The Dark Knight director has never been one to hide his opinions regarding what makes great cinema. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he pushed for Congress to save movie theaters from collapse, as he believes them to be important for moviegoers and the entertainment industry in general. The British/American filmmaker went on to reveal what he thinks makes cinema important:
Whether for budgetary reasons or reasons of control, studios now look at a screenplay as a series of events and say ‘this is the essence of what the film is.’ That’s completely at odds with how cinema developed, right from the Lumière brothers’ train pulling into the station, as a pure audiovisual experience. But it’s a very popular fallacy—sometimes with critics as well, quite frankly—that all that matters is the scale of the story being told.
Since Christopher Nolan has strong views on the Star Wars franchise, you may be wondering if he’ll ever helm a project set in the galaxy far, far away. He played coy on the matter while chatting with French media Hugo Décrypte. But I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility and, if it did happen, I would expect the film to have impeccable visual effects.
You can see the director's latest flick, Oppenheimer, which opens on July 21 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases. You can also revisit the Star Wars movies using a Disney+ subscription.
