As weird as it sounds, just consider that Orson Welles was one of the biggest supporters of independent film-making in its conception. One of the ways that he was able to fund this was through a policy of taking small roles in independent films of up and coming directors. For proof of this consider that he was a personal friend to directors Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola and John Huston, who all would have known the director George Lucas in 1978 and his plan to direct a "small" science-fiction project called Star Wars for Twentieth Century Fox Studios. What effect does this have on pop culture? The popularity of the franchise? The science-fiction genere?
Orson Welles as Obi Wan-Kenobi
- Thread starter Mr_ Bondoc
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I'll admit we've had John Wayne as Genghiz Khan, Clark Gable as Parnell, and Errol Flynn as Soames Forsyte, but there are limits. To finish off Welles's Obi Wan all Darth Vader would have had to do would have been to walk round him (a lengthy process) and then strike at his back while he was still struggling to turn round. Wasn't Welles cast as Baron Harkonnen in the Jodrowsky DUNE which never got off the ground?
Flocculencio & Prunesquallor- Well, it might not mean much but, in OTL, Orson Welles did play the dreaded "Uncron" the planet-eating cybernetic creature in Transformers: The Movie , but all kidding aside... after seeing the movie Touch of Evil , even at his worst health, Orson Welles was an imposing figure who knew how to use his weight. Consider him as if he were an older samurai. As for athletic prowess consider the moves of Sammo Hung (Marshal Law , Eastern Condors ) who despite the advance of age and girth is considered one of the best martial artists.
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Mr_ Bondoc said:
Yeah but consider that Obi-Wan was supposed to have been living as a hermit in the desert. Mr. Welles just didn't have the proper windblown skinny look that Alec Guiness did.
Jabba the Hut.
Seriously, since (as we discovered in Empire, Return and the awful prequels) full-blown Jedi Knights can levitate objects, throw lightning bolts, and do all other "jedi mind tricks" it might have been interesting if all of the elder teachers like Obi-Wan were imagined as huge, sedentary, fat people imparting their knowledge to their young fit apprenticies - young and fit because they still needed to use their physical skills before their mind skills were perfected. In such a context Orson Welles would have been just fine.
Seriously, since (as we discovered in Empire, Return and the awful prequels) full-blown Jedi Knights can levitate objects, throw lightning bolts, and do all other "jedi mind tricks" it might have been interesting if all of the elder teachers like Obi-Wan were imagined as huge, sedentary, fat people imparting their knowledge to their young fit apprenticies - young and fit because they still needed to use their physical skills before their mind skills were perfected. In such a context Orson Welles would have been just fine.
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zoomar said:
That would make for rather interesting prequel battles. You'd have the young Jedi charging in with lightsabres while the Jedi masters hurled all sorts of "spells" across the battlefield.
Whoa!! Fat sedentary Jedi masters? That would certainly make things very interesting for the prequels. Also, it would make the casting of the Emperor Palpatine very different. As such, does this mean that someone like James Gandolfino (see The Sopranos ) or Marlon Brando (see The Godfather ) may star as the "Emperor Palpatine" or even "Senator Palpatine"? Also what does this mean for the character of Yoda?
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Mr_ Bondoc said:
"Today is the wedding of my Sith Apprentice. On this day you may ask me one favour and I shall not refuse."
Actually, I don't suppose the idea is original but I've just been watching Kurosawa's REDBEARD and Toshiro Mifune would have made a marvellous Obi Wan.
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Flocculencio- Well another scary thought...using the Scorsese/Coppola lens of Marlon Brando as Emperor Palpatine, you could also have Joe Pesci or Ray Liotta as the young Anakin Skywalker (see Goodfellas or Casino ) for further reference. You can almost hear Ray Liotta narrating the film,"I've always wanted to be a Jedi..."
Prunsquallor- I also think another model for this ATL could be the film Ran by Akira Kurosawa, which George Lucas served as a producer for. The elements of King Lear could add to teh tragedy of the fall of the Republic Hedi Council.....
Prunsquallor- I also think another model for this ATL could be the film Ran by Akira Kurosawa, which George Lucas served as a producer for. The elements of King Lear could add to teh tragedy of the fall of the Republic Hedi Council.....