A previously-unpublished interview with Return Of The Jedi director Richard Marquand…
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release ofReturn Of The Jedi.
I recently unearthed some forgottenReturn Of The Jedilore myself when I packed my things for my upcoming move.
I was a great admirer of George Lucas work.
I really lovedAmerican GraffitiandStar Wars.
Secondly, I am a tremendousStar Warsfan; I know the story means an enormous love to me.
I love the characters.
So, obviously, youre scared, but fear is a very necessary part of what you do.
It was a great feeling.
What was your special contribution to theStar Warssaga?
What did you put intoReturn Of The Jedithat wasnt in the other two movies?
Those people grew up.
So when they sawThe Empire Strikes Back, they were a little bit more mature.
By the time I came along to directReturn Of The Jedi, they were 18.
Thats how I recognised you guys when I saw you standing in the lobby out there.
I know who you are.
I know the look.
I know these are my people.
So, therefore, I was very acute[ly aware] of this.
I have a son whos about your age and part of theStar Warsgeneration.
So he was my most intimate link to theStar Warssaga.
But they are also looking for true relationships and genuine emotions.
I think thats whatReturn Of The Jedihad that the others didnt have.
Im not criticising the others: they simply werent ready for it.
George was the perfect man forStar Warsbecause he understands gags.
Hes got a great story sense.
Hes got tremendous appreciation of all the little gags and jokes.
I love happy endings.
[laughs]
How did you feel about having to work with robots and masked characters?
I imagine it gets problematic when it comes to showing emotions through make-up and foam latex?
The nearest I ever got to that was working with masks in the theatre.
That was the nearest I got.
Why do you put a person in it?
If you really work at it, it does work.
Its the same thing with the robots.
You have to venture to achieve some realism.
A good example is the torture droid in that cavern where all those tortures are going on.
We invented him in London.
He gestures, and his eyes are flashing, and his mouth is moving.
Jabba the Hutt was the same thing.
Hes a huge lump that just sits there, completely dead.
Then, the guys get inside and we start going.
It starts to have some real dimension.
It is hard work.
R2-D2 was the worse.
When theres a man in it, its great.
Is it because R2-D2 doesnt speak?
There you are, trusting what youre going to do in post-production.
Post-production on R2-D2 is very important, because Ben Burtt adds all those signals and sounds.
When R2-D2 is running just on his electronics, hes a beast.
Hes the most rude and ill-behaved actor youve ever worked with in your whole life.
He would just turn around and walk out of the door.
I love him, though, because hes so good in the end.
It doesnt work if its not real.
If its tonguein-cheek, its not worth doing.
It has to be something you really believe in.
They think it is just a cartoon strip, kid stuff.
Is there a pop in of movie you prefer?
I guess Im a very romantic person.
I think the values that I hold are not necessarily intellectual values.
I dont think they would ever stand up on a political platform.
But they have something to do with trust, loyalty, and friendship that kind of thing.
I think the true expression of honest emotions is very important.
Very often, you dont quite get that in cinema.
You get the image of it.
You get the pretence of it you know, the good buddy kind of thing.
You dont get that moment when people really get to grips with each other.
The way they do in Star Wars.
What is your personal trademark?
What do you think will make people say this is a Richard Marquand film?
Ive often thought about that.
Ive been told by others what it is.
I truly dont know.
I have a very weird way of making films.
Its different with a younger generation of filmmakers now working in America.
I see movies to enjoy myself.
Im not a film buff.
I couldnt tell you who litCasablanca.
He knows everything there is to know.
I know what I dont like in films.
I know technically what makes my films different.
If you look at the threeStar Warsmovies, you might see theyre very different.
Their look and approach to action and camera work, and so forth, are very different.
I love to gain a tremendous simplicity.
I dont love flashy work.
I like to make it look like it just slid in and happened.
I work very close to the actors, which a lot of directors dont.
I heard that you were an actors director.
I think a lot of actors recognise a sympathy in me for them.
It doesnt necessarily get a good performance or movie.
A lot of actors complain about the fact that the director doesnt even speak to them.
They say it was hell, and that they dont know how the film worked.
It is just a different way of working.
I like to explain to the actors how to do it.
Which directors were you influenced by?
There are a few.
One of the reasons I like them is because I cant do their kind of work.
I like the films of Steven Spielberg very much.
Again, its partly because I know I cant do what Spielberg does.
I dont have that way of looking at life that Steve has.
So those are the directors I like because there is no way I could emulate them.
One of the great directors I admire is David Lean, who also has a tremendous simplicity.
He has a fabulous eye.
I loved his early black and white movies for their look, their passion, and their simplicity.
The camera didnt seem to be there.
Those are quite fabulous stories told by a very emotive man.
How do you think people will react to the ending ofUntil September?
I think its an interesting point for people to discuss after the movie when theyll go for a hamburger.
He did it, and I believe in him.
I did actually run out on my first wife, so its slightly biographical.
Very, very wicked, but its my life.
I only got one and its very short.
You dont get long, so…
Do you think youll ever go back to television?
One of the reasons why its great is because a lot of people watch it.
One of the reasons why its bad is because people dont really watch it.
They sit there and it requires a little more concentration.
Television thought me a lot.
But television is a problem for me.
What are your future projects?
Ive got a lot of things Im looking forward to doing.
Shes a fabulous actor who you probably know fromThe Big ChillandThe Natural.
Ive also seen her on stage.
She plays a lawyer whos given up criminal law because she finds it detestable.
Shes hired to defend a man [Bridges] whos accused of a Charles Manson key in of murder.
The whole thing is a very high-tension courtroom relationship.
After that, I have a very big science fiction movie.
It takes a very long time to figure out, though.
What kind of science fiction movie?
Its more projected into the world ofBlade RunnerandAlienthan into the fantasy world ofStar Wars.
Is it set in the far future?
I think it probably is, because the writer and I are only doing research right now.
It will take some time because we want to make it real again.
We want to have it really rooted into some form of reality.
Is it based on a book?
It is a completely original story.
How about the stage?
Do you ever consider doing some more?
Id love to go back and do some more.
Thats something you see different inReturn Of The Jedithan in the other three movies.
Its something that I brought.
Its a lot like an opera.
I like that very much.
It was sort of… operatic.
I heard you were interested in directing one of the Star Warspreludes?
One, two and three are going to be very interesting if George is ever able to start writing.
Steven [Spielberg] and I would like to.
Its a very interesting part of the saga, the early days.
The youth of Ben Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker is really important.
Its a very different world.
Technology is different, means of communication are different.
But it will take a long time, Im afraid so.
Its just a fact we will have to face.
Good things come in threes, and all good things come to an end.
Thats just one of the realities of life.
Your kids may see it.
I guess thats about it, Mister Marquand.
Its good talking about those things.
Unfortunately, we never got to see if Marquand would have been selected to direct one of theStar Warsprelude.
He died of a stroke and heart attack in 1987.
He was 49.Jagged Edgewas released in 1985.
We can only guess which of theStar Warspreludes he could have ended up directing.
It is also a shame that he never got around to doing that science fiction movie.
It would have been interesting to see his personal take on science fiction.
I would have loved to have seen that movie.
