This Star Wars Making of Documentary Is One of Lucasfilm’s Best Movies

You read the title correctly – The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace really is one of Lucasfilm’s best movies. How is it that, in a filmography that includes the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, a “making of” documentary ranks among the best titles put out by the legendary studio? Even more shocking is that it’s available to watch for free on the official Star Wars YouTube channel; why Lucasfilm had no problem releasing a documentary that chronicles the making of one of the more hated films in the Star Wars franchise is beyond anyone’s guess, but it certainly was brave of them to do so.

While Episode I is hardly regarded as a classic today (though many fans would still rank it higher than the more recent sequel trilogy), the documentary is a fascinating look at the film that audiences had been waiting for since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The movie has plenty of fascinating behind-the-scenes footage that’s sure to please cinéastes, and it gives audiences an in-depth look at George Lucas’ creative process; throughout the film, he makes it quite clear that he doesn’t always fully know what he’s doing, with many key members of the crew expressing their doubts with his decisions. Was Lucas ahead of the curve when it came to exploring new filmmaking techniques? Was he in over his head? It’s a little of both, as The Beginning reveals with unflinching – and often humorous – honesty.

Why The Beginning Is One of Lucasfilm’s Best Movies

Early in the documentary, we see signs that George Lucas’ reach may be exceeding his grasp when, five months before production begins, he’s marking up a series of storyboards with two different colors, one used to note which on-screen elements are real and the other to note what will be added later with CGI. The crew behind him grow increasingly nervous as Lucas points out the massive number of elements that will need to be built, both practically and by computer. While looking at some other storyboards, Lucas makes a bold declaration that will soon age terribly: “Jar Jar is the key to all of this.” Lucas’ naive enthusiasm is both charming and sad, as at this point in the film’s production, he has no idea how much the character would become a lightning rod for controversy among fans for decades to come.

In between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, you’d think Lucas would’ve used that large amount of time to hone his craft as a screenwriter. But, as The Beginning amusingly depicts, this doesn’t seem to have been the case. We see the iconic filmmaker take a pretty cavalier attitude towards his script for the film, and little in the way of writing expertise. For example, early in the documentary, as he explains how elements from The Phantom Menace mirror moments from A New Hope, he pauses before awkwardly uttering, “Hopefully it works.” Later on, when the principal cast is about to start the first table read, Lucas tells everyone, “And after this reading, I’ll finish writing the script.” Considering how much of the cheesy dialogue that was rehearsed during the table read ended up in the final product, one wonders if Lucas went back to the screenplay and changed so much as a word.

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One of the most hilarious and portentous scenes in the documentary is when Lucas and key members of the production team watch a rough cut of The Phantom Menace – and not a single person is impressed by it. “It’s a little disjointed. It’s bold in terms of jerking people around,” Lucas says before leading into a quiet pause. “But … I may have gone a little too far in a few places.” Following the screening, Lucas gets into an argument with producer Rick McCallum and sound/film editor Ben Burtt, in which he admits that he overdid the film more than he has previously, but still believes it’s possible to tone it down for general audiences. Considering how much of – well, everything – The Phantom Menace has in its current form, we’re only left to wonder how much crazier that rough cut was.

George Lucas, A Flawed Genius

The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace opens with George Lucas sitting down for a 60 Minutes interview wherein he makes a revealing statement: “The auteur theory of film is very true if you know directors, because they are very much like their movies.” While the auteur theory – a theory that posits that the director is the “author” of their film, or its main creative force – will always be debated in academic film circles, it applies to Lucas and The Phantom Menace quite well; both the director and the film contain flashes of brilliance and genuine innovation, and both are too obsessed with pushing technology forward for its own sake to achieve true greatness.

Still, what makes this documentary so wonderful is that it neither lionizes nor demonizes Lucas and his attempt to reach for the stars, letting the audience decide for themselves how many of his creative risks paid off. The Beginning gives us a brutally honest view of a flawed visionary who may not always be honored for the execution of his grand ideas, but will always be honored for trying. Whether you’re a hardcore Star Wars fan, an aspiring filmmaker, or you just want to see the often uproarious making of a pop culture cornerstone, The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace is worth a watch.