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Empire Strikes Back Director Irvin Kershner Dies at 87

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the they-come-in-threes dept.

bigredradio writes "Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner died at his home in Paris after suffering from illness, his goddaughter Adriana Santini confirmed to the AFP Monday. He was 87."

4 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Sad day by Bobnova · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A sad day, that was the best movie of the series IMO. Too bad he didn't do more of them.

    1. Re:Sad day by ultranova · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The sequel was harder, though, like most sequels, and was directed by someone who wasn't the overall visionary - someone who hadn't thought up the movie for his entire life beforehand.

      Which is precisely why Empire Strikes Back ended up better: it's far easier to see and correct the flaws in someone else's vision than your own. That's why editors exist.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

  2. I hope that this experience by Haedrian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Will make him more powerful than ever.

  3. Re:Read below by h4rm0ny · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The actors SURELY could have acted better. Why couldn't any of the newbies pull an Alec Guinnes or Harrison Ford?

    I'm going to take issue with you on just this one point. There was some very good talent in those films, in particular Ewan McGregor who clearly put a fair amount of work into making his performance consistent with Alec Guinness's. Natalie Portman has never set me ablaze with awe with a role, but she's certainly a more than competent actress. I'm even willing to believe that Hayden Christensen would be decent with competent directing. And as to Ian McDiarmid - well, what more could be said? But how much can you do with a line like: "I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me. My heart is beating... hoping that kiss will not become a scar."

    Once you have a reasonable amount of experience acting, you've well-learned how much effect the director has. You can take it from one of my own recent experiences, that when the director is against you, it can be almost impossible to put in a credible performance. In those prequels, you could practically see the director throttling their performances. The difference between "Noooooo!" working and being a joke, is only partly the performance of the actor himself, and far more in the build up, the scene setting, the pacing, credibility and interaction with those around him.

    --

    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.