Star Wars is a juggernaut. Since the release of the first Star Wars movie in 1977, retroactively titled A New Hope, the sci-fi fairy tale has spawned a multi-billion-dollar franchise. Disney’s purchase of the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012 for more than 4 billion dollars completed the series’ journey from underdog to corporate wunderkind.
Since Star Wars has become so ubiquitous, writers and documentary filmmakers alike have said much about the making of the franchise. Adding something new about the making of these movies has become difficult. Still, Secrets of the Force: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Wars sets out to do just that.
Two pros return to the fold
Secrets of the Force certainly has the proper pedigree for such an undertaking. Co-author Edward Gross has an extensive history in film and television journalism. He has been a member of the editorial staff of such storied magazines as Starlog, SFX, Movie Magic, and Sci-fi Now. Mark A. Altman, his partner in this endeavor, is both a former journalist, as well as a writer and producer for film and television.
Gross and Altman have gone the uncensored oral history route before, most notably in their comprehensive history of Star Trek. Their research in that case was so extensive, it was divided into two books titled The Fifty Year Mission: The First 25 Years and The Next 25 Years. Each of these weighed in at over 500 pages.
An oral history for the ages
Gross and Altman’s approach to the history of Star Wars is simple: they let those involved with the franchise do the talking. Secrets of the Force is essentially a collection of interviews with hundreds of actors and filmmakers, commentators and critics, executives and authors involved with Star Wars. The authors arrange these into a comprehensive narrative with only minimal connective tissue they themselves wrote.
This approach works wonders for the story of Star Wars. The book presents the making of the franchise in deeply human terms. The authors rip aside the mythology surrounding George Lucas and his creation in favor of something much more intimate and honest.
Gross and Altman also have a real knack for choosing the right quotes and arranging them in a logical, interesting sequence. Reading Secrets of the Force is always interesting; none of the interview subjects wear out their welcome or go on too long. Most importantly, the authors imbue their book with a clear narrative flow. It is an incredibly enjoyable reading experience.
A synthesis of “Star Wars” history
Secrets of the Force starts a bit slow. Various experts in cinema pontificate about the importance of Star Wars. For the long-time fan, this introductory section can be a bit of a slog. Once Gross and Altman rev up their narrative, however, the book begins to shine.
Secrets of the Force does not restrict itself to simply covering the nine Star Wars movies, either. The authors include a discussion of the genesis of Star Wars toys and merchandise, the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, and even the franchise’s recent expansion into television. There’s also some discussion of the years between the original and prequel trilogies, when novels and comic books primarily carried the franchise. These additions help the book feel truly complete.
Much of what the authors reveal in Secrets of the Force is not exactly new information. Star Wars fans have poured over “making of” articles and documentaries, DVD and Blu-Ray special features for decades now. Secrets of the Force succeeds primarily as a synthesis of information. The book represents the first time this information has been gathered together in such a comprehensive manner. Particularly in its section on the “original trilogy”, Secrets of the Force is meticulous, detailed and utterly fascinating.
A buffet of new information
That is not to say there isn’t new information, as well. As a long-time Star Wars fan, this reader was certain he knew most of the behind the scenes stories publicly available. Altman and Gross, however, unearth fascinating information about, for example, the various early Star Wars scripts. The evolution of what would become known as Star Wars is a highlight of the book.
Author Alan Dean Foster has a storied connection to Star Wars. He famously penned the first sequel, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye. Reading about his utter disdain for the route Darth Vader took through the original trilogy is particularly enlightening. He apparently disagreed with Lucas’ revelation that Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father. Foster also disliked the attempt to redeem Vader in Return of the Jedi. His comments, and those of similar “voices of dissent”, help Secrets of the Force feel honest and truly uncensored.
Gross and Altman manage to present something new and interesting even to the most die-hard Star Wars fans.
The law of diminishing returns
Secrets of the Force does face one major problem: diminishing returns. The original Star Wars trilogy was released more than 30 years ago. Consequently, those involved have little motivation to not be forthcoming. The book is truly uncensored in this regard. Everybody involved speaks their mind. Revelations about difficult work conditions, problems with special effects, and Lucas’ behavior abound.
Once the book moves closer to the present day with the prequel trilogy, that becomes much less the case. By the time it reaches Disney’s sequel trilogy, Gross and Altman speak with people who are still actively working with Disney, or hope to in the future. Their ability and willingness to be completely open drops significantly.
The page count illustrated this issue well. The section of the book dedicated to the original trilogy runs nearly 300 pages. The prequel trilogy section contains less than 150 pages. The sequel trilogy manages less than 100 pages.
Gross and Altman are obviously not at fault here. The diminishing returns of Secrets of the Force are a simple function of the passage of time. In another 10 or 20 years, they could likely glean more information about the prequel and sequel trilogies.
Catnip for “Star Wars” fans
Despite a slow start and some diminishing returns in the later sections of the book, Secrets of the Force is a clear winner. Gross and Altman have done their homework. Their book synthesizes decades of information about Star Wars. They manage to sift through comments from hundreds of individuals and weave a tale that is fascinating and entertaining. Any fan of Star Wars, science fiction, or movie making will find something to love in Secrets of the Force.
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