I never liked all the changes and alterations George made to the originals, some were fine, some were even arguable improvements but many felt unnecessary and egregious. Whatever their content and however much I liked or disliked particular cases, George should never have altered the originals as they are a reflection and image of the time they were made, blemishes, mistakes and all. There is always that temptation for artists to go back and alter or improve their work years later but that work should remain a monument to were you where then as a creative individual or in this case a creative team and as an industry. Do you think it would have been right of Leonardo Da Vinci to go back and alter the Mona Lisa by applying some more paint here or there or for Beethoven to improve his fifth symphony by adding a few more notes? Of course not, and Star Wars is no less a piece of great artistic merit than any of these older masters works. That is the principle all artists should uphold, otherwise they will only sully and upset their work and their admirers to which the work now belongs culturally speaking.
However I don't think it fair to call Georges making of the originals an 'accident', credit must be given where credit is due and the making of a mythological universe so highly intertwined in the popular culture mindset of the general public is no accident. It might have been an unexpected success (as it indeed was in the highest sense) but it was no idiot who created Star Wars, even if he has arguably lapsed into idiocy now. I can't deny however, despite my great admiration for George and what he has created (even if not everything is tip top), this last alteration, the Darth Vader 'Nooooo' feels frankly like a big hard slap in my ***** face. That scene is of such monumental importance to the story and saga as a whole, and it is indeed the lack of any real dialogue (other than the emperors screams) with just the spine-tingling sound of the choral music, which extenuates its gravity and emotional power. Throwing in an odd sounding 'nooo' will ruin that scene. And I really mean ruin. I'm not over-exaggerating as fanboys tend to do. It will not ruin the entire saga or make me cancel my blu-ray pre-order as some melodramatic outraged fans will no doubt be doing and calling for now. But it will diminish that scenes power to the point were it will never have the same impact again as long as I watch the blu-ray. And that I consider a ruination. It will be jarring, it will be out-of-place, it will feel, like I said, as a big hard *****-slap in my face acting as not only a reminder to that laughable scene in Revenge of the Sith, but also as a reminder as to why these films were best left untouched.
I have defended you for a long time George, not just because I'm a fanboy (though I am) but because I felt you were harshly and unfairly treated even if I didn't agree with what you were doing. But this, this is the last straw. After this blu-ray release, I vow, by hook or crook, never to buy another version of Star Wars again if any major alterations are made and I will defend you no more. That may not sound like the most ardent of ultimatums but I'm no dramatist either. I won't let even this most terrible of changes diffuse my excitement and desire for this high-definition set.
I think I finally understand why so many people were outraged with the special editions; not that I'm saying I didn't understand their reasons, I even agree with many of them. No what I mean is I understand what it is to 'feel' like something you love and care deeply about, something that means so much to you, is altered and changed on the whims of another. I grew up with the Special Editions so I've never known that sensation. But now, even with this smallest of changes it makes a huge difference. You will always be the creator of Star Wars and what made it so great, but my respect for you George has now diminshed and you have one less fan in the wide world. That might not mean much to you or anyone else, but it means a lot to me.
Leonardo Da Vinci is quoted as saying "Art is never finished, it is only abandoned". This is certainly true, but that abandonment, that state it is in when it is left behind, is just as much a part of that particular piece of art as any other aspect and so should be respected as an essential part of it's essence.
P.S. If this turns out to be some cruel hoax played by Lucasfilm and the 'nooo' isn't present then everything I said is null, but I doubt it.
