Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays [Paperback]

Laurent Bouzereau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 1997

n all three full-length screenplays, presented with the secrets that led to their creation. Through hours of exclusive interviews with George Lucas and others involved in crafting the original trilogy, Laurent Bouzereau has uncovered the complex process through which life was breathed into the legendary Star Wars saga.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (September 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345409817
• ISBN-13: 978-0345409812
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the hype: this is the soul of Star Wars!!!, January 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail]. (San Juan, Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays (Paperback)

I've always loved Star Wars. Who does not? But to tell you the truth I'm sometimes overwhelmed by all the tie-in books that come out.

Except this one. To have all three screenplays along with running commentary from George Lucas and all other major players in this empire- building process just blew my mind away.

To be let in on the development of the characters and the events that make up one of the modern classics of the cinema is too much of a good thing. Also to get glimpses of the Star Wars that might have been at a story and character level is a unique treat.

Add to that the fact that you get three complete screenplays (with the special edition modifications also included) for the price of a trade paperback and the decision to get it is a no-brainer for any aficionado of Star Wars, Science Fiction or screenwriting in general.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Feel the Force, March 22, 2004

By 

Jack H. Lee "yankeeterp" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays (Paperback)

If there was one flaw to the book is that it doesn't really contain the "screenplays" of the classic trilogy, per se. It's really a word-by-word, scene-by-scene *transcript* of the movies as we know them, including the material added for the Special Edition.

It would have been nice if the book contained, for example, the final written draft of the screenplay, and then annotated with the changes in the dialogue and settings made during filming. All three films had a lot of extra stuff that was filmed but not seen in the final cut, although some of it is referred to in this book. The novelizations of the film do contain many of these "cut scenes" (i.e., Luke hanging out with his friends in Star Wars, more training with Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, etc.). This book should have included all those cut scenes from the actual screenplay and explained why they were cut (i.e., for running time, because the f/x wasn't working, they felt certain scenes weren't needed etc.) Perhaps we will get to see all of that when the classic trilogy makes its way to DVD later in 2004...

Too bad that some of the comments that Lucas said (when he made these comments in 1997) made the prequels sound more promising than what's been delivered so far.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My favorite published Star Wars scripts book!, November 23, 2001

By 

Zagnorch (Terra, Sol System) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays (Paperback)

One great way to gauge the popularity of the original Star Wars trilogy: just check out all the different versions of the movies' scripts that have been published over the years. First, there were the original Art of Star Wars books. Then, there were the updated Art of Star Wars books. Then there were the Premiere Magazine Movie Script Library editions. Then yet another updated Art of Star Wars series (this time with the Special Edition stuff). And that's not including the NPR radio drama scripts!

Out of all of these, however, my preferred SW script book is the "Star Wars Trilogy Annotated Screenplays". It has the lines to all three flicks all in one convenient 320-page-long paperback. But, there's more to like about this particular paperback than mere convenience and saving of shelf space. It also includes various footnote/endnote comments by George Lucas, Joe Johnston, Irvin Kershner, and other folks who worked on the movies and influenced the screenplays. Most of the discussions regard the genesis of various scenes, how the characters evolved from their original incarnations to what you see on the screen today, parts that were altered, what the alterations were, and other little-known behind-the-scenes bits. Also included are the Special Edition revamps, highlighted in grey. So not only do you get the complete screenplays, you also get insight on what it took to evolve, create, and eventually realize this legendary cinematic trifecta. This one's definitely a must-have for both Star Wars geeks (especially you live-action-adventure RPG types out there) and Hollywood history buffs.

There are a few downsides to this book, however. Being in paperback format with plain novel-grade paper, this book isn't quite as durable as some of the other screenplays. Also, the print is rather small (especially the scripts), and is likely a real bear to read for folks who lack perfect eyesight. You might have to break out the magnifying glass for this one!

'Late!