Star Wars Reviews: Star Wars

Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness

It's become very common, especially for younger generations, to think of this as the fourth film in the Star Wars franchise. It's also becoming even more common for people growing up now to be exposed to the prequel trilogy before the originals solely because of chronology. I consider that to be a huge disservice to all the movies in the overall saga. As opposed to the more straight-forward notion of watching first what is set earliest, the original trilogy should hold the position of the most paramount importance. It's what's watched first to serve as the basis for anything with the Star Wars brand name. Not just movies, but books, video games, comics, TV shows, and dare I say even fan fiction. No other film is more crucial to this than the one I'm about to review.

Originally titled simply Star Wars, and later renamed A New Hope, it's the film that started a phenomenon and caused a revolution in the way movies are viewed by the general public. The 1970s marked a major period of change in the film industry, the New Hollywood wave. The way films were made, marketed and consumed was changing fast. A new generation of filmmakers were given their chance to make their mark on the art form. Names like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Sam Peckinpah, Ridley Scott and countless others became the talk of the town. Star Wars became synonymous with the name George Lucas, and the rest is history.

Beginning with my own experiences, there are very few movies out there that hold a more special place in my heart than Star Wars. All through my life, the original trilogy has always maintained some kind of relevance. I have the most fond memories of watching this film before I had even entered school. I came to associate the theme that accompanies the opening text with pure joy, and I was filled with excitement every time that battle on the Tantive IV opened the film. This was back in the late 90s when the Special Edition VHS became the most widely available version. Entering my late childhood, I came to think more about the story and characters. When starting high school, I became interested in learning about how these movies were actually made. In 2016, that love of Star Wars is as strong as ever. It's as amazing as ever every time I watch it, and will always be a source of inspiration for me.

Everyone knows what Star Wars is about, but it's a story that's always worth telling. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the Rebel Alliance is at war with the Galactic Empire. Princess Leia manages to dispatch the plans to the Empire's super weapon, the Death Star to the desert planet of Tatooine along with a message calling for help. From there, it sets a young farmboy named Luke Skywalker and an ageing Jedi, Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi on a mission to rescue the Princess from the clutches of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. Along the way, they meet new allies in Han Solo and Chewbacca and become a crucial part of the rebellion.

In comparison to later entries in the Star Wars saga, the first film is marked out by a brilliant simplicity. In a way, its action aspect is actually pretty tame in comparison. It does have its unforgettable battle scenes, don't get me wrong. The entire movie is rife with iconic moments. What I mean is the scope is noticeably smaller when compared to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Where it truly thrives however, is in its seemingly endless sense of discovery and its pure imagination. I'm even compelled to say that the original excels in this far more than the rest. It owes all of this to structure and the way in which writer-director George Lucas has chosen to reveal aspects of his universe and introduce us to new characters.

Right off the bat, you're filled with all these questions that drive the film's drama and curiosities. Who is Darth Vader and what does he want? What is Luke Skywalker's place in the bigger scheme of the rebellion? What is the Force? Who were the Jedi? It answers all these things, but then teases us into wanting to know more when it introduces new characters. The rate at which is does this is very much in line with the mythic hero's journey. A call to action that binds the lives of several people together. C-3PO and RS-D2 meet Luke Skywalker. Luke meets Obi-Wan. They all meet Han and Chewbacca, followed by Princess Leia and so on, all beginning each character's own story within the bigger picture. If The Wizard of Oz perfected this back in 1939, Star Wars repeated it nearly 40 years later. It's a real testament to the screenwriting craft how re-workable this formula is.

I can honestly go on forever about the imagination of George Lucas' world-building. Tatooine, lightsabers, the Death Star, the Millenium Falcon and everything else almost deserves a unique review solely for themselves. If the heart of Star Wars can be pinned down to anything, it's not the distinct science-fiction world, the great effects or the seemingly endless sources of inspiration seen across the history of cinema, it's character arcs. The best of this being in Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, and Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford. Luke's transformation from a young farmer with big ambitions, but lacking in prospects to a hero of the rebellion and Han's change from a selfish smuggler to a caring individual that can put something above himself. It adds a richness to these characters that make them the driving point of interest in this story.

To conclude, Star Wars is amazing and one of the most important films of all time. Every modern blockbuster owes something to its influence, yet few have ever come close to topping it. At the same time, Star Wars is a big thank-you note to the greats that preceded it. This middle ground places it in a very significant place in the timeline of cinematic history. Yet, after all this it's only one of three of these original adventures. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi have their own offerings and I can't wait to revisit them.

My Rating: 10/10