We're just a couple weeks away from The Force Awakens. Read the first of the original trilogy reviews right here.
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| "Look, Bob. I made them fall down. My evil is never ending." |
They say that it is more difficult to write a positive
review than a negative one. It is more
difficult still when the film you're reviewing is 38 years old and considered
by anyone's definition to be a classic.
But as we stand just weeks away from yet another Star Wars renaissance,
we revisit the past to celebrate the greatness that came before, and regain
perspective on those parts of history that we hope do not repeat
themselves. And so we return to that
galaxy far, far away, where good and evil have perhaps never been so clearly
defined, and search our feelings for what we know to be true. With the prequels out of the way, our focus
shifts to the revered original trilogy, beginning with Episode IV: A New
Hope.
A New Hope is one of the most beloved films of all
time, and for good reason. It is Joseph
Campbell's A Hero's Journey applied to a vast, elaborate science fantasy
universe rich with interesting, mysterious characters. It succeeds as both a standalone adventure
and as the origin story of something much greater. Controversial retcons aside, it has stood the
test of time, excitedly passed down by generations of parents who grew up
watching the films to their equally wide-eyed children. There is action and adventure, comedy, drama,
horror, suspense, shocking twists, and good triumphing over evil. It is basically anything anyone could
possibly want from a film.
Alas, so few films can truly be considered completely
flawless, and A New Hope is certainly no exception. The dirty little secret among fans of the
original Star Wars trilogy is that everyone knows that the acting and dialogue
in the original films (particularly ANH) is a bit shaky at best. George Lucas, while nearly peerlessly
innovative, has never really been an actor's director. The downside of working with relatively
unknown actors is not really knowing what you're going to get
performance-wise. Combining unseasoned
actors with a director like Lucas can make for some occasionally awkward
performances, particularly that of Mark Hamill (who certainly improved over the
series and beyond, eventually earning acclaim for voicing The Joker in several
animated Batman films and TV series.)
Lucas's screenplay unfortunately does his actors no favors either, and
while we still fondly remember and quote much of the dialogue, there are still
plenty of exchanges that make us cringe a bit on the inside.
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| "No. The walking dog doesn't get a reward. He'd just chew it up." |
Perhaps the greatest understatement that can be made about ANH
is that "the good outweighs the bad". There are a great many more things that ANH
does exceptionally well. The primary
exception to the acting discussed above is Sir Alec Guinness, who despite
famously hating the film brings his A-game here and gives the film just the
right amount of gravitas. The action
sequences, particularly the climactic trench battle on the Death Star, are among
some of the most exciting ever filmed even to this day, and even before the
special editions the effects were light years ahead of their time. The sweeping score is John Williams's
masterpiece, which considering his vast and unmatched resume is saying
something. A New Hope is Lucas's
labor of love, a magnificent tribute to the old adventure serials and war films
he loved growing up.
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| Related Article: A Saga In Review The Prequels |
Score
-Mike Stec