Star Wars (1977) 20th Century Fox/Sci-Fi-Action-Adventure RT: 121 minutes Rated PG (sci-fi violence, mild language) Director: George Lucas Screenplay: George Lucas Music: John Williams Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor Release date: May 25, 1977 (US) Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones (voice), Phil Brown, Shelagh Fraser. Box Office: $460.9 million (US, including ’97 re-issue)/$775.3 million (World)
Rating: ****
I don’t care what name it goes by these days, this 1977 sci-fi classic will always be Star Wars to me. Also, I really wish writer-director George Lucas would leave it alone and stop making changes to this film and its two sequels- The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I just don’t see the point in touching up the special effects, re-editing shots and adding scenes. The version that I just rewatched on DVD is NOT the same Star Wars that I grew up with. Lucas’ constant tampering doesn’t make it any less enjoyable; it’s just entirely unnecessary.
That being said, Star Wars is still one of the best sci-fi flicks of all time. I’m often asked about my favorite movies and some people raise their eyebrows when I tell them that my list of favorite sci-fi movies does NOT include any of the Star Wars films. The reason for that is simple; the original three movies comprise my all-time favorite sci-fi-fantasy trilogy (the second being the Lord of the Rings movies). They exist on a plane by themselves. They have no equal. I will admit to the first movie being my least favorite of the three. It’s still great, but in rare reverse-case of sequelitis, each movie is better than the one that precedes it meaning Return of the Jedi is the one I like the most (in spite of too many Ewoks!).
EVERYBODY knows the plot of Star Wars. Unless you’ve been living in the most remote section of desert planet Tatooine, there’s no way you don’t know the story of hero Luke Skywalker (Hamill) and how he gets involved in the galactic civil war between the Rebel Alliance and the evil Empire. It all starts with two droids, C-3PO (Daniels) and R2-D2 (Baker), escaping from a spaceship after villain Darth Vader (Prowse) and his forces attack. They capture Princess Leia (Fisher) shortly after she hides the stolen plans to the Death Star in R2-D2’s memory. The two droids land on Tatooine where they’re captured by Jawa traders and sold to a farmer (Brown) and his nephew Luke.
The boy dreams of leaving home and seeking adventure in other parts of the galaxy. He gets his wish when he discovers part of Leia’s message while cleaning R2-D2. It’s meant for somebody named Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness) who turns out to be the crazy old hermit named Ben that lives in the hills. After rescuing Luke from Tusken Raiders, Ben/Obi-Wan tells the boy about his days as a Jedi Knight and fighting alongside his father and fellow Jedi, Anakin Skywalker. It’s also revealed that his father was betrayed and killed by Darth Vader, a former pupil of Obi-Wan’s seduced by the Dark Side. The Jedis, a dying breed, derive their supernatural powers from the Force. The old man agrees to teach Luke the ways of the Force so he can become a Jedi Knight like his father.
Obi-Wan needs to take Leia’s message to her home planet of Alderaan so the Rebel fighters can analyze the plans to the Death Star, a powerful weaponized space station capable of destroying entire planets. In order to get there, Obi-Wan employs the services of intergalactic smuggler Han Solo (Ford) and his first mate, a seven-foot Wookie named Chewbacca (Mayhew).
After narrowly escaping capture at the hands of Imperial Stormtroopers, they all head off to Alderaan in the Millennium Falcon. They soon learn that the planet has been destroyed by order of Death Star commanding officer Grand Morff Tarkin (Cushing) and Leia is being held prisoner. Now it’s a rescue mission in which Han Solo only agrees to take part for a huge reward. He owes a great deal of money to space gangster Jabba the Hut. They rescue Leia, Obi-Wan fights Vader and loses and Luke joins the rebel squadron set to attack and destroy the Death Star.
For other movies, this synopsis would be a flagrant case of TMI (Too Much Information), but this is Star Wars, so I feel okay divulging nearly the entire story. What some people don’t realize is that Lucas based the story on Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress which explains why the Jedi Knights have a lot in common with Japanese samurai. In other words, Star Wars is a samurai movie by way of the old Flash Gordon serials of the 30s and 40s.
Lucas didn’t know what to expect when Star Wars hit theaters on May 25, 1977. It opened in only 32 theaters and quickly became a major success and instant phenomenon. It’s one of two movies I can recall playing in theaters for a full year (the other one is E.T.). I remember how obsessed my classmates were with this movie. The funny thing is that I had very little interest in seeing Star Wars when it first came out. As a 10YO music obsessive, my attention was focused on the unattainable R-rated Saturday Night Fever. I finally ended up seeing Star Wars over Christmas break that year and wasn’t all that impressed. I know, I know ….. BLASPHEMY!
It wasn’t until I saw the 1981 re-release that I began to fully appreciate Star Wars. It’s great fun! The special effects are amazing and very innovative for the late 70s. Lucas did things with effects that no other filmmaker had ever tried. The man is an artist and a technical genius. He’s the guy that founded ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), the company responsible for the special effects seen in many popular films (e.g. the Indiana Jones movies, the Harry Potter movies, Poltergeist, Back to the Future, Starman, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, etc.).
As a director, Lucas is fine. He actually does a great job with this first Star Wars movie. The acting isn’t too bad either. It’s great seeing screen vets like Guinness and Cushing. The main cast does a capable job as well. The three principal actors- Hamill, Fisher and Ford- deliver exactly the kinds of performances required by the story. The young hero-to-be, the no-nonsense heroine-in-distress and the greedy mercenary that finds a conscience are all stock characters, but Lucas uses the types to great advantage in Star Wars.
The rousing score by John Williams is classic! We all know it’s great so there’s no need to discuss it further. The two droids, kind of a robotic Laurel & Hardy, provide great comedy relief. The proper protocol droid (C-3PO) and his short mischievous companion (R2-D2) make a winning pair. There are many reasons why Star Wars is an enduring classic, but the most important one is that it’s an awesome flick!
