TITLE: Archive Review: Star Wars (1977) AUTHOR: Joe Johnson DATE: 5:13:00 AM ----- BODY:
Dir: George Lucas

It was easy as a boy to wonder how Star Wars was neglected for 1977’s Best Picture Oscar; how Annie Hall could have any legitimate claim in the face of this landmark epic. Of course, I realized later that great films—or at least Best Pictures—are not usually those which appeal most to six-year-old boys.

As I revisit this very familiar territory after a five year lapse, I am slightly more savvy. I can spot quality filmmaking much better than in younger years. I am no longer blown away, or even very interested, by grand spectacles like Men In Black or The Matrix sequels.

Perhaps to my surprise, Star Wars is truly a stunning movie. George Lucas, who has become more a video game visualizer than a movie director, actually seemed to have notable visual instincts and even an ear for dialogue. Lucas admits to drawing from Kurosawa, and that is part of his wisdom. That hint of eastern influence draws this very western story into a realm of metaphysics and ancient folklore. All other science fiction is about the future. Star Wars is about the past—like Greece, like Rome, like Noah or the Garden of Eden.

Lucas’ directorial style is invigorating. He uses appropriate establishing shots of fantastic space-scapes, but spends much of his time with characters in close shots. In this immediacey, there is something like Carl Dreyer’s Passion of Joan of Arc. The characters are shot to be more important to story and action than the visuals. Something that Lucas and many of his imitators seem to have forgotten.

The casting is fitting and exciting. Mark Hamill is the perfect embodiment of a restless farm boy, complete with a free California look with a subtle combination of aspiration and arrogance. Alec Guiness legitimizes the entire production, providing the gravity and age that lets us believe this is truly an ancient story. Harrison Ford has the charisma of Indiana Jones, with enough youth to cocnceivably be a rogue (and hide some flat dialogue delivery). Princess Leia is presented as the innocent, virginal princess, though Carrie Fisher gives her color with an appropriately biting wit.

The supporting ensemble needs little description, for they are now icons: R2-D2, C3PO, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and even the enigmatic stormtroopers. Perhaps just as important, is the inclusion of the most memorable musical score in recent time. Or maybe it is the inimitable sound effects which color every scene.

It is, quite simply, impossible to see the summer movie season without being reminded of Star Wars’s influence. It is a cultural icon that permeates entertainment and marketing. Yet, behind all of the business and commercialism is a really good movie. George Lucas, to his credit as director and producer, created a brilliant and original masterpiece of modern cinema. So maybe I can still ask that question: “What was the Academy thinking anyway?”

***** of *****

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