STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is the opening salvo that started it all. It single-handedly changed the face of movie making forever. There are some out there who still say Star Wars ruined film. They say it took the soul out of movies and turned them into money making machines rather than works of art. These people are not to be listened to. Star Wars IV is a soul-filled masterpiece.

From purely a directorial standpoint Star Wars IV is amazing. The late great Akira Kurosawa was a huge influence on George Lucas and it really shows in his movies. The wipes and the wide shots are all vintage Kurosawa and its clear that Lucas has spent many of his early years developing these techniques almost to the point where little stands between the two master craftsmen. But Lucas isn't all imitation and no creation as became very obvious in 1977. Despite the classic that Star Wars IV has now become, it was clear that the American cinematic establishment were not as fervent on its release and the fact that Annie Hall beat Star Wars at the Academy Awards for Best Picture and that Lucas lost to Woody Allen for Best Director says a lot to the genre fan about the credibility of the Academy Awards ceremony. Don't get me wrong, Annie Hall was a very good movie and Woody Allen is a great filmmaker, but Annie and Woody over Star Wars and George? Get the hell out of here!
One of the few flaws that this film has, and all the Star Wars movies have for that matter, is moments of cheesy dialogue. In the original trilogy this is canceled out by great acting. The whole cast of Star Wars just feels like it was meant to be. Some of the lines may have been cheesy, but they are delivered with absolute perfection. Mark Hamill as the young Luke Skywalker turned in an excellent and highly underrated performance. Luke was perfectly written as a naive but ambitious young man who desperately seeks adventure but feels trapped in the confines of a small traditional farming community. Hamill's sympathetic performance captures the viewers imagination and ensures that you actually care about his situation both glorious and tragic. Hamill is the heart and soul of the original 3 Star Wars films and, after so many nostalgic years, it see's unimaginable to have the part played by anyone else. He has immense talent and it's a shame he's not used in mainstream cinema anymore.

All the other key players are also perfectly cast. Harrison Ford as the scoundrel fly-boy Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as the beautiful Princess Leia are exceptional. Their whole relationship in the first film consists mainly of them arguing and bickering but the end result makes for a very amusing turn. Peter Cushing just gushes evil as Grand Moff Tarkin and opposing good guy Alec Guiness is splendid as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Both men have always brought a type of quiet dignity to their roles and this was never more apparent than here. Even incidental characters that are just standing around or have a few lines of dialogue give off the impression that they have their own world and back story to them.
Never has a universe been more creative or detailed in film history. The settings are all so imaginative and vivid that you want them to be real. Everything works. The score of John Williams is brilliantly vibrant with an unmistakable opening fanfare whch clearly announces its arrival. All the characters are meaningful and have a soul to them. Even the robots and nonhuman's like C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewie have depth far beyond what would be expected of 'secondary' characters. Of course the cutting edge special effects are spectacular in Star Wars IV, but the film also delivered a powerful, touching story on a human level. The ability to throw tons of money at superficial eye-candy like effects and action is insignificant next to the power of good storytelling, great characters and true emotion. Oh yeah, and having The Force on your side is a big help to.