Written by: Kevin Berge
Such an iconic image... that makes all the blasters look more like lightsabers than the actual lightsaber. (Image Courtesy of: nerdist.com)
Quick Take: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope captures all Star Wars has become in a groundbreaking opening chapter filled with memorable characters, innovative effects, and a world more expansive than it can even hint at. Even with dated filmmaking and inexperienced acting, the movie absolutely stands as one of the true foundations of science fiction.
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***This is an analyzed review of the 1977 film A New Hope, expecting the reader has seen this science fiction classic. If you have not, go ahead and watch it as this review will spoil plot details as well as likely affecting a first-time viewing experience.***
In 1977, a fairly new director to the scene was tasked with following up his staggering Academy Award-nominated hit American Graffiti with a movie of equal significance. With a rough development process, no one expected much of Star Wars, a film in its early cuts said to be a disaster that wore down the director to the point of depression.
However, thanks to heavy editing and unprecedented special effects work by Industrial Light & Magic, Lucas slowly but surely crafted his space opera that now stands as one of the greatest films of all time. It still stands as the third highest grossing film in the world (when adjusting for inflation) and earned ten Academy Award nomination of which it won seven.
Now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, this movie not only stands as one of the most important filmmaking achievements in history but is simply a delight to watch. Science fiction owes a great debt to this film, and even if it didn't, this would still be a classic hero's quest put to film.
The very first Star Wars film is a slow burn of a film. For the first 17 minutes, the focus is entirely on two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, with brief glimpses of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). The main protagonist, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), comes off as a whiny kid only standing out with the help of John Williams' score and the camera steadily focusing upon him.
The movie's most outstanding character, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), does not appear until nearly 48 minutes in with the action finally kicking into gear with his arrival. The Force is used sparsely. The only lightsaber battle is almost a parody of the battles to come. However, it is only thanks to all these building blocks that the series could take off thereafter.
That steady pacing allows the deep mythology to build up toward a massive climax. The script understands this as the focus is not just the characters but the world with hints of what is to come and what has come to pass. Its more subtle developments stand out even after decades.
Every scene does exactly what it needs to with some brilliant foresight. One of the most impressive feats of the film is the introduction of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) who is presented in such a matter of fact way that quickly hints at and dismisses that Obi-Wan died alongside Luke's father (the most direct hint to the franchise's greatest twist).
***This is an analyzed review of the 1977 film A New Hope, expecting the reader has seen this science fiction classic. If you have not, go ahead and watch it as this review will spoil plot details as well as likely affecting a first-time viewing experience.***
In 1977, a fairly new director to the scene was tasked with following up his staggering Academy Award-nominated hit American Graffiti with a movie of equal significance. With a rough development process, no one expected much of Star Wars, a film in its early cuts said to be a disaster that wore down the director to the point of depression.
However, thanks to heavy editing and unprecedented special effects work by Industrial Light & Magic, Lucas slowly but surely crafted his space opera that now stands as one of the greatest films of all time. It still stands as the third highest grossing film in the world (when adjusting for inflation) and earned ten Academy Award nomination of which it won seven.
Now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, this movie not only stands as one of the most important filmmaking achievements in history but is simply a delight to watch. Science fiction owes a great debt to this film, and even if it didn't, this would still be a classic hero's quest put to film.
The very first Star Wars film is a slow burn of a film. For the first 17 minutes, the focus is entirely on two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, with brief glimpses of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). The main protagonist, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), comes off as a whiny kid only standing out with the help of John Williams' score and the camera steadily focusing upon him.
The movie's most outstanding character, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), does not appear until nearly 48 minutes in with the action finally kicking into gear with his arrival. The Force is used sparsely. The only lightsaber battle is almost a parody of the battles to come. However, it is only thanks to all these building blocks that the series could take off thereafter.
That steady pacing allows the deep mythology to build up toward a massive climax. The script understands this as the focus is not just the characters but the world with hints of what is to come and what has come to pass. Its more subtle developments stand out even after decades.
Every scene does exactly what it needs to with some brilliant foresight. One of the most impressive feats of the film is the introduction of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) who is presented in such a matter of fact way that quickly hints at and dismisses that Obi-Wan died alongside Luke's father (the most direct hint to the franchise's greatest twist).
Never has there been a greater villain who somehow always missed the hero by seconds. (Image Courtesy of: denofgeek.com)
As a whole, this may be the best scripted of all the Star Wars movies with so many clever dialogue moments with simple lines making the characters stand out. Lucas particularly does a great job of succinctly developing Han's relationship with the rest of the stars.
The acting does not quite match up to the construction of the film with only Alec Guinness (The Bridge on the River Kwai) who would later disavow the films standing out (even though he often looks silly in the action scenes including just running around). Harrison Ford (Raiders of the Lost Ark) has great moments but also feels a bit wooden in his early delivery while Mark Hamill (The Big Red One) and Carrie Fisher (When Harry Met Sally) do not feel like fully fledged actors.
This may come down to Lucas himself who, as a director, has always been better with the visual than the personal. Luckily, this film hits so many visual notes particularly for its time and has such a well laid script (from Lucas) that it overcomes its inexperienced and underdirected stars.
This may contain the best score of John Williams' career, both in terms of memorable work and tone development. Often, this score carries the weight of emotion development particularly when the filmmaking does not quite match the story concerns.
While A New Hope was a technological marvel for its time, it clearly lacks for modern filmmaking techniques with fade editing (rather than tight cuts) and camera shots that are plain at best and sometimes look misframed. Still, it would be unfair to blame a 40-year-old movie for 40-year-old filmmaking when it often innovates conventions of its time.
That action certainly ramps up in the second half though. From the furious rescue on the Death Star to the turret battle during the escape to the final raid of the Death Star, the set pieces are excellent and make the most of the effects of the time. The use of steady cutting is paced perfectly to create a frantic feeling that never lets up.
If I were to separate A New Hope from all it accomplished as a groundbreaking movie, it would still be a strong film, but it would not be a classic due to its faults. However, a sweeping impact of this nature can never be ignored as the first Star Wars film not only created a long-standing legacy but created the foundations for all action that would follow.
The acting does not quite match up to the construction of the film with only Alec Guinness (The Bridge on the River Kwai) who would later disavow the films standing out (even though he often looks silly in the action scenes including just running around). Harrison Ford (Raiders of the Lost Ark) has great moments but also feels a bit wooden in his early delivery while Mark Hamill (The Big Red One) and Carrie Fisher (When Harry Met Sally) do not feel like fully fledged actors.
This may come down to Lucas himself who, as a director, has always been better with the visual than the personal. Luckily, this film hits so many visual notes particularly for its time and has such a well laid script (from Lucas) that it overcomes its inexperienced and underdirected stars.
This may contain the best score of John Williams' career, both in terms of memorable work and tone development. Often, this score carries the weight of emotion development particularly when the filmmaking does not quite match the story concerns.
While A New Hope was a technological marvel for its time, it clearly lacks for modern filmmaking techniques with fade editing (rather than tight cuts) and camera shots that are plain at best and sometimes look misframed. Still, it would be unfair to blame a 40-year-old movie for 40-year-old filmmaking when it often innovates conventions of its time.
That action certainly ramps up in the second half though. From the furious rescue on the Death Star to the turret battle during the escape to the final raid of the Death Star, the set pieces are excellent and make the most of the effects of the time. The use of steady cutting is paced perfectly to create a frantic feeling that never lets up.
If I were to separate A New Hope from all it accomplished as a groundbreaking movie, it would still be a strong film, but it would not be a classic due to its faults. However, a sweeping impact of this nature can never be ignored as the first Star Wars film not only created a long-standing legacy but created the foundations for all action that would follow.
Final verdict:
Three Defining Success
Three Defining Success
- Groundbreaking style and effects that still hold up surprisingly well even if they show their age.
- A tight well-laid-out script that captures the world and characters.
- A world-building pace that invests in its potential as a saga, creating groundwork that would ultimately become a phenomenon.
- Acting (beyond Alec Guinness) that come off as inexperienced.
- As I have said in my prequel review, Episode I and Episode II are messy, boring films that completely miss the point of what it means to be a Star Wars film. This movie is the reason those movies exist.