The Revisit – Star Wars (1977)

It is almost time folks. The clock is ticking and we are just a little under two months away from experiencing a brand new Star Wars film. Live. In theaters. It is a period of reflection and looking ahead. December 18th will be a time for celebration and havoc all rolled into one. But until then, I have a few things planned that will lead up to what is guaranteed to be a glorious day. Including talking at length about the series in podcasts and the start of what you are reading right now. That’s right. I am going to be revisiting all six Star Wars films and commenting as I see fit. Sometimes defending, but all the time critiquing. Because it is no secret that I am a big fan of this franchise. But even I can see where things went wrong, and I will not be afraid to point them out. I am a critic first.

I would also like to say that even though I can probably quote each film from beginning to end, I WILL be rewatching each of them again for the ‘What I Think Now’ portion of the column. This won’t be a white washed, half assed reflection on what I remember. It will be the sheer definition of ‘Revisit.’

Background: Like many places during this column retrospective, here is where I have to include the statement ‘where to start.’ The making of this movie is so out in the open that I feel giving any information about it would be making people read the same thing for at least the second time. But the gist of it is Francis Ford Coppola, after producing a big screen adaptation of his friend and protege’s student film THX 1138, challenged the maker of that film to do something out of the norm.

That filmmaker’s name was George Lucas. And I think it is safe to say that Coppola’s challenge was met. But people fail to realize it wasn’t without its consequences. Lucas, taking the challenge on at the rightful age of 27, was fighting actors who did not understand his dialogue, and effects makers who were struggling to meet demands with anything worthy of being put onscreen. The stress took such a toll on the filmmaker that he damn near had a heart attack. After getting his actors through their motions and barely making the rapidly approaching deadline, Lucas saw his film take to seething box office proportions. The rest, as they say, is history.

As for me. Star Wars is the only film out of the entire franchise that I did not have the honor of seeing in a theater. Mostly due to the fact that, well, I wasn’t even born yet. The film came out five months before that global event happened. But I DO recall my mother telling me the science fiction show my father watched every week would promote the film months ahead of time, saying it was going to change the way films were made. I have no idea what show this was. But it seemed to be the only thing that backed the film in public. When you have actors scoffing at dialogue and a British film crew who all thought they were making a bomb, it says a lot.

Cut to……..

What I Thought Then: I honestly think that out of all the words I am going to be typing in these six columns, this section is the toughest for me to write. Reason being I have to put ALL the EU, books, records, action figures, etc etc out of my head and get in the frame of mind of that little boy who had not heard of Star Wars before he sat in front of the big TV in the living room and watched it.

Ok, here goes. Here is what I remember from that joyous first viewing. At three years old, I am seeing a HUGE ship from the bottom up chase a much smaller ship across the screen. And right from that instance, I was hooked line & sinker. Lucas could have adhered to studio demands and  begun the film on Tatooine, as we get to know Luke for ten minutes before moving the action into space. But by putting his audience right in the heart of action from the very beginning, Lucas played his cards just right and brought the audience into his world seamlessly. Between the big ships, Darth Vader’s brilliant introduction through heaps of white smoke, and the noises stormtroopers’ feet made on the Death Star floor, I was knee deep and wanted to go deeper into this world. I remember being obsessed with getting on the Millennium Falcon. I remember reenacting Han Solo yelling for Chewie to ‘get us out of here.’ And I remember just scowering for pictures, or ANY information on the film. Keep in mind this was before any of the sequels. In other words, this was back when it was just called Star Wars. And as you can see from the title of this article, I have stayed to that title, no matter how many roman numerals or subtitles Lucas has put on the film since. Even in my daily life, the film has remained Star Wars, and always will.

It is safe to say that I am not unlike many other kids from my generation. This was a time to look forward to what was coming next, as we knew Darth Vader had gotten away and was planning his next attack. But even in that instance, what made the film connect so much to me was that it had a beginning, middle, and end. If the film hadn’t become the hit it did, I would have been satisfied with seeing our heroes rewarded with medals, and having it end with Luke being the one who destroyed the Empire.

I think in the end, THAT was the film’s hook. We saw a kid named Luke defy everyone’s expectations and become a savior. Of course, at this point we did not know that Vader was indeed our hero’s father, and as an audience we would eventually have layers of story put on top of an already tasty sundae. But in this instance, a little kid engulfed in the ‘used’ world George Lucas created, that wasn’t what I wanted. I think Star Wars is so looked at as what it became, that things about what made it great to begin with get lost. And what made the film great was how a little boy could get past the ‘boring’ Tatooine scenes, and get sucked into the story just like someone looking for something more than a movie which took place in space. It is the sheer definition of a populist story, and whether Lucas liked it or not, he was going to have to live with it for thirty-five plus years. Sometimes, heart attacks are worth it.

What I Think Now: I could spend this entire section debunking all of the positivity of what I just said. I could say how bad Mark Hamill’s acting is. I could say how the ‘Special Edition’ is anything but. However, I will not go that route. In watching Star Wars this time, I can honestly say that even looking past all the video games, books & records, reenacting of the film’s pivotal scenes on camera (no, those tapes do not exist anymore, so don’t ask), I can tell you that the film is still a sheer joy to watch.

What is weird is in doing research, I have found that Akira Kurosawa was a huge inspiration on Lucas. Now I see it in even the most minute details of Star Wars, such as there being seven heroes, which is just like Seven Samurai. The performance of Sir Alec Guinness also stood out to me this time. He is the catalyst who gets the story rolling, and even though he would spend the majority of his late life deterring any and all things Star Wars related (he was known to sign autographs on the condition the person he signed it for never watched Star Wars again), his presence amongst this young group of actors is needed and appreciated. It is also of note that Han Solo is the one holdout hero who has remained just as cool now as he was then. His back and forth with Ms ‘they don’t wear bras in space’ Leia is a thing of beauty. “You think a princess, and a guy like me?” Hilarious stuff that would not have been pulled off with any less of an actor, which we will definitely see in future sequels. Here, Harrison Ford’s grumpiness is part of his charm, and it works in either endearing yourself to him or pushing you away.

It should also be noted that no matter how many times I see it, the instance of Han coming back to save Luke NEVER fails to get a rise out of me. The arc of his character could have been done, and he could have left with the money he had so richly earned. But the REAL reward was what this scene means for his REAL arc. I ALWAYS find myself cheering with rigor when he destroys the ship near Vader. For all the heat Lucas gets as a director, this heroic moment was brilliantly set up and pulled off. My feelings on where his character goes from here will be saved for another day.

Now, I look at the very first Star Wars film as a series of journeys toward heroism. In the face of adversity, whether it is Han’s narcissism or Luke’s self doubts, they faced it all and came out smelling like roses. That is, until three years later, when Lucas and Irvin Kershner put them in strangled struggling depths of darkness.

In Conclusion: Some people look at Star Wars as a new beginning, and not in a good way. The outline of how to make a blockbuster film was pretty much composed by Star Wars, and I know for a fact that turns many people off. Star Wars started so many things in film and technology based industries, that I do not think it is a stretch to call it the most important film in history. In fact, I will say it, and stand by it. However, many people look past the first film’s legacy and only see what it became. I have to be honest. I was scared of that exact jaded thinking happening when I sat down to watch Star Wars for this column. But what I saw unfold before me was a movie made by a young filmmaker who had a vision, and did everything in his power to see it fulfilled. Right before closing credits rolled, and The Throne Room theme blasted my speakers, I had a slight tear in my eye, and in that instance I knew the power of Star Wars to entertain will NEVER get old. In that instance, I was still that little boy looking to get on the Millennium Falcon. And damnit, it WILL happen!