Star Wars Episode IV : A New Hope
Along with almost every member of my generation who loves movies, this is the one that got me started on movies. Sure, I saw movies before, but this is what made them a pastime, a frequent topic of conversation, a part of our lives rather than simply an entertainment. Thus, in watching this one film for my top 100, the aura of nostalgia is really heavy. Not only do I react to the film, but I remember my first reactions to it as a seventh grader with hundreds of other kids around me, thrilled and confused and stirred by the heroics and the storyline. This is THE movie of my generation.
And it still makes an impact more than thirty years later. I still laughed at barbs and though I've seen this film some fifteen to twenty times, some of the action still is exciting. I still like Mark Hamil's innocent naivete, even though I know part of that is poor skill. I still think Harrison Ford is amazing. And I love the imagination Lucas put into the film.
The most brilliant part of the film, in my opinion, though, is beginning with the fourth episode of nine. If Lucas had begun with Episode I, the story would have been trite all throughout, plodding along at the slowest possible pace. We would have begun Episode IV already knowing that Luke and Leia were brother and sister, already knowing the history of Darth Vader, and the whole thing would have just slogged along, like much of the prequels did. Instead, we are dropped into a universe with a rich history, with much to figure out. Why does Darth where a helmet, but Obi Wan doesn't? Why has Obi Wan taken such interest in Luke? What is this "Clone War"? There are many mysteries to solve and backgrounds to delve into and it gives a lot of rich fodder for the imagination. I personally feel the prequels did us a disservice by spelling all of that out. But this film, standing on its own without prequels to explain anything, is just marvelous.
But not everything in this film is good. The emotional resonance is awful. Luke spends some time sorrowing over Obi Wan whom he only got to really know over the last few days, but the death of his Uncle and Aunt who raised him barely gets a mention, let alone a tear. Luke seems to not be unhappy for their massacre for the sake of his own ambitions. Leia doesn't seem terribly broken up by the destruction of the world in which she was raised, as well. She sees the act of killing an entire planet as monstrous, but the only time the act is discussed, she waves it away, saying that there's more important work to do. Lucas continually has a problem with making a film emotionally impactful. The only ones of the Star Wars films that really work emotionally is Empire and Return. And that, only sometimes.
And the additional material Lucas added to this original film is simply awful. It fills in the scenery a bit, but the one gag in Mos Eisley falls flat. And the scene between Han and Jabba was not only unnecessary, but also it made Han's statement about needing to hurry make no sense. If he had just killed the bounty hunter and knew Jabba was on his track, then he needed to go. But if he had smoothed things over with Jabba, then why rush? Han wasn't in any hurry with Jabba and didn't know stormtroopers were after him (since they weren't after him, but the droids). Okay, I'm sounding like a fanboy, here, but the scene just wasn't needed. Some of the cleanup work was good, like the shadow of Luke's hovercar. But generally it was pointless and distracting.
Nevertheless, it was good. It was great. I enjoyed it all over again. It is still one of my favorites. If you want to blame part of that on nostalgia, so be it. But I still thrilled to see Obi Wan raise his light saber so Darth Vader could strike him down. I still was impressed by the fast editing at the end of the Death Star to heighten the excitement, which worked even though I noticed it. I laughed at the antics of the two droids, even though I've seen them play the routine again and again. It works. And it deserves to be in my top 100.
EDIT:
Ratings:Technical -3/5 -- A couple marks off for later CGI additions and the choice of Mark Hamill
Interest 4/5-- There was enough action and humor to keep me interested, but I was thinking of it as a movie this time, not fully engulfed
Tension-- 3/5-- I lost quite a bit of tension over the multiple viewings, but there were still scenes I wanted to see.
Emotional-- 2/5-- I didn't have much emotional connection this viewing, mostly because of the lack of emotion in pivotal scenes.
Characters-- 4/5-- Some classic meta characters here, especially Princess Leia who is relatively new.
Theme-- 3/5-- "Mysticism is good" is as much as I can come up with
Ethics-- 2/5-- I've always had problems with Star Wars ethically. The stormtroopers are killed off in droves without any remorse or even character because they're "bad guys".
Personal-- 3/5-- Like other youths, I originally identified with Luke, seeking adventure. I still feel a little of that, but at this stage of life, I'm probably more like Obi Wan-- old and my time is winding down, ready for the next stage of preparing the next generation. Do I get to state nonsensical aphorisms now?
Of course, the question is, will it stay in my top 100? I have no idea. I can see myself grading it a bit lower because the faults of the film are more obvious to me and because I have too many excellent films to squeeze into a mere 100. For now, I'd say that TDK has a strong lead over it, but it just sneaks in above The Brothers Bloom. That's the nostalgia at work.
EDIT: Now that I've done my ratings, I am more disappointed in A New Hope than before. It is still enjoyable, but I think that The Brothers Bloom has got more going for it now. So I'm switching their spots:
1. In America
2. Princess Mononoke
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Brothers Bloom
5. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
6. Raising Arizona
