Review of American Graffiti (1973) by Michael C — 28 Apr 2010

This was one of the first films to utilize the plot device of following multiple characters through the events of a limited time period, thus allowing for an examination of how different character archtypes responded in a particular period.

I feel Dazed and Confused provided the best exploration of this plot style, but that is likely because I find the 70's much more fascinating than the early 60's. Nevertheless, this is a strong film itself, and it makes me wonder why Lucas apparently lost the ability to craft compelling characters as he did in this film and the early Star Wars films, but apparently when he began work on the prequels this skill was noticeably absent; maybe he squandered all of his skillful qualities as a director with Howard the Duck.