Review of Star Wars (1977) by Tim S — 19 Nov 2015

I've always debated internally about which is the better film in the Star Wars trilogy: The Empire Strikes Back or the original Star Wars. It's a very justified position to be in, and it's one that many people are faced with.

Both are incredibly brilliant films in a series of space opera extravaganzas that anyone might be hard-pressed to choose a favorite out of. However, after years of watching these films and giving it serious thought, I would have to say that the original Star Wars is the true mark of greatness in my book, and my very favorite.

I've yet to see this film in a theater, and I have a feeling that I never will. There will be new versions of it with added or altered special effects, new scenes, or even in different formats (such as 3-D), but the very first groundbreaking original (sans the Episode IV: A New Hope dubbing) will never, ever be seen ever in a wide release.

It's not only a shame, but it's also a travesty, and leaves a serious burn mark on the film history tapestry. A lot of the value of these films is not just the story that speaks subliminally to audiences across the globe, and time itself, but they are truly a product of their time (especially the original film).

At the end of a war with a country experiencing inner turmoil and self-doubt, audiences could go into a movie theater and be thoroughly entertained for a couple hours like never before. But no matter what type of new special effects techniques are invented to alter or change things and make these films look more modern (or more "complete" as George Lucas puts it), it will never change their place in film history.

For that reason alone they should be preserved "as is." Not just for film geeks and fanboys, but for history and aesthetic's sake. New versions can still be released with new things implemented into it, but ignoring the originally-released masterpiece, which made its mark in 1977 and beyond, is a great loss.

Big budget filmmakers like Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson, who also tweak their own works occasionally, recognize the value that a film "as is" has on its audience, and therefore, preserve their work.

It's a pity George Lucas doesn't follow the same principles (principles which, by the way, he used to subscribe to). But regardless of the politics surrounding these films, I will continue to hold onto my VHS tapes, Laserdiscs, Limited Edition DVDs, and bootleg releases forever so that I may experience over and over again the films that I fell in love with and have an enormous amount of respect and affection for.

This way I can keep my precious memories intact like an old photo album.