Review of Star Wars (1977) by Tj R — 01 Nov 2015

Rating: 8.5/10.

Before I begin I would like to mention that I had some very distant memories or images of watching the original Star Wars from 1977 when I was 4 or 5 years old on TV, 20 years ago. I didn't remember much about it, but those images came back in my mind when I was watching it for the first time (or discovering it for the second time) on DVD 10 years ago. When the DVD box of the OT came on 2004 and I've watched the originals after the prequels, I had some doubt about the quality of the movie since it was a 30 to 40 years old movie. But instead, I was very impressed by it. I couldn't believe that this movie was made in the 1970's despite the upgrades that were made for the Special Edition. I couldn't really tell the difference, when watching it on DVD, if this movie was made recently of decades ago. But today when watching it on Blu-Ray, the movie, somehow, begins to show its age. It seems that, since it's now on a 1080p screen, the quality of the picture doesn't hold up pretty well as it did on the DVD from 2004. And as some people mentioned it on other threads, it seems that there's a color timing issue on the Blu-Ray which wasn't there neither on the DVD edition from 2004.

But despite that imperfection which has appeared on the Blu-Ray, this movie still has a charm that none of the other Star Wars movies have. I was really impressed the first time I've watched the movie by the opening scene following immediately the opening crawl. You already have the sense of action with that space battle and the fight between the stormtroopers and the rebel soldiers. What also that first scene with those battles demonstrate, especially after watching Revenge of the Sith, is that the time for prosperity and peace has really been put to an end. You really have a sense that all of this has now been replaced by chaos and terror, everything is now being controlled with an iron hand. The scene when R2-D2 and C3-PO are being alone in the desert of Tatooine after escaping the Tentative IV shows somehow the result of all that terror and chaos but also the results of the events that have occurred in Episode III: they are being alone in place desolated and devoid of any life. It's the calm after the storm which has destroyed almost everything on its way. And this picture is reinforced when C3-PO says: "What a desolated place this is." Some people said having found this scene boring. But I've somehow learned to appreciate this first scene on Tatooine with the two droids after watching the prequels.

I've enjoyed all the scenes which have occurred on Tatooine and despite the many complaints towards the added scenes on the Special Edition, I'm okay with it. I think the added scenes for Mos Eisley make the world of Tatooine look much larger and busier despite some of the CGI that doesn't really fit for the added creatures.

But I think that the most impressive part was certainly all the scenes which have occurred on the Death Star. When I think about all the complexity to make those scenes happening in the Death Star and the space battle at the end of the movie, it really seems that the movie was much more expensive to make than it really did.

I think that my two favorite characters in this movie are certainly Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo. That might be because Sir Alec Guiness and Harrison Ford were giving a much better performance than Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

In terms of artistry, the makers behind this movie really did a good job. They really demonstrated very well how all this entire universe has become stark, stiff and gloomy while in the prequel era everything looked shiny and lively. This really translated the fall of innocence and beauty in the galaxy after the Republic became the Empire. When keeping in mind all of this, plus all the events that have occurred in Revenge of the Sith, and you see the emerging of new characters who are ready to fight in order to restore what has been destroyed before, you really understand why this movie has been renamed A New Hope. I think that if I've watched this movie immediately after having watched Episode III, instead of having waited 3 weeks, I might have a bigger sense of excitement and wonder than I currently did.

My only small criticism towards this movie is that the style for the settings and the scenes is really (or too) classic and somehow too constant, especially during the action sequences like, for example, the shots of the X-Wings and Tie-fighters flying in the trench of the Death Star, which haven't been replaced in the Special Edition. Many scenes in this movie remain fixed and less dynamic especially when you compare this movie to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi or to the prequels, in which the rhythm and the scenes are much more dynamic and larger.

Anyway this movie is somehow a breath of fresh air to the story told in the entire saga especially after watching all the dramatic events which have occurred in the prequels. Despite my criticism towards it, this movie remains excellent and I understand why it appeared revolutionary during the time of its release. If I had to summaries this movie in a few words I would say this: this movie is jam-packed with classic adventures.

After rewatching this movie after all these years and while I think about it, this movie might not be the best of the Original Trilogy, as I previously thought it was. It now appears to me that Empire and Jedi are somehow better made movies than A New Hope. But I'll confirm this perception once I'll have watched those two movies. But, as I mentioned it previously, it remains that this movie has a charm that none of the other Star Wars movies have, even the other two originals. That is why it still remains one of my favorite Star Wars movie and why I preferred it over Empire.

I'll give A New Hope a rating of 8.5/10.