Review of THX 1138 (1971) by Lenny R — 25 Jan 2010

This movie has a major flaw: in a society where people are counseled to "buy...buy more" in order to improve their wellbeing, why are they not constantly bombarded with product advertising? Why is everyone forced into conformity by being given a serial number instead of a name, being made to dress in the same white jumpsuits and having their heads shaved? Why do they eat bland packet food in colourless apartments without STUFF EVERYWHERE?!

A consumer society works by encouraging citizens to conform while making them think they're unique -- not by forcing them to conform and then giving them advice that there's no provision for them to follow. The movie seems to have taken elements from Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four -- two very different dystopias -- resulting in a self-contradictory flub. For this reason, I find the movie difficult to like. I'm just not THAT good at suspending disbelief, especially when the director himself doesn't even appear to notice this gaping logical hole in his film.

As an exercise in technique (ie camera work, lighting, editing, sound, visual effects, etc) it's fine, but there's more to a director's job than that, and George really hasn't done his job properly here. This is a more serious film than the Star Wars series, and it's trying to say some important things, which is why I think it needs to be judged more harshly, despite it being a first film.

Plus I can't stand Donald F@#king Pleasance.