Review of THX 1138 (1971) by Nicolas L — 06 Jul 2008

It's been about 15 years since the only other instance I've watched this film, so I can't comment on any changes that Lucas made for his "director's cut" (the one obvious one would seem to be the computer-generated, out-of-left-field ROUS attack toward the end - were those creatures originally more of the hirsute little people like the one we saw in the detention center?).

I can say that, as much as I love the Star Wars saga, it's refreshing to see that Lucas was once able to create a film that required some serious active viewing on the part of the audience. The stark, low-budget visuals were perfect for the film thematically, and there were a number of gorgeous, fascinatingly composed shots the likes of which haven't appeared in any of Lucas' other works.

The pacing felt a bit off at times, but I'm willing to overlook that for a first-time director with such a clear vision for his debut film. Regardless of your opinion of the film itself, it's pretty much required viewing if you're a Lucas fan.