There are sci-fi movies .. and then there is Star Wars. It has become a culture almost loosing its function as a movie. It is now a part of the human DNA it seems and has become a tradition, that is handed down from parents to kids, an intergenerational phenomenon unlike anything before it or since. You can still buy merchandise, for a movie that is 40 years old.
Star Wars is, to me, the only real Star Wars movie. The next two are fanservice. And let us not even mention the prequels! This one has it all. An incredible plot, and by plot we are talking galaxy size plot that brings you from spaceships outside the atmosphere, via several incredible stops, down to the protagonist, in a hut on a desert planet, while introducing several characters and telling an awe inspiring adventure, in 15 minutes. The intro sequence is a bit of a masterpiece in its own right in my opinion. The plot it literally galaxy size and add to that, four stories of distinct and very different personalities, interwoven with an epic saga of good versus evil. The boy, hero to become, forced to go out in the world alone and discover it all. The handsome, gun slinging smuggler, the beautiful princess in distress and the mystical wizard, who teaches the hero the secrets of the universe ... and oh yes, lets not forget .. the meanest, badassest of villains, ever created. I mean, either this thing sinks like a stone or it becomes a legendary movie. It is pure escapism of the finest caliber. It is fast paced, it does not linger to tell you what everything is that you see in this world, and that creates a certain mystique that makes you want more and more.
Now, there are many pseudo-psychological interpretations of the story. The dark father, the death star as an egg representing womanhood and so on. The only thing that i want to point out is, that "the force" represents empathy. And by that i mean, empathy is the ability to understand how other individuals feel and what they find moral. Having this knowledge makes you able to do both much good, but also much evil in the world, depending on your choices of action having this knowledge. Empathy was used by psychopaths like Hitler to control a nation, while parents use it to help their children grow up and become good human beings. The balance is to find out what is right and what is wrong. Which principle should lie underneath the morals that we use in our everyday lives.
I was 10 years old when Star Wars came out, but apparently my parents did not see any need to go watch a space movie with walking carpets and beeping robots. It was not until early eighties, that i saw it on television and at that point, it had already become legendary. It appeals to both kids and grown ups alike and they can go watch it in the cinema together and both get something out of it. That was rarely, if ever the case back in 1977. One might add as an additional comment, that Lucas has made numerous smaller and larger changes to the movie, since it first appeared. These changes are not improvements at all and the recent blu-ray release is bluish tinted and very dark. his interventions gets worse and worse. I have actually seen a restored pirate copy of the original 35 mm and there are huge differences in the color tones. Seeing the original version as it was originally intended, is the way for true movie fans. Here is to the hope that Disney will release a restored copy of the original version.
Rating: 10/10