Star Wars: A New Hope – “The Force is strong with this one.”

In some ways I feel blessed that I’m alive at this period in film history. I mean it would have been cool to live in say, the 1970’s where things really started to heat up, but in the present time we have access to so many different varieties of films, so many different ways to watch them and own them, it just makes me feel thankful. And as we grow older and are subjected to more and more films, we can start to see that some franchises can define a generation. I would say that currently, we are in the cinematic age of the superheroes, and based on popularity and cultural significance, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe defines this generation of audiences. That’s where I’d place myself anyway. So using that as a comparison, how big, or at least how much of an impact does a film or film series need to have to define a generation? I don’t know if there’s a secret method or if it’s all down to luck, but I do know that one film kicked off a franchise that not only resonated with all audiences when it was released, but continues to do so today. Star Wars: A New Hope – George Lucas, 1977.

Star Wars is a true epic space opera. It has an epic plot of good vs evil, filled with characters that amplify archetypes, and set in a universe that has endless ideas and possibilities. Young Luke Skywalker, a simple farm boy meets old,mysterious Obi Wan Kenobi, and together with the two droids C-3PO and R2-D2,they set about journeying to rescue Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. To do this they enlist the help of smuggler Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca, and they eventually save the day and defeat the villainous Darth Vader. Now, whether or not you’ve ever actually seen Star Wars, no doubt you’ll have heard of at least one of these characters. Because that’s the kind of scale we’re talking about for the fan-base,and your film doesn’t get a fan-base that massive unless you’ve given the world something valuable.

This might not be immediately apparent to some viewers, but it becomes clear on repeat viewings that Lucas was influenced by a lot of things, the most notable I think being older Japanese films such as The Hidden Fortress. A lot of the concepts in Star Wars can be likened to existing things, such as the Jedi being akin to samurai, favouring a particular type of sword as a weapon, and the notion that the antagonists are specifically an Empire and so forth. The reason I mention this is because this sort of thing adds an extra layer to the brilliance of the film, because whether you’re watching it for the first time or the hundredth time, you feel as though you know this type of story, yet the sci-fi setting makes it a completely new experience. It is pure sci-fi cinema, introducing and utilising so many science fiction elements and showing them off perfectly. Lucas and his team struck gold by going the extra mile in the creation of the film’s practical effects, wowing audiences worldwide and raising the bar for special effects. One of the best scenes where this is all evident is in the third act of the film, as Luke Skywalker and other rebel pilots attempt to destroy the Death Star, flying down one of the massive space stations outer canyons.

Now I can’t conclude this review without mentioning John William’s amazing score. I know I pretty much always praise Williams in every film I review that he’s worked on, but Star Warshas some of the most wonderful and everlasting music ever created fora film. There are so many themes and motifs present throughout, each one capturing or embracing a different emotion, that you could set the film playing, close your eyes and have the film painted out in your mind by the music. Some of my personal highlights of the score include the blaring opening theme, the mysterious and enchanting motifs for Obi Wan Kenobi and the force,and the tense and exciting music accompanying the protagonist’s escape from the Death Star. When you have a soundtrack like this, special effects that continue to amaze even today, and a classic story featuring iconic characters, you have a winner.

You don’t have to be a sci-fi nerd to like it, if you enjoy a good story and great cinema, then this is quintessential viewing, Star Wars: A New Hope – 5 out of 5 stars.