Majin Planet

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

One question that you must ask yourself over and over again is “Why is Star Wars so adored over the whole world?” Star Wars, which was originally named Adventures of the Starkiller: Episode 1 - The Star Wars, but was later renamed to just Star Wars. As you can tell the original script was so long that it was broken up into two parts if you will. The first part was a simple back story in order to being the first episode, which is really the 4th Episode.

Star Wars is quite possibly the single most startlingly hollow story that has even made more then $500 million at the box office. I have to say one of the reasons I was pull into Star Wars was the storytelling, the skill in mining excitement in a very clever way, and its sheer entertainment value.

It’s funny remembering Star Wars from say five years ago before Episode 1 was release. The whole story of how everything came together the thrill of a story never told. Now that the whole story has been release for all to see, Star Wars which is now known as Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope brings deeper meaning to the story. Even watching the edit versions (Meaning the original VHS) is just ground breaking see how the story just fits together.

I think one of the best parts of Star Wars is how the depth of the characters are so much less then most films where you can supply much of that with yourself, and that the journey is what gives us a chance to invest ourselves. We transpose the best parts of our own personalities into the characters, and go along with them on the quest. Especially with Lucas’ glorious blend of mythological heroes and villains, good and evil, told in a straightforward manner with dazzling visual design.

George Lucas nods to Akira Kurosawa, taking a clever note from The Hidden Fortress, choosing to tell the story from the least important characters point of view works well, introducing us from an outsider’s perspective to our heroes and their missions. Lucas endears the quibbling droids to us and keeps the story on a smaller scale for the first half of the film. The plot moves at breakneck speed once everything is established.

As our story begins with the Rebellion, we learn have stolen the design plans of the New Death Star Battle Station, an armored space station with a planet-destroying super laser embedded in it. In a stunning opening shot, the Empire chases the Rebels in their mighty warships far above the planet Tatooine. A Rebel leader, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) sends an astro droid R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), along with his counterpart C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) on a secret mission to deliver the stolen plans, ejecting them to the surface to escape capture.

A young idealistic farm boy, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), obtains the pair through dealings with the indigenous technology vultures, the Jawas. Inevitably, Skywalker discovers that the droid’s are on a mission and are in search for some named Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) who was once a Jedi Knight in the Old Republic. After a quick run with the sand people, Ben Kenobi (a.k.a. Obi-Wan Kenobi) saves them and tells the young Skywalker a little about his father and how one named Darth Vader (Played by David Prowse, voice by James Earl Jones) killed him. Learning of the mission, they head off to save Leia and deliver the plans. Together, Luke and Ben make their way with two space pirates/smugglers Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and wookie named Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).

Borrowing of material is completely common throughout cinematic and literary history, so complaints of unoriginality generally are unfounded. The characters of Star Wars follow the familiar archetypes of mythological lore, each of them is unique and distinguished enough to remain firmly of the story. What is done with this material is what counts, and in this respect, Star Wars has little equal.

The action is well paced and exciting, and marries well with John Williams magisterial and uplifting score. A glorious mixture of leitmotif - playing various themes and character motifs in different tempos, keys, and using different instruments to accentuate the onscreen action and mood - and bold accompaniment won Williams his third Oscar for scoring.

What we are left with a story that not only cinematically but in just great film technology, the ability to realize a dream and vision is far from worthless, especially when blended with a story that is affirming as Star Wars. Star Wars was a stunning kick up the backside to science fiction and fantasy films, inspiring filmmakers and opening many doors for other established entertainers. Many have try to repeat this formula, but have fail. Reason that the magic George Lucas create back in 1977 is something that no other movie has rivaled. The closed film is that of its own Universe as of Episode III Revenge of the Sith. We will never had another Star Wars and the magic not only create by the film but how we can easily place ourselves into the action. It was not just an enormous success, but it changed much of the focus of filmmaking, for either better or worse. You decide that, but few can deny the great storytelling of George Lucas’s first(fourth) episode of his space-opera.