STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION)
A film review by Michael Redman
Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
**** (out of ****)
There are some images and stories so ingrained in the human psyche that they are universal throughout the history of the world. Tales of the flawed hero's quest, stories of boy versus father, fables of rescuing the captive princess: these are omnipresent in mankind's legends and religions. And they are the basis for "Star Wars".
Joseph Campbell who spent a lifetime studying myths and their commonalties in various traditions had high praise for the film. He talked about the shared themes between the science fiction movie and those beliefs that dwell deep within the collective unconsciousness.
And aside from all that, it's one hell of a film!
The Special Edition has been remastered with new effects and the inclusion of over four minutes of new footage. As cutting edge as the film was 20 years ago, director George Lucas was unsatisfied with some of the effects that were underdone due to budget considerations. Now, with megabucks in his pockets, he has gone back to polish them up.
Most of the new footage fits in seamlessly. The obvious changes are a scene where Han Solo (a very young soon-to-be-major-star Harrison Ford) encounters Jabba The Hut and the backwater Mos Eisley spaceport has become more of a busy place.
Mucking around with a classic is dangerous business, but Lucas has succeeded in improving the original. True, Jabba seems less impressive than he does in the later films (seeing him "walk" is believable, but ruins the image of the hedonistic despot), but the episode still works. The minor change when Han kills Greedo is the only failure in the new version. The visuals are clumsy and there is an unneeded change in Solo's character.
This film changed the movie industry. Spawning dozens of imitators and the search for bigger effects and even larger budgets, Lucas is indirectly responsible for most of the major movies from the past two decades. Of course that was not all good news. Personal films fell by the wayside only to begin reappearing in recent years. "Star Wars" was the harbinger of things to come.
Very few films have become such cultural icons. The only other one that I can think of that _everyone_ has seen is "The Wizard Of Oz". Both films are not talked about in terms of if one has experienced it, but, rather how often. In some ways, "Star Wars" is a reworked "Wizard". The characters match: the tin man, the large furry animal, the wicked witch of the Empire, the young adventurer searching for truth and tons of munchkins. Luke even lives on a farm with his auntie.
It's impossible to talk about "Star Wars" as just a film. It is a cultural phenomenon. The re-release of the first of the middle trilogy (nine films are planned in all, the new one opens in a few years) will be followed by "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return Of The Jedi" within the next several weeks.
Many of us saw this when it opened in the summer of 1979. If you were among those, you'll be surprised at how well it holds up. It's still an amazing spectacle.
If you have only viewed this on your VCR, you absolutely _must_ get thyself to a theater. Seeing it on a big screen is a completely different event and one that needs to be experienced. Go to a packed house and sit near the front. History awaits you.
[This appeared in the "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana 2/6/96. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ]
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