Hearing the name George Lucas comes with an automatic association to famous characters from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. There is no question of the impact Star Wars has had on the entire world. Since 1977, audiences young and old have gathered in masses to celebrate their love for the franchise. However, that is not saying this specific series is for everyone.
Star Wars fans are a dedicated and passionate bunch to the films and their creator, but also have their massive detractors (and multiple trilogies of films have created both sentiments in even the same people). However, George Lucas’ catalog of films offers something for everyone. Even those who might not enjoy Star Wars movies and their swashbuckling fun could possibly take note of another Lucas feature, that being his very first.
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In 1971, George Lucas had written and directed a science fiction thriller entitled THX1138, a title that is as vague and complex as the film itself. This picture is truly unlike your typical science fiction flick. Centering on the world of the sedated, where sexuality and originality is outlawed, Lucas explores the dark side of fiction. This dark side hits much closer to home here than force welding Sith Lords. This relationship to the modern world and a variety of outstanding feats of storytelling make THX1138 a film even haters of Star Wars can appreciate.
Life to the Lifeless
Warner Bros.
THX1138 opens the door to a conversation about life itself. Robert Duvall’s titular character, THX 1138, starts out as a soulless zombie absorbed by the commercialized world around him. But what revives him is his grounded human connection, and that is the catalyst which sends him on the life-risking quest for freedom from the eyes in the sky. Even the cold and drained can be revitalized with drive and spirit, with the hope that spirit shall prevail in the end. Duvall’s performance as THX is powerful and with a sense of range. His character must show no emotion, then in the next scene become completely human, then later become a puppet at the hands of the technological overlords.
Another example of how Lucas breathes life into hollow beings could be found in the chrome robots. While they are brutal in their way of handling threats to their supremacy, they hide their violent mannerisms. In the first depiction of these officials, one is seen beating a man with a staff, over and over again, with pounding sound effects that echo in the eardrums. All while THX watches via a hologram, the officer brutally socks the life out of the poor sap who dared to defy the rule of “law.”
Warner Bros
However, when these chromed robots find themselves in the presence of children, they give them a gentle pat on the head and send them on their way, before going towards their true target. What is their true intention? Do they have a soul? Or are they just pawns to the overseers of the operation? Is any employee of ‘The State’ a true individual? Lucas’ film really begs these questions of character motivations and what drives the faceless forward, in a way reminiscent of some of the more cerebral Philip K. Dick stories.
A Limited Budget
Compared to the original Star Wars, having a budget of $11 million USD, THX1138 cost a shocking $777,000 USD, and George Lucas only got that meager funding after already making an impressive student film at USC (Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB). For a film with tremendous scale and a wide setting, THX1138 makes very good use of its small budget. With a tight runtime, the film wastes not a single second on pointless expositions. What you see is what you get, and all questions are answered. The minimalist execution allows for a more ambiguous approach that complements the picture beautifully. Every dollar spent is a dollar earned, as the film made its money back and then some with a gross worldwide total of $2,437,000 USD.
A Sophisticated Presentation
With director Francis Ford Coppola in the role of executive producer, there was a real assurance that the film will have a grandiose style to it. Lucas achieved a beautiful aesthetic with striking visuals, powerful sound design, and subtle writing. The film looks as if it was directed by Stanley Kubrick himself, and it’s almost experimental in its presentation, a far cry from the accessible Star Wars movies.
The hidden messages behind the film make it much more than just a piece of science fiction. This is a story about the power of corporate overlords and their hold on society, something which was rarely made as artfully in this genre at the time. The themes of commercialism and commerce are quite prevalent in quotes from the mysterious image of the robotic but sentient “god,” OMM.
Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy. And be happy.
Let us be thankful we have occupations to fill. Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and be happy.
The god of this new dystopian world is essentially preaching to his cult like followers that the key to happiness is to just work, buy, rinse and repeat. The cycle of capitalistic ventures goes round and round until we die, a grim thought that Lucas exploits in an eye-opening way. He makes us take a look at ourselves and ask what the true meaning of “work” is. This is also represented through characters who often find themselves looking into mirrors, cameras, and within themselves through self=reflection.
A New Hope
The final shot of THX1138 is a perfect bow to the film’s gift of life. Spending so much time seeing white, gray, and other dull tones in its sparse world (made crystal clear by a gloriously thick letterbox), the final frames offer an array of colors in a romanticized sunset. As THX escapes purgatory, he finds himself in the new world, a brighter world. It is so bright in fact, that we are only left to see his shadow as he is backlit by the falling sun. What could be offered from this is that there literally is a light at the end of the tunnel. That actual representation is shown by THX crawling out of a tunnel to escape the underground operation towards freedom.
Lucas shows that being sentient and aware of the world around us can allow us to be truly happy, as we are not falling ill to the big corporations that control what we see, hear, and think. The message of this film is as prevalent and important now as it was in 1971. The timelessness of these thematic elements should make any audience member, fan of lightsabers or not, think about the newly expanding tech-fueled world that they are a part of. THX1138 is a masterpiece, which kicked off a successful, totally different future for director George Lucas.
