MOVIE REVIEW: THX 1138 (1971)

Star Wars is one of my all-time favorite movies. Yet somehow, George Lucas' first film; THX 1138 eluded me. However, this was probably for a good reason - as a science fiction work, it's incredibly esoteric; a rough example of storytelling from a director who's arguably biggest masterpiece turned him into a businessman who squandered any hope of furthering his talent. I'll get off my soapbox now. But I guess what I'm really trying to say is, while the film itself presents a unique vision of the future and promise of Lucas' creativity, the film itself is marred by somewhat amateurish storytelling.

In the future, humans are controlled by a greater network of machines and love is outlawed by libido-suppressing drugs. THX 1138 and his female roomate LUH 3417 discover desire and sexuality when they abandon their drug regimen out of curiosity. Upon arrest, THX becomes suspicious of the totalitarian bureaucracy when he becomes acquainted with other outlaws alike. He bands together with them, in order to make an escape, amidst the difficulty of constantly standing out in a world where almost everyone is fitting in.

Most directorial first efforts are challenging to come across as masterpieces, even though they set the tone for what the creator has to offer. With THX, I think the movie comes off as a little art-y for it's own good. While the imagery is nice, the film depends mostly upon that for the audience to make their assumptions; it's like when Kubrick did 2001: A Space Oddysey, only the storytelling is much more vague. Add to the fact, the acting comes off as rather stale at times; most of the dialogue seemed stilted or muddled, and often hard to follow. Even with the changes made for his directors cut, to further increase the visual scope of the picture, I'm not sure Lucas had extensive clarification or exposition in mind, when writing THX. Still, it is visually stunning, and somewhat thought-provoking, but not as interesting as you would think, based on first glance.

6/10

Peace,
- Jon