Directed by George Lucas
Written by George Lucas (story); George Lucas, Walter Murch (screenplay)
Starring Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie, Ian Wolfe, Marshall Efron, Sid Haig, Irene Forrest
Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama
Country: USA
Runtime: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for some sexuality and nudity

Evaluation: 5/10
by Greg Ferguson






Looking back at famous and established directors' first features can be a gamble as it's expected that even the best of them start out rather unpolished and inexperienced. Considering venerable sci-fi pioneer George Lucas's monumental creative success with his Star Wars franchise, though, I anticipated a certain quality or charm from his debut, also a sci-fi story. Well, now that I've seen it, the ordeal taught me two things: 1) My sense of optimism needs an overhaul, and 2) Lucas should stop wasting his time and money digitally tinkering with the original Star Wars trilogy and pour all of his financial resources into fixing this embarrassment of a film.

Watching THX 1138 is like looking at a blank canvas in an art gallery and having a clever 8-year-old tell you it's a picture of a cow in a snowstorm. This is a film that says little and means less, whose nearly every scene requires a concentrated effort on the part of the viewer to imbue it with substance. You would scarcely know it to watch the film, but it is set in the 25th century in a strictly enclosed underground compound where a solitary man decides to rebel against his oppressors and liberate himself.

Now, while one may rightfully wonder how the blank canvas found itself in the art gallery, it is readily apparent how this film has earned its regard over the years. THX 1138, in spite of its pallid story and stock sci-fi totalitarian hooey, boasts arresting visual techniques and avant-garde special effects. Lucas achieves a polished and convincing sci-fi look and feel in a very austere and minimalist manner which was remarkable for its time and remains impressive by virtue of its sheer movie-making innovation. So sad, then, that the flashy visuals function as little more than a decorative frame for the blank canvas. Only adventurous Lucas hobbyists and those interested in seeing what it would look like to have Daft Punk beat up Moby will want to check this one out.

(THX 1138 is available on DVD and may be rented from Spit It Video located at 15 Lewis St., Moncton.)