A lot has been written over the almost 45 years since the films release in 1976.
I saw the film over the 1976/77 Xmas holidays.
At the time it was a revolution. A high end, very well made b-picture. Things were never the same again.
First a dissenting voice. Author Harlan Ellison really had a issue with the film. Basically that it wasn’t science fiction, it was a space opera. His quote was along the lines of “whats the past got to to with the future”, which is a reference to the classic swashbuckling elements. To be fair these elements existed in the source inspiration – Saturday matinees, like Flash Gordon and Buck Roger (both Larry “Buster” Crabbe). Lucas couldn’t get the film rights for Flash Gordon, so he made his own version.
Now in the decades since, the influence and impact is impossible to miss. We wouldn’t have cinemas full of comic book (and spandex/capes at that) films, if not for the huge success of Star Wars.
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Saw star wars 1976 again with Am for the first time.
Things that occur that seem at odds with the bigger series and how they make sence
Why was Han Solo, the great space smuggler at Mos Eisley, assuming it is still on Tattowen.
Cos if there is a bright centre to the univer, its about the furthers from it.
Because there was a convergence of forces, Ben was coming out of hiding.
Shit is going down.
Whether people know it or knot, the stronger people are with the force, the more they were drawn to that place and time.
Concider, at that place were Darth and his daughter Leah just outside the planets orbit,
Ben and Luke in the desert and Han and Chawbacca at Mos Eisley (assuming they were there for a few days before the characters meet.
The only major force characters that are not the are Yoda and the Emperor,
who we can assume are represented by and in communication with Darth and Ben.
Which supports the idea of Han being strong with force.
He queues Luke when to actually shoot.
And the guy lives as a smuggler, being unconsciously strong with the force would put him high on the success list.
Ben is probably more of an arse than he appears
When Luke goes looking for R2, why hasn’t R2 been flying, like he can later
In the cantina scene, what happened to the two guys who were wanted in systems? One gets an (uncauterised) arm cut off, but they are suddenly gone. Is there a Rancor pit underneath?
The death star must have some sort of atmosphere, to explain sound travelling
After escaping, the Millennial Falcon travels in hyperspace to the rebel base, then the death star is there a short period later. Surely it could only get there so quickly if it can travel in ligh speed too.
So why does it have to wait 30 mins to clear a planet?
To put a ticking clock on the edit
Filling the film with more little critters decreases the value of the barron nature of the worlds
Value of the film is in that that isn’t repeated in the next two (the only bit added is the revealing of the characters relationship to each other). It also was a new wave of films in so many fields
There were 70mm prints. What happened to them?
Would studios take the same sort of risk?
Obvious not
The period the film was made in has such an impact on the film.
Lucas was so involved in the anti-Vietnam film markers he was going to go to film Apocalyptic Now during the war.
In SW Luke, like Biggs was going to the academy, to avoid joining the Empire. Especially evident in the cut early scene dialogue
Tie twin ion engine
In expanding the characters to fit into the wider story they lose so many of the aspects that make then so good.
I call it the Leigh Brackett effect
By relating all these characters to each other, forcing them to be strong with the force deminishes the basic story that a kid from nowhere becomes the most important person in the universe.
Lucas himself (commentary) said Han was at the other end of his luck to Luke
Fisher (commentary) that Luca cast big characters, and they brought a lot of themselves to the characters. Consider Anthony Daniels voice becoming the voice of c3po, rather than the used car salesman idea Lucas had.
Also Fisher said the actors relationship was incorporated into the subsequent two films. Hence the quandary of if Luke or Han get the girl, as Fisher has revealed she had a fling with Ford, and Han gets Leah.
The only part of Lucas original idea is that of the primitive civilisation raising up to overthrow the Empire. Originally it was going to be Wookies, but it became Ewoks. Arguably the Emperor, but does he really add that much.
Ben Burt and John Williams input cannot be understated.
Lucas isn’t great with words, but brilliant with images.
These guys made it sound real, and overwhelmed the emotions
What happens to Ben’s body? Maybe Luke wouldn’t leave it, so it couldn’t be left
What are those silver rods that keep appearing?
Secure memory? Keys? Processors
Bb8 the droid who kills
Star Wars is a space opera, not sci fi